Neither Spectralock or Laticrete's Urethane (recommended) grout requires sealing......

I'm not an expert so keep this in mind

I think that you want a membrane on all shower walls. How I understand it is that the special cement board that goes up before the tile, needs to be either placed on top of a vapor barrier which is covering your studs, or have a membrane layer placed top of the board which is affixed directly to the studs. But not both barriers on the same installation. I think otherwise moisture will be trapped.

The installation of the membranes will be a crucial factor when installing the tub too. It will be important that the membrane is not allowing water to drain behind the tub flange. I think someone had posted a nice drawing of this detail sometime back but I can't find it in my clippings to refer to.

Tile and grout is not a waterproof surface. The reason for the barrier is to protect the wall studs. Evidently the cement board is not effected by water but will transmit water.

Thanks to both of you for responding.

Good to know that Spectralock or Laticrete's Urethane grout does not need sealing, lazarususa. Does it have any special requirements for cleaning? I did read that the mfg of QuartzLock2 states no enzymatic cleaners on its product or it voids the warranty.

Thanks, enduring, for explaining the reason for the membrane. I'll ask our GC about it. We're, not surprisingly, hydrophobic after our toilet flood so we want to do what we can to avoid water going astray again. ;-)

Any other advice?

Lisa, get more info on the membranes and don't just rely on my info. I am only trying to recall what I have read here on different post. I'd search to see what Bill V. & Mongoct have to say on this membrane issue. There is also a site I think called John Bridge, there is good info there too on this topic.

My Latricrete Spectralock Mushroom grout (3/16th grout width) that I had used with my Akoya Bone tiles in two small foyer areas (love the color with my tiles) has stained in several areas. I now wish I had sealed it despite it being an epoxy grout. But the experts will come here to give you their advice. I am now going to choose the Laticrete Permacolor grout and seal it but maybe my installer did not install the grout properly for this to happen. I wonder if anyone else used Laticrete Spectralock and had the grout stain? But at least it never cracked liked my neighbor's grout did as well as his grout staining. He used Polyblend grout.

Any new thoughts on using quartzlock2? While I had been considering laticrete's permacolor, I am now considering quartzlock2 ( no need to seal, less toxic than spectralock). It seems like it would be a step above permacolor.

I would be just as happy with either Spectralock OR QL2. That said, I've said many times that unless you're having hard water issues the added expense of the chemical grouts is unnecessary in residential applications. The Permacolor that hello8 mentioned is a much more sensable choice, in that it's one of the newer generation cement based grouts that are stain resistant, and has all the antimocrobial agents to stop mold, mildew, and bacteria from growing.

I generally only recommend QuartzLock on shower floors, where the most abuse happens. Is Spectralock good? Sure, but it's far more labour-intensive to install and is only slightly "better" than QL.

Just my .02 worth....

Thanks - Is Quartzlock2 far more labor intensive than Permacolor? I've eliminated Spectralock as an option. I'll see what the price difference is.

Yes, it is. It's also about triple the price, just for cash and carry.

Thank goodness for email alerts. I thought this thread had died.

Our tile is getting grouted tomorrow. We did end up choosing to use QuartzLock2 so I'm glad to hear, Bill, that you'd be happy with it. I was a bit concerned after reading complaints about the first version of QL but I couldn't find any comments about QL2. Our contractor recommended QL2 and so far he's been aces to work with and hasn't steered us wrong so we pulled the plug (appropriate for a bathroom forum, right?) and followed his rec.

Thanks for the additional comments. Even though we've made a decision, I now have peace of mind and that's a good thing.

Our two bathrooms are almost finished so look for pics soon.