tec xt stain resistant grout or laticrete spectralock grout

susanlynn2012

15 years ago

Which is a better grout if a dog misses a puppy pad and gets pee on the grout lines: TEC XT Stain Resistant Grout OR Laticrete SpectraLOCK Grout that is an Epoxy grout?

Jerry, do you have time to reply or anyone else with some knowledge. I know I love the color of the Mushroom on Weedyacres Rialto Beige tiles but the Akoya Bone Porcelain tiles are a smidgen lighter than the lighter Rialto Beige tiles that I wanted but the Lowe's store sold out of that lot number and the lot number they had was more gray and darker.

The local store pushed me into bringing home the Antique White color when I told the former installer I wanted to go to Lowe's to get the Mushroom color I liked or stay at the local store to go with the Cornsilk color that looks so close to the Mushroom color.

So before I return or exchange the grout (new installer will use the Epoxy grout if I want it and can start in a few days), I want to know which is a better grout of these two grouts for purposes of grouting foyer tiles that are Perla Akoya Beige that is similar to the lighter Rialto Beige tiles without any gray veins.

Should I return the TEC Antique White (looks grayish and darker than Mushroom and darker than Cornsilk to me but the store says dries 2 shades lighter and is a nice neutral) for Latricrete SpectraLOCK Mushroom (I want a stain resistant grout that I will not have to seal every year I have decided and both of these grout are self sealing)? The mushroom grout color from the chip looks like it is a smidgen darker than the Cornsilk but they are very close in color using the paint chip in my home that I can hardly tell.

The Antique White TEC color chip (that the store recommends but they do not understand I do not like grayish grout and prefer a grout color in the beige family unless th TEC Antique White dries lighter without the gray in it?) is darker than the Cornsilk color chip that the store's salesman says would be too yellow. It does not look yellow in my house and looks very close in color to the Mushroom color that I wanted but the local store does not sell Latricrete products.

Has anybody used the TEC Antique White grout color and if so, do you have pics or if not, can you describe the color when it dries?

I may pay the 10% restocking fee and return the Antique White grout to the local store and then buy the grout color I think (since I can only see paint chips and the very nice pics on the Internet) I want at Lowe's in the Mushroom color.

Has anyone used the TEC Cornsilk grout color? If yes, what color does it dry to look like? Any pics?

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Comments (6)

susanlynn2012
Original Author
15 years ago
PICS of the three grout colors I am considering: TEC XT Antique White or Cornsilk or Laticrete SpectraLOCK Mushroom color grout. Sorry I left this link out of the prior post.

Here is a link that might be useful: PICS of the three grout colors am considering: TEC XT Antique White or Cornsilk or Laticrete SpectraLOCK Mushroom color grout
jerry_t
15 years ago
I've not used the TEC XT grout before Lynn.... I have used their AccuColor many times and its a very good grout. Some of these newer stain resistant grouts will have a sort of "shiny" appearance that turns off alot of people. If it were me I would use the SpectraLOCK because it is an epoxy and does not look "shiny". I have been using it for 3 or so years now with no unhappy clients.
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susanlynn2012
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you Jerry, I really appreciate you replying. I have decided to pay the 10% restocking fee for the TEC XT grout (after the 25% off and before the 7% sales tax it came to $36.71 for their stain resistant enhanced grout that is not an Epoxy. I will then drive a few miles farther down the highway and go to Lowe's and buy the SpectraLOCK Mushroom grout that I wanted but the former installer just wanted to use what was at the local tile store where I bought the Akoya Bone Tiles. I heard I need lots of sponges. What sponges are best so there will be clean ones here for him to use since I want the color to be true?

The new installer says he can pick up glue and I do not need to buy more of the Adhese-SuperflexW Tile & Stone Mortars, 50 Lb Super Flext White (says this on the package so has abbreviations.. is in my cold garage right now....$42.74 after the 25% off I paid and before the sales tax). I was told the glue I had bought was a special Latex Glue. How can the installer mix glues since I have so much of this bag left over? What glue should we use since I have a cement floor due to the fact that I live in a townhouse with no basement.

All this stress due to the first lot of the Rialto Beige tiles being sold out so I found a tile that looked just like that lighter color I wanted. I would have just asked Lowe's and bought what glue they told me but I can't return opened dry glue so now I have this bag here.

I have to put an Estate on extension today and get these holiday cards out as well as close a few corporations. I am so behind in my work since I want my two foyer areas to look nice. I wish you lived near me Jerry so you could do this tile job for me and it would have been done months ago and I would not be behind in my work.
jerry_t
15 years ago
Lynn, you're fretting way too much over this and I understand why. You're job here is to the have the tile and grout sitting on the job. I would also advise you to pick up a tube of sanded grout caulk. Allow your pro to provide everything else he/she needs and let them do their job. If you want to pick up some sponges just buy the 1.98 grout sponges..... one sponge goes about 40sq. ft using SpectraLOCK, then it gets tossed. Good luck and Merry Christmas. :-)
susanlynn2012
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you so much Jerry for your help. Merry Christmas also to you and your family. My best Christmas Gift would be to have the concrete floors have pretty tile on them. :)
susanlynn2012
Original Author
15 years ago
I returned the Antique White TEC XT Grout and bought another bag of the Latex Thins et for the floor. I then drove to Lowe's last night and bought the SpectraLOCK (2 containers that each have an A & B and a big sponge inside) and three containers of the Mushroom grout. Only two of the Mushroom Grout (C) have the same lot number while there was only one more left at the Lowe's with a different lot number. I hope they all match.

So far the tiler installer was very professional and the two tiled floors look great. I can't wait for him to install the grout tomorrow. I'll take pics when it is all done.

tec xt stain resistant grout or laticrete spectralock grout

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tec xt stain resistant grout or laticrete spectralock grout

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