I'll try to get a sample chip of that, too. Avalanche is certainly the brightest white (chip) I've seen so far. I don't remember what the regular Mapei white looked like. How do you like working with the Mapei, Bill? I thought I'd read some negative comments about it (PITA to use???) while trying to find comparisons of the different grouts recently. If need be, I'm guessing we could use a different brand of grout for one (or more) color, if the color from a different brand is clearly a better match--yes? Also, another one for you Bill; any problems using TEC's Charcoal colored grout? I like it best with the porcelain floor tile for the MB (the color looks better than Laticrete's), but thought I'd read about installers haveing trouble with efflourescence (sp?). Have you used it/had problems with it?

@J M We did not use Spectralock 1 grout in our kitchen because we found out that it is not intended for use around food preparation areas. So, its use is rather limited. Instead, our installers used Mapei Ultracolor Plus FA (which I will hereafter refer to for brevity just as "Mapei," although this is only one of the family of Mapei grout types) which has some of the features of longevity of epoxy but isn't an epoxy grout. The Mapei was water-based, so shouldn't yellow. It is also rapid-setting, so the installers must be very skilled with it and only do small portions at a time, or else you can end up with a mess as the Mapei can harden over the tile and be very difficult to remove. My one complaint with my installation was that the installers used too much water and removed too much of the grout as it was setting, so the grout level is a little low. It's not bad, but there's nothing that can be done to fix this aside from taking the grout completely out and re-doing it, at least according to Mapei customer service. Doing that could damage the tile, so I'm going to live with it. The grout needs to have at least 1/2 depth of the tile to which it can adhere, and after it is cured, it won't stick to the previous layer of grout unless it has those sides of the tile to help with adhesion, or so says Mapei's customer service. I would have preferred the grout to be nearly level with the tile, which is the standard set forth for this grout in the instructions, but I ended up with some noticeable edges of the tile showing, even beyond the beveled top edge of the tile by a small amount. Since it has been installed, I've barely noticed the problem, so it will probably only come back to haunt me when I am cleaning the grout and need to get the extra dirt out that falls into the deeper-than-desired depressions. This Mapei grout doesn't require a sealer, but it can be sealed which I plan to do, probably with some Laticrete product. I have a lot of respect for Laticrete's technological advancements, but in my instance, the Mapei was recommended by the people who laid the tile, and I am thus far happy with it. One more note on the application, I provided the tile people with several dozen, new sponges to use on our job so they could feel free to wipe away on the grout since it was a rapid-set product, but they ended up using their own very water-heavy sponging system that was overkill for this grout.

Disfromage -- Fireclay offices I guess had just closed when I called last night, and since they are on the west coast they have yet to open today. When I asked about grout when we initially ordered, they didn't have any specific brand recommendations for me, and suggested I contact Mapei and ask them about grout release, sealant, grout type, etc., and I did. Everyone seemed fine with our grout choice except for the tile installers. They said that the ultracolor plus FA would be fine in our bathroom and our laundry applications, but those are both 1/8 " or smaller grout lines. With the larger grout line, 3/16, they recommended the sanded. We bought some Mapei Keracolor S last night just in case and have been letting sit in the kitchen over night to acclimate it some. We are supposed to have grout release applied as well, but it is not here and they didn't have any at Lowe's last night, so now we've got to place that and get it here ASAP.

Hi All, We bought a tile with a recommended grout of Custom Grout's Alabaster. However, our installer does not like working with Custom. We have a Mapei grout kit and a Laticrete grout chart, but I am struggling to find a match for our tile. I thought Mapei's Avalanche might match, but then I looked it up online and saw that Avalanche is a bright white. (Our tile is more of a creamy white.) The Laticrete chart makes all of the whites look really yellow. Is anyone out there a grout expert who might have a suggestion? It seems that the kits and charts aren't all that accurate, and Custom does not have charts at the Home Depots near me any more. Thanks!