SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
101newkitchen101

Cloe Tile and Mapei white/avalanche/frost grout

101newkitchen101
2 years ago

Hello! I was trying to figure this out on my own but now I'm stressed and overwhelmed. I just am not good at "seeing" color and matching things.


I have cloe tile in white. I have three grout samples from Mapei...white, avalanche, and frost. Those who are familiar with these...would all of these grouts match that tile okay? Can I go wrong?


Avalanche is bright and maybe cool toned

White is warmer and sometimes looks a little creamy/yellow

Frost is nice, but I want the tiles to blend rather than stand out. Though frost does blend the grayer tiles of Cloe.


Another factor that's making it harder for me. I have MSI verona quartz and it's really a yellowish white. If I put a bright white near it it really shows yellow, which is what lead me to cloe because ALL white subway made my counters look terrible! Cloe seems to work well with the counters. (hopefully!)


I'll attach some images below, and am always open to opinions and help!


Frost, Avalanche, White.

The fourth tile sample on the right has white on the top and avalanche on the bottom.











White on left and avalanche on right




White on left and avalanche on right



I'm struggling because my samples have a mix of dark and light tiles, example: my white sample has all whites/lights and my avalanche sample has darker grays. So it's really making it hard for me to see what matches best. Or if they would all be okay!


I would say I am leaning towards white, but TERRIFIED it will read too yellow on the walls.


Avlalanche scares me because it might be too bright and would yellow my counters.


Frost feels safe because matching the white wouldn't be an issue, but I really want to allow the cloe to show and not really see the grout lines.


Thanks for any help or input!!!

Comments (59)

  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Frost and white.

  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Will frost make my room more cool toned overall? I don’t really want that.

  • Related Discussions

    Please advise re: whitest white gouts-is Avalanche too pink?

    Q

    Comments (18)
    Thanks for the advice! I was actually going to use the Mapei pre-mixed and ready to use flexcolorCQ tub of grout to avoid any color variances. It comes at a price premium, but that seems to be worth it to remove any unexpected surprises. Do you have any experience with that version of the product?
    ...See More

    GROUT HELP -Does anyone know which TEC gray grout is like Mapei Frost?

    Q

    Comments (13)
    Thanks! And how exciting! I’m in the same boat and never thought grout would be what stresses me out so much. Do you mind if I ask what color tile it’s going with? We’re doing a mosaic type matte black backsplash in our kitchen and thinking to pair with either sterling or Silverado. Also scared the contrast will be too crazy. Congrats on your new home!!
    ...See More

    Mapei Avalanche grout with white gloss subway tiles??? thoughts

    Q

    Comments (18)
    Forgive the lighting.... but I will tell you this. We wanted white tile with white grout and were told by a store called Floor and Decor that Avalanche is the whitest white. I have no idea if that is true or not but I do know that it did not come out white. We even used the FlexColor CQ which is supposed to guarantee an even grout tone. This is darker than the frost color which we have used before. When I saw it I thought it must have been mislabeled. Mapei tech came out and said it’s the right color. I’m not an expert but I know this isn’t white. It’s either a quality control issue or it just never matches the sample. I‘ll spare everyone the details but let’s just say that I would not recommend using Avalanche for a white grout even though it’s the “whitest white”. And i would steer you away from Mapei altogether. Use at your own risk.
    ...See More

    Prism brand light gray grout color equivalent to Mapei Frost grout?

    Q

    Comments (1)
    Hi. What did you decide to do here? Looking for light grey from prism.
    ...See More
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Of your choices i like frost. it has a soft gray tone to it that leans a little cool . (but I think warm gray would look better)



    avalanche is also the whitest grout on the market. it's too white.



    If you want slightly warmer, try Mapei Warm Gray. I think it will perfect w/your cab color.

    i did it w/my bathroom tile




    I did it w/this carrara tile just so you can see. it's white, w/warm gray undertones. very subtle. try a sample.


    101newkitchen101 thanked Beth H. :
  • Julie R.
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I used a different brand of grout, but tested two shades: “White” and ”Snow”. I selected White because I wanted grout to disappear as much as possible- and I’m very satsified. It really just depends on your personal preferences.

    From your choices, I would still go with White in your brand of grout. Good luck,

    101newkitchen101 thanked Julie R.
  • User
    2 years ago

    I will tell you my experience. I have off white subway tile backsplash which perfectly matched Mapei white grout and caulk for the joint between counters and backsplash. Everything was beautiful for a month. Then the white caulk turned highlighter yellow everywhere! The grout still looks fine. We are still trying to figure out what to do. I contacted Mapei and they sent me two tubes of replacement caulk in avalanche. They had no explanation for why the caulk would turn yellow. I am afraid avalanche will be too white and make my tile look yellow. If I had to do over, I would have gone with a light gray grout and caulk.

  • User
    2 years ago

    White grout really is off white

  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    @User It looks great! Was that mapei white? So that's a good point about caulk...gray grout would then allow me to buy matching gray caulk...is that right? For some reason I was thinking the contractors would just be putting regular white caulk down...not matching.


  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    @Beth H. :Thank you!!!


    You've convinced me to make up a sample board with warm gray, even though I was trying not to make my choice any harder than it already is, ha ha! It's drying now.


    I DO like the idea of warmer gray, as I do not like cool gray tones, and even with these cabinets I'm trying to get a warmer look in this room. I do really want to stay away from getting much darker though with the grout.


    My gut is still leaning towards my original thought of doing the white (before I'd even put the boards together), but practical tells me gray might be better. It does look nice too, I do like the gray. I like them both. I just worry about it looking too contrasted, as I originally wanted it to be simple. When I stand far back the white grout fades and a I can just see the tile variations. When I stand back and look at the gray you could see the grout pattern stripes. I like soft gray with white subway (like the photos you attached) and also with the marble! But with the cloe I'm just worried because of all the different colored tiles it might look busy.


    Why specifically do you lean towards the gray in my space Beth? What took you away from the white? Maybe the reasoning behind will help me.





  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    If frost or warm gray have this type of contrast I think it'll be too busy for that entire wall...


  • 101newkitchen101
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    I think this one is too cool and also too contrasted for what I seem to veer towards.


  • stephmpic
    2 years ago

    We just finished our basement bar area using Cloe tiles in white. We went with white grout. I wanted the tile, not the grout, to stand out. The white helped blend the tiles together. Countertops are Silestone Calacatta Gold.



    101newkitchen101 thanked stephmpic
  • Samantha Johnsen
    2 years ago

    @stephmpic which brand of grout did you use? this is perfect!

  • pmoskie
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I am in the same boat. I have Cloe white for my kitchen backsplash and I am debating using Mapei 00 White. I don't want too cool toned grout. I have a shower in Cloe white with Frost grout and it is definitely cool gray and the grout lines are obvious. I would prefer in this case to have the grout take the back stage and the tiles stand out. Did you decide what to do? I am also doing more warm whites in this house so I don't want my grout too cool toned. Also trying to match grout for the Makoto subway tile in Midori green and wonder if I can use Mapei white here too...

  • Lisa Wang
    2 years ago

    @pmoskie lol are you me? We are doing white tile in one bathroom (Arizona Flash) and green tile in another (Bedrosians Cloe green). I am actually considering Mapei Alabaster for the white tile because I also like warm tones. Here’s the only helpful post I found, though blogger photos always make me nervous because they are often so brightened.

    https://juniperhome.com/2019/06/evergreen-house-kitchen-reveal.html/

    Can you share a photo of your white cloe tile with Frost grout please? We’re thinking about using Frost for our green tile too though your green is quite a bit warmer.

  • pmoskie
    2 years ago

    @Lisa Wang we must be twinning! So happy to see someone else using green tile, I love green and happy its showing up! I am planning to do a vertical stack and I'm stuck on grout color. I will attach photos of my frost grout but I am definitely not a photographer so my photos are not great. There is one close up of the niche so you can see the color up close. I thought Mapei Alabaster was their brightest white and to me ran cool but photos are so deceiving. I am too lazy to buy grout and do a little test but probably should so I don't get this wrong. I heard Mapei white had a bit more warmth but maybe runs yellow which I don't want either...




  • Lisa Wang
    2 years ago

    @pmoskie it's better not coming from professional photographers because it's more realistic! This is very very helpful, thank you. I personally think your Frost looks lovely with the variation in the Cloe tile!


    Just a note, I think you are thinking of Mapei AVALANCHE, not ALABASTER. Alabaster is a warm beige/off-white tone. The sample cards make it look very dark but the blog I linked above shows closer to a warm white (not yellow). I asked my contractor to make a sample of this against white tile so I'll share if he does. I have read from online reviews that Mapei grount seems to dry much lighter than the samples and color cards appear.


    We are doing a vertical stack with our green as well!! Excited to see your results!

  • Lisa Wang
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @pmoskie speak of the devil, here are the samples!! I know not quite the same tile as yours but hope it helps. Alabaster looks much darker here than the blogger photos above so once again I am confused...



  • pmoskie
    2 years ago

    @Lisa Wang ah yes thank you, I am mixing those two up. Alabaster on the Mapei color sample looks similar to your photo, a warm beige but I agree it looks dark. Is this dry? I too look at so many blogger photos and the lighting is so bright that it is hard to tell. Frost looks like a cool gray and true to color on your swatches, I love it with your tile and I do love it in my small shower. Really wanted my Cloe white backsplash to have an almost invisible grout so maybe I do need Avalanche or the elusive Mapei 00 white which I see very few pics of which might be a bad sign...love love love the Cloe green!!!!! What are you doing for your base and edges of the cloe green niche if you have one?

  • Trina Taylor
    2 years ago

    @101newkitchen101 I'm curious what you chose? My cloe white shower is being grouted today, and my instinct is to go mapei white.

  • Lauren Bennett
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Thanks for this thread! Photos helped me choose Mapai White over Avalanche and Frost! See photos below paired with a white counter and white cabinets! Our wall color is Mindful Grey from Sherwin Williams which is a warmer grey rather than a cool grey. The grout did exactly what I wanted -- highlights the tile and NOT the grout. I think Avalanche would have contrasted with the greyer tiles too much and Frost with the whiter tiles. This was a great balance. Not yellowy at all. We still have to finish cleaning up the edges and caulking, but I am very happy with this choice! Note: grout dries to this color, it looked darker when we first applied it of course, so don't panic! ALSO Bedrosians recommended a "Bright White" from Latricrete for this effect, but I found a chart online that color matches Laticrete, Bright White #44 to Mapai White #00, so I was more confident picking it out versus the other whites.


  • User
    last year

    Just don’t use Mapei white caulk. It will turn highlighter yellow in a month. I used the white grout, but I had to dig out the caulk and redo. Mapei saw my pics and sent me tubes of Avalanche, and it has done well

  • keira bobeira
    last year

    @Lauren Bennett can i see pictures of your cloe with mapei white please? i keep going back and forth and i cannot decide.


    @101newkitchen101 which one did you end up using? would love to see pics! thanks


  • Miss Tati
    last year

    @rtpage03

    That's awful. I can confirm that Mapei Avalanche caulk can also go yellow, although not as bad as highlighter. Tile shop told me *after* my feedback that they don't recommend it and sell another brand's white in addition to Mapei line. Might not be as noticeable with darker tiles but this job used bright white tile.

  • Keira P
    last year

    @Samantha Johnsen its beautiful!!!!


    after about a week of reading and deliberating, I’ve decided on laticretes bright white. its the same color as mapei’s white. i did quite a bit of reading and it say that the epoxy grouts do yellow over time, and uv also contributes to yellowing as well. i chose laticrete spectralock because it says they have uv protection as well. its quite a bit more expensive compared to other brands but i told myself its better to pay more now than to lose my mind due to grout yellowing! id be devastated! we’ve been working on this kitchen for 9months 💩

  • Zory
    last year

    @Keira P how did your kitchen turn out? im thinking to do the laticrete bright white also. what did you use for caulk? do you see any yellowing in the epoxy?

  • Keira P
    last year

    @Zory

    my backsplash turned out beautiful! i used the latictete bright white with its matching silicone caulk.

    i watched a bunch of videos on youtube on how to properly use this specific grout. i did little sections at a time. very time consuming but i wanted it done right.

    the matching caulk is much whiter than the grout itself but i have a white countertop (silestone calacatta gold) so it is minimally noticeable.


    no yellowing just yet since its only been a month and half, but i guess only time will tel. its not ”supposed” to yellow because its not an epoxy grout but we’ll find out after a while.


    this is one of the walls i completed. it turned out so nice :)


  • Zory
    last year

    @Keira P that is beautiful. I assumed the spectralock was epoxy.. there are so much versions out there it is hard to keep track.

  • masteme
    last year

    @keirap beautiful! And I was debating on whether to use the spectra lock and this post sealed the deal. You used spectralock 1 correct? Thx!

  • Keira P
    last year

    @masteme

    yes, i used spectralock 1 in bright white. i highly recommend watching several videos on how to use the product. go little sections at a time and take your time. it takes longer than regular epoxy grout but ends up looking great!


    good luck!!

  • Amy Laustsen
    last year

    Let see the finished kitchen! What grout did you end up using? Your kitchen is similar to ours! We have gray and white cabinets.

  • Carolina Del Pardo
    last year

    This was incredibly helpful today! My husband and I are doing the same tile in our bathroom and we were torn between Frost and Avalanche. He also wondered the difference between white and avalanche. Stumbling across this was a lifesaver as we were standing in the store, trying to decide. We ended up buying avalanche.

  • Kelly Bryant
    last year

    This post is so helpful!! Does anyone have Chloe installed in a kitchen with northern/eastern exposure? I am concerned it's going to be really gray and I'm panicking on my decision. I'll have warm counters (Calacatta Valentin) and my cabinets are SW White Duck. They want the tile ordered before I have my cabinets installed.


     I was leaning towards the Tile Bar Portmore white which seems a tab warmer but of course they are on back order.


    I hope that Chloe White would brighten up my dark kitchen more but concerned it will read to gray.

  • pmoskie
    last year

    I have it in that exact northeast location. I'm at work now but can post pics later and in the sun tomorrow AM...my counters are Fantasy Macaubas quartzite and my cabinets are a pretty neutral white and it does not read too gray at all to me, but I'll had pics later

  • Amy Laustsen
    last year

    .

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    last year

    Kelly, who is 'they' ? you know, it's not imperitive you have a backsplash. it can always wait. Better that then to order boxes of it only to find out the color doesn't work once your cabs/countertops are installed.

    I would never order or pay or decide on a tile PRIOR to the cabs/counters install. colors change w/lighting in your home.

    Now, if "They" will let you return those tiles and exchange for something else should you determine the colors don't work, fine. Otherwise, you're gambling with a good chunk of money.

  • Kelly Bryant
    last year

    @Beth H "They" is my general contractor and project manager. You're right though, backsplash isn't required but they are trying to keep the project moving so they want my selections now so it can be ordered. I even told my husband, maybe we do the backsplash after the fact ourselves.

  • pmoskie
    last year

    @Kelly Bryant here are few photos of my cloe against my white cabinets and quartzite. i can look up the grout color vey white but the brand escapes me, not a popular brand. My kitchen is small, city lif




  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Kelly, You hired them. You are paying them. the backsplash isn't necessary for them to 'move on'. In fact, it will be one of the last things they do. Having them pressure you into picking something without first seeing how the kitchen is going to look, is ridiculous.

    Just fyi, I waited one year to do my own backsplash. (only because I couldn't deside what I wanted). So really, just tell the people YOU hired and pay with YOUR money to stop worrying about the backsplash tile. It can be done at your leisure. (Now, if you have already agreed to pay them to do the install of this tile, ask them if they can come back after the install is done. Or, see if they can write that portion out of the contract. whatever they estimated the tile install to be? 1500? 2000? have them nix it and you'll get someone else down the road to do it.

    don't let anyone pressure you into choosing the wrong item. I can't tell you how many times people come on this site and are so disappointed over the tile they HAD to choose. Usually because the colors are off or the design doesn't work.

  • Kelly Bryant
    last year

    @ pmoskie Thank you for sharing those pictures!! Your kitchen is beautiful!

  • Rebecca Moore
    last year

    @Carolina Del Pardo We're debating between white and avalanche, but leaning toward avalanche to go with our white cloe tile. Have you already gotten yours installed? How did it turn out?? Were you happy?


    I'd love to see a photo or two if you're willing to share!

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Rebecca,,

    Mapei White:


    Frost


    frost avalanche white




    Laticrete Bright White


    not sure about this one. looks like the white



    Read this one....Arctic White

    https://myweatheredhome.com/new-kitchen-tile-backsplash-update/

  • Rebecca Moore
    last year

    @Beth H. :Thanks for the info!

  • Christina Salas
    10 months ago

    I'm so glad I found this! I want a more creamier look for my bathroom and in bewteen Mapei White or a mix of 1/2 white and 1/2 light almond. What do you think?



  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    10 months ago

    christina, don't mix. try Mapei Warm Gray.

  • Ann544
    5 months ago

    Hi! Can you confirm if it was Mapeis pure white or eggshell white you used? Thanks!

  • matt0210
    26 days ago

    Heads up those that want to potentially use Mapei White referenced in this thread. It has been renamed to Mapei Eggshell. I figured it out an Mapei's site. They had it listed as "5220 Eggshell (formerly White)"

  • matt0210
    8 days ago

    To add to his helpful post, I teared Mapei Eggshell(Refered to as White in this thread) vs Mapei Avalanche and it was clear to me Eggshell blended better. Though Avalanche did match my sw pure white walls better. Ultimately for the most seemless look I went with the Mapei Eggshell, and here are the results. Really happy with it. It's still drying a little so the color might brighten a tiny bit more

  • matt0210
    8 days ago

    Here's photos of Mapei Eggshell (Refered to as White in this post). Can't go wrong with it imo, it blends in better than the avalanche. Walls and range hood are SW pure white. Countertops are MSI Calcutta abbezo I believe.

  • matt0210
    8 days ago

    Didn't attach them correctly. Here they are: