Professional-looking flooring is what
contractors and building professionals strive for and the right grout is
essential to make ceramic, porcelain, terracotta, stone and glass mosaic floors
and coatings look fabulous.
Ntobela Zamaswazi, product manager ceramics for
construction chemical company Mapei South Africa, said it is important to
understand the different grouting requirements of different surfaces and how
the surfaces are used, inside or outside. “First, one should differentiate if a
cementitious or an epoxy grout is suitable for a specific project,” she added.
Cementitious grouts are particularly suitable
for residential use. They can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, swimming pools,
external façades, balconies and terraces. Cementitious grouts can also be used
commercially, in environments such as grouting tiles in supermarkets,
restaurants, airports, public and industrial buildings.
Epoxy grouts are used when the grout has to
conform to certain hygienic requirements such as resistance to aggressive
chemicals. These grouts have superior technical characteristics than
cementitious grouts.
Ntobela elaborates on the two cementitious
grout products offered by Mapei South Africa. “The first is Keracolor
FF which is polymer modified with DropEffect® water-repellent technology. Another
feature about the range offered by Mapei is that it is available in a variety
of different colours. This colour palette was developed by the
group working closely with colour specialists internationally.”
“The second is
Ultracolor
Plus which is a polymer modified, fast-setting and dryable flexible grout with
Bioblock technology that protects against mold and mildew. It is also available
in various colours and has anti-efflorescence properties for joints from two to
20 millimetres”.
To meet more specialist requirements, epoxy
grouts are used. The Kerapoxy range has several products available in various
colours. One product is Kerapoxy Design which has a decorative finish for
grouting glass mosaic, ceramic tiles and stone material with an aesthetic look.
It can also be used with Mapeglitter in silver or light gold which adds a
sparkle to metallic and glass tiles!
Zamaswazi added that Kerapoxy CQ, which was
recently added to the epoxy family, is a water-based, two-component,
bacteriostatic, acid resistant high-performance grout that is easy-to-clean.
More information from Geoffrey Green, Tel: +27 11 552 8476, E-mail: g.green@mapei.co.za, www.mapei.co.za
