I've been looking in the archives and can't find an answer to this one....
What is the difference between tile adhesive and grout, and what are the reasons why a powder mix adhesive cannot be used to grout tiles as well as bed them in?
Cheers
Richard
Some tile adhesives can be used as grout, it is a little more expensive. The proprietory grout might work out cheaper in the long term for professionals as they use large quantities.
Ordinary tile adhesive may lack the long term waterproof that grout has. I am not that au fait with them. But there is a difference between the specs. of an adhesive and the requirements for a grout.
Basically in the wet trades a grout is the same thing as compo or building sand and cement. It is made with more water* and used for filling cracks and the spaces between tiles. A decade or so back things went a step further with self leveling screed which is just a grout with pva or some such chemical added to it to compensate for all the water.
*Depending on what you are doing. You can use neat cement made into a wet paste and brushed or trowelled over cracked brickwork or just dry sand brushed into pavers. Or any mixture of the two types.
In fact in may case its the otherway around I discovreed that Evo waterproof adhesive is marvellous stuff. Sets to a very tough and slightly flexible but utterly UGLY finish. I then used bal grout to grout - prettier, but no way does it resist water. Its fine for a spleshing but not a soaking - without additional waterprofng being added to teh mix..
In a previous mail The Natural Philosopher wrote: "bal grout to grout - prettier, but no way does it resist water. Its fine for a spleshing but not a soaking - without additional waterprofng being added to teh mix.."
I have just finished grouting the whole bathroom with Bal Grout and as it has a shower over the bath I certainly hope it is waterproof as it says on the bag. The website even says it is suitable for swimming pools. The one thing that it stresses is that you have to wait 14 days before soaking, can this be where you went wrong or am I going to have to start again?
Steve
Some you can, some you can't. Basically, the higher quality stuff is less likely to be able to be used for both tasks, as it is more carefully formulated for its intended purpose. The grout will likely be a nicer colour, with antibacterial properties and finer aggregates, whilst the adhesive will concentrate on stickiness, compressive strength etc.
If you use powders rather than readymix, ensure you mix using a power drill and mixing attachment. Hand mixed adhesives and grouts rarely match a power mix for quality, and can deaden your arms, too!
Christian.
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