Flexcolor 3D - Translucent Grout Makes a Bold Statement

by

Shawn Millman

 April 27, 2021. 9:15 PM

3D booth 2

I've been attending Coverings for more than 20 years and have never seen a product make a bigger splash right out of the gate than Flexcolor 3D.  We introduced 3D at our booth this year and I spent most of my time talking about it, both in the booth and everywhere I went on the show floor.  Customers, contractors, tile manufacturers... everywhere I went, everyone was talking about Flexcolor 3D.  

It wasn't just me, our National Presenter Sam Biondo told me "I was shocked at the amount of excitement over this product, people were genuinely excited to try it," after he demonstrated the product for hundreds of people at the show.

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So what is Flexcolor 3D?  It is a ready-to-use grout that is translucent, it lets light pass through it.  9 of the 10 colors are also iridescent, they reflect some of the light back at different angles.  What this means practically is that the grout highlights the colors of the tiles around it.  Where the tiles are dark, the grout appears darker.  Where the tiles are light, the grout appears lighter.  By choosing a coordinating color, the grout helps to turn a very nice backsplash into a "Wow" backsplash that grabs the attention.  Because it's part of the Flexcolor family of grouts, it is based on acrylic technology that eliminates the need to mix multiple components together and is ready to use right out of the bucket. It is also easy to clean (follow the directions!) and stain resistant.

green squared

From a technical perspective, the glass beads are made of recycled bottle glass, giving 3D up to 70% recycled content.  That allows us to add to our line of Green Squared Certified grouts (the other is Ultracolor Plus FA) and let designers select a system of Green Squared tilesmortars, and grouts for their sustainable projects.  It's also LBC Red List Free and can meet requirements for Low VOC and Regionally Manufacturered products since it is made in the US.  While there aren't ANSI standards for ready-to-use grouts, it meets the stain resistance standards for epoxy grouts and the compressive strength requirements of cement grouts.

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Products mentioned in the article

MAPEI Flexcolor 3D
MAPEI Flexcolor 3D
Stain- and chemical-resistant grout formulation with no sealing required Easy cleanability, color consistency and improved workability …
MAPEI Ultralite Mortar
MAPEI Ultralite Mortar
Premium, Lightweight Mortar with Polymer for Large-and-Heavy Tile MAPEI Ultralite Mortar is a premium-grade, lightweight,…

Author

Shawn Millman

Shawn Millman

Shawn is a Regional Technical Representative at MAPEI Inc. and is based at its Delta, British Columbia, facility. He provides technical assistance, training and general advice on all of MAPEI’s product lines to users across western Canada. As a former installer, Shawn combines his field experience with his MAPEI product expertise to offer proactive and enthusiastic insights. Additionally, he is a member of the Terrazzo, Tile & Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC). For his past 12 years with MAPEI, he has applied his experience to the flooring, tile installation and concrete repair industries.

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