FAQs

Always test first! Your grout should withstand the occasional use of diluted bleach. One cup of bleach, mixed with one gallon of clean water, is usually sufficient for disinfecting. Regular use can discolor and weaken grout over time. Bleach should only be used when absolutely necessary and should never be used for routine maintenance of stone, tile and grout. For most installations and applications, the use of an appropriate cleaner, such as MAPEI's UltraCare Concentrated Tile & Grout Cleaner for floors, or UltraCare Everyday Stone, Tile & Grout Cleaner; UltraCare Everyday Stone Clean & Polish; and UltraCare Everyday Stone & Grout Cleaner & Resealer for countertops and backsplashes, is recommended routine maintenance.

MAPEI's Adesilex P10 Mosaic & Glass Tile mortar mixed with MAPEI's Keraply admixture can be used in submerged applications such as pools, with 21 days of curing time required before filling the pool. Ultraflex LFT Rapid mortar requires three days of curing time before filling the pool. Ultraflex LFT mortar requires 28 days of curing time before filling the pool. And, Kerapoxy CQ mortar requires 14 days of curing time before filling the pool.

Vinegar is acidic and can etch certain natural stone, such as marble, travertine and limestone. The occasional use of vinegar on porcelain or ceramic tile with cement-based grout should not cause damage. However, frequent or regular use can discolor and weaken grout and should not be used for routine maintenance. There are several professional-grade UltraCare acidic cleaners that are available when needed, including UltraCare Sulfamic Acid Crystals, UltraCare Cement Grout Haze Remover and UltraCare Acidic Tile & Grout Cleaner. For most installations and applications, the use of an appropriate cleaner, such as MAPEI's UltraCare Concentrated Tile & Grout Cleaner for floors, or UltraCare Everyday Stone, Tile & Grout Cleaner; UltraCare Everyday Stone Clean & Polish; and UltraCare Everyday Stone & Grout Cleaner & Resealer for countertops and backsplashes, is recommended routine maintenance.

MAPEI's Kerapoxy CQ, Ultracolor Plus FA and Ultracolor Plus Max grouts are great choices for pool installations and other submerged applications.

Because you will be directly touching it with an adhesive and flooring material, both of which may not function properly when in contact with a damp substrate. For example, if your goal was to install a solid vinyl sheet flooring over a damp concrete slab using a wet-lay, water-based adhesive, once you covered the adhesive with the sheet vinyl there would be nowhere for the moisture in the adhesive to absorb into; the existing moisture would remain in its liquid state and the installation would be a mess. Another example would be to install prefinished solid wood flooring using a urethane adhesive over a damp concrete slab. The urethane adhesive would cure nicely because it cures by coming into contact with moisture, but the wood flooring would absorb moisture coming from the slab and cup, warp, curl or swell – causing a nightmare of a problem. The bottom line is that there's a reason for the moisture-limits statements of adhesives and flooring materials. As such, the installer should calculate the appropriate measurements for moisture to determine if he can proceed or if he needs to do something more to isolate that moisture from the flooring installation. Learn more here:

Steam cleaning your tile and grout is generally safe. However, certain types of pre-mixed and ready-to-use grouts can be damaged by exposure to high temperatures for extended periods of time. Always check with tile and grout manufacturers for their recommendations. MAPEI recommends the following product for routine maintenance: UltraCare Concentrated Tile & Grout Cleaner.