Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout

July 6, 2016

Question:

” Do you have a formula of epoxy that can be used as a water cleanable epoxy grout for tile installations? If so please provide me a product data sheet.”

Yes that is Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Tile Grout and Adhesive


Epoxy.com’ Product #225

Water Cleanable Epoxy Grout and Adhesive With Filler

100% Solids Epoxy and Special Fillers – Water Cleanable – No Portland Cement Content


 

DESCRIPTION


Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive  is a user friendly, water cleanable, 100% solids epoxy grout and adhesive and Filler Powder . Used for grouting ceramic tile, brick pavers, and stone, Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive is supplied in pre-packaged kits containing resin, hardener, and mineral fillers that produce a dense, uniform seal. Typical applications for Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive require resistance to thermal shock, chemicals, and heavy traffic including meat packers, breweries, canneries, bottlers, CIP areas, and pharmaceutical formulators.

ADVANTAGES

  • User Friendly Packaging
  • Low Odor for use in Occupied Areas
  • Meets ANSI A-118.3 Specification for Chemical Resistant, Water Cleanable Epoxy Grout
  • Available with Cold-Room Hardener
  • Low Viscosity-good wetting properties
  • Versatile-for both Setting and Grouting all Types of Tile
  • USDA Approvable
  • Available in Floor Grade and in Wall Grade
  • Zero (0) VOC – No VOC content means it meets the strictest Low VOC requirements

SURFACE PREPARATION

Surface Preparation is the most critical portion of any successful resinous flooring system application. Work must be performed by trained or experienced contractors or maintenance personnel. Epoxy.com service department is pleased to answer any questions. Before grouting, clean joints and the tile surface with a damp sponge to remove dust, dirt, and other contaminants. Do not leave water standing in joints. Do not clean tiles with acid cleaners.

MIXING

Empty entire contents of  Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive Part A and Part B into a clean mixing pail. With a slow speed drill or margin trowel, mix until liquids are completely blended. Add at least ¾ of the  TILE GROUT FILLER (more for wide joints) and blend until uniform.

CONSIDERATIONS

Picture of #225 on a floor
  • Substrate must be free of dirt, waxes, curing agents, and other foreign materials
  • Protect from exposure to chemicals and harsh cleaners until fully cured.
  • Substrate temperature must be a minimum of 50°F-Contact Epoxy.com for Low Temperature Cure

INSTALLATION

Pour mixed Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive onto working area. Following standard epoxy and grouting techniques, apply to surface. Be sure all grouted joints are completely filled. Remove excess grout with grout float. Do not leave excess grout on face of tiles. For complete installation instructions, contact Epoxy.com Technical Service.

CLEAN UP

Picture of Counter Top Grouted with #225

Some tiles and pavers can be stained by color pigments in Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive. Try small area to determine results before grouting entire surface.

Clean skin with soap and water. Tools and equipment should be cleaned with xylene or lacquer thinner. Consult Material Safety Data for safety and health precautions.

Composition

Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive is a100% Solids Epoxy Adhesive and Grout Fillers

PERFORMANCE PROPERTIES

Tensile Strength ASTM C-307 2,000 to 2,500 psi
Compressive Strength ASTM C-579 15,000 psi
Flexural Strength ASTM C-580 3,800 to 4,100 psi
Water Absorption 24 hours 0.15%
Heat Resistance 160°F Continuous

230°F Intermittent

Bond Strength to Concrete ASTM C-321 350-400 psi

CURE/DRY TIME

Working Life 45 minutes
Initial Cure 6-7 hours @ 75°F
Full Set Time Overnight
Full Cure & Maximum Resistance 5-10 days

MAINTENANCE

After completing the application of Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive, the installer should provide the owner with maintenance instructions. If floors become slippery due to animal fats, oil, grease, or soap film, clean and rinse thoroughly. Epoxy.com Product #225 is easily cleaned with neutral soaps or detergent

COLOR SELECTION

Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive is available in custom colors, subject to laboratory approval, minimum quantity, lead time for production, and increased cost.

Color Chart HereClick the picture of color card below  for a larger version of this picture of the color chart.
Please note:  The picture to the right is a photographic reproduction of the color card for this product.  The photo reproduction process and your monitor and/or printer will change these colors.  This chart is to give you an idea of the colors available and not intended for critical color selections.

Need help figuring out how much Epoxy.com Product #225 Water Cleanable Epoxy Tile Grout and Adhesive you will need.  Use the Epoxy.com Product #225 Grout Calculator.

Grout Calculator.

Matagascar Glass Tile Mural at the Bronx Zoo in NY done in Epoxy.com Product #225 - Click to Enlarge

Matagascar Glass Tile Mural at the Bronx Zoo in NY done in Epoxy.com Product #225
Glass Tile Mural – Close Up
Madagascar Exhibit at the Bronx Zoo in NY
Mural and Pictures by: Jeannie Egel

 

 

 

 

For more information please contact:

Epoxy.com
A Division of Epoxy Systems, Inc
20774 W. Pennsylvania Ave.
Dunnellon, Florida 34431
Over 300 products,
Since 1980
Florida & Vermont
USA

Office Hours: 9AM-4PM Eastern Time (6AM-1PM Pacific Time).
Closed 12Noon-1PM Eastern Time for Lunch.

321-206-1833   Customer Service – Ordering and Order Status
Katey Fontaine, VP – Customer Service Director
sales@epoxy.com

 352-533-2167 Technical Support
Norm Lambert, President – Technical Support Director
info@epoxy.com

352-489-1666   Accounting and Administration
Debby Lambert, CEO, and CFO
office@epoxy.com 

352-489-1625   Fax line to all Departments
 www.epoxy.com


Monument Repairs with Epoxy

March 9, 2016

A technician who uses a non-Epoxy.com product to repair tombstones wrote me recently looking for help with problems that he was having. He goes on to say that the epoxy that he uses never fails, but rather the stone fails. When a secondary break occurs, the stone always re-breaks about 2 mm (about ¾ inch) above or below the epoxy joint. The epoxy attached to about 2 mm of the stone and holds well.

He asked me if the epoxy shrinks so much that it will ‘ pull away ‘ from the stone it’s attached to, and in his case, it pulls about 2mm of stone with it.

No I doubt it is epoxy shrinkage causing the problem. High quality epoxy has little or no shrinkage. It would have to be a very poor quality epoxy to be shrinking enough to do that.

The reason his epoxy is not working is that it is too rigid. His existing rigid material has a “high modulus of elasticity”. A material with “high modulus of elasticity” is a material that is stiff and/or rigid. A “low modulus of elasticity” material is semi-flexible, and is not rigid or brittle.

T pieces of the stone structure (in this case a tombstone) and pieces not in touch with the ground tend to get hotter and cooler faster than the larger pieces and pieces with ground contact. This is called “differential timing of the event”. For example the top of a tombstone can be heated and cooled on 5 sides, the top and the 4 sides. The base of the tombstone which is buried in the ground has earth or stone on all of its surfaces. This earth and stone tends to keep the temperature of the base more stable by insulating it and slowing the change in temperature. This works much like the insulation in your house slows temperature changes inside your house.

When an object like a piece of stone is heated it expands (gets bigger). When an object cools it contracts (gets smaller). For example 100 feet of concrete will be 1 inch longer once it is heated 100 degrees F. That is why expansion joints are cut into concrete.

In the case of tombstones all the pieces of the same type of stone have very similar if not identical “coefficient of expansion”. Since the pieces are positioned with potentially different timing of heating and cooling there is a “differential timing of the event” (see above). The result is stress areas you are seeing in the closest weakened plane in the stone near the bond line.

Product #2005 was specifically designed for tombstone (monuments) and/or stone bonding, or repair. Epoxy.com Product #2005 is very strong yet it is has a “low modulus of elasticity” (semi-flexible). The low-modulus of elasticity helps to absorb differential movement (two sections of stone heating and cooling at different times), making it much less likely to cause a stress area in adjacent weakened planes.

Camouflage the bond line rubbing stone dust(ground off the original stone or a similar colored stone) into any exposed epoxy material while the epoxy is still “wet”. That way the dust will stick in the wet epoxy making the epoxy difficult to impossible to see.

Please send your additional question and blog ideas to norm@epoxy.com


Waterproofing of Leaking Foundations

May 4, 2015

This is the time of year when the ground thaws and basements leak. If you are one of those building owners, here are some earlier posts that you will find useful.

  1. http://news.epoxy.com/2014/09/04/epoxy-waterproof-block-wall-foundation/
  2. http://news.epoxy.com/2014/09/15/shows-how-to-identify-leaks-that-need-waterproofing-in-basement-walls-and-floors-that-are-made-out-of-poured-concrete-part-2b-will-deal-with-the-actual-repairs-to-poured-concrete-leaks/
  3. http://news.epoxy.com/2014/09/18/epoxy-injection-repairs-of-cracks-in-poured-concrete/

Applying New Epoxy over Old Epoxy

February 13, 2015

I frequently get calls and emails from folks who want to install our epoxy over an existing epoxy floor or coating that they have. They want to know if it is okay to go over it and what they have to do to properly prepare the surface.

If the existing epoxy is a good hard solid one that is well bonded to a well prepared substrate it is possible. On the other hand if you are replacing it, what is wrong with the existing epoxy? Has the existing epoxy been badly abused by heavy sharp objects being dragged on it? Was the exiting epoxy damaged by chemicals beyond the chemical resistance of the existing epoxy? Are you just trying to upgrade the look of the existing epoxy?

You should be concerned about going over epoxy that is coming loose from the substrate. That may mean that there was poor surface preparation. It may also mean that the quality of the epoxy might not be what it should be. You need to be concerned about epoxy that is wearing out. If it is wearing out you want to know why. My company and I personally started out as installers of epoxy. I have never seen or been made aware of any of Epoxy.com coatings and/or flooring systems that have worn out have come loose from the concrete. I have seen concrete so pounded by traffic that it came loose, but our epoxy was still attached and still doing its job. That is based on over 30 years of field experience with the products.

Back to the question, “can I put epoxy over epoxy?” I always assume that the reason that the epoxy is wearing out or coming loose is that the epoxy is low quality or the installation was poorly done or both until I can prove otherwise. The way that I do that is to attempt to grind or shot blast off the existing epoxy. If after a substantial effort the epoxy cannot be removed and I cannot hear a hollow sound under the existing epoxy, I feel I have proven that the existing material is solid and well bonded.

Let’s take a moment to discuss that dreaded hollow sound above. If the flooring system or coating is very poorly bonded you will get a sound from your grinder like you are dragging a piece of paper or a piece of stone under the grinder, or rubbing stone. When you tap it with a hammer you get a hollow higher pitch noise than you get when you tap solid concrete or a solid floor over concrete.

You must be sure that the substrate is free of all types of contamination, including but not limited to oil, grease, food fats, curing compounds, sealers, laitance, dirt, wax etc. The existing epoxy left behind must be well bonded, and sanded until it has no shine. See Epoxy Surface Preparation Procedures for more information on this subject.

The beauty of trying to get it off is you are removing all the shine and getting it ready to accept another layer of epoxy. Just before I install the new layer of epoxy I solvent wipe with xylene, let it dry. Then I recommend a coat either Epoxy.com Product #899 Primer or Epoxy.com Product #12 Chemical Resistant Primer. Then install epoxy as usual. For more surface preparation and installation tips please visit or “Where to Start” page at: http://www.epoxy.com/start/default.aspx

Related Resources on Epoxy

Where to Start” page may be the best way to get you off to a quick start.

Epoxy Coatings

Epoxy Primers and Sealers

Chemical Resistant Epoxy

Epoxy Chemical Resistance Chart

www.epoxy.com

Epoxy.com Technical Support
Norm Lambert, President – Technical Support Director
352-533-2167
info@epoxy.com