Grouting is called dry building mixes designed to grout tile joints. These funds are used for wall decoration with tiles, porcelain stoneware, mosaics, artificial stone, etc. One of the most high-quality and popular varieties of this material is Litokol grout.
Manufacturer
An Italian company of the same name, founded in 1968, produces this product. The main advantages of the grout "Litokol" include:
- A variety of colors. If desired, you can choose a tool that is ideal for the shade of the tile.
- High adhesive properties. The seams treated with this tool do not crumble.
- Mechanical strength and abrasion resistance.
- Resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Color grout “Litokol” will not fade even after many years of using the tile.
- Universality. Grout for tiles “Litokol” can be used when decorating surfaces with any material (tile, porcelain stoneware, etc.), both indoors and when finishing work on the street.
Cement Based Products
Several basic grout types of this brand are available. Cement-based products are designed to handle both narrow and wide joints. And they differ not only in high adhesive properties, but also in a rather low degree of water absorption. Means of this kind are usually used in public premises: in offices, shops, airports, as well as in residential apartments. You can use them on the street. By means of this type, it is allowed to cover the joints when finishing with facades or porcelain tiles of facades, wings, etc. Such grout is sold in bags and packages of 2-25 kg and costs about 50 rubles. per kilogram.
Two-component products
The second type of grout of this brand, made on the basis of epoxy resins, has a very high resistance to mechanical damage and aggressive environments. This pretty expensive grout. Its price can range from 1000 to 1500 rubles. However, the seams she gives are very durable and beautiful. The color scheme of this type of grout is very wide. The only thing is that after its use on the tile there may remain hard to remove white stains.
The advantages of epoxy based grouts include, first of all, increased resistance to ultraviolet radiation, acids and alkalis, scratches, and temperature changes.
Special Varieties
A special grout “Litokol” is also produced, designed for processing joints in the decoration of walls, floors or ceilings with mosaics. There are also varieties of this tool with antibacterial and antifungal additives. Means of this type are usually used in the decoration of swimming pools, baths and other very humid rooms.
The color scheme of grout "Litokol"
One of the advantages of this brand is a variety of colors. The company "Litokol" produces cement grouts 32 different shades. The choice of epoxy two-component products is even wider - 102 colors. You can choose the suitable option for both plain tiles and multi-colored. In the latter case, neutral shades are usually used, compositionally complementing the pattern of tiles or porcelain stoneware. When decorating walls or ceilings with monophonic tiles, they usually choose means one or two tones darker than the main background.
Recently, bright grout is also in fashion. Her colors may be different. However, it is recommended to use this option only when finishing surfaces with plain tiles.
Cement grouting technology
The time to commence work using Litokol tools depends on the drying time of the tile adhesive. Usually, the seams are overwritten a day or two after the end of the facing work. The shades of grouting of this brand are diverse, therefore it will not be difficult to find a suitable color. For very light tiles in extreme cases, you can use the white version of the tool. When using cement grout, a one-time serving is prepared so that it can be worked out in thirty minutes. Tile joints are grouted using a rubber spatula or plaster. Work begins from the corner farthest from the door of the room.
Fill the seams, holding the trowel at an angle of 45 degrees. Even with very careful actions, the tile will still get dirty with grout. You can wash it when using a cement-based product every 15-30 minutes. After the last treated seams have dried out a little, the entire surface should be wiped with a damp sponge, removing plaque.
How to use epoxy
In preparation, the two-component grout “Litokol” is more difficult than cement-based formulations. First you need to get a bag of catalyst from a bucket with a tool. It should be opened and squeezed out the contents (without residue) in a bucket of paste. Mix the composition best with a mixer. In this case, a much better grout will be obtained. The drying time of the epoxy is 45 minutes. Based on this, you need to calculate the volume of a single serving.
Tile joints are grouted with epoxy in small areas of 1-2 meters. After the work is completed, you should wait 20 minutes and wipe the room with a damp rag. Since floors when using epoxy grout are more difficult to wash than when using cement, it is worth wiping the room a second time using a cellulose sponge. To remove stains, you can use not water, but special tools. For example, Litonet. The floors should be washed a maximum of eight hours after grouting. Later, the tool will harden so much that it will be almost impossible to remove it.
What can be the consumption of grout “Litokol”
The consumption of this brand is approximately 0.25-0.5 kg / m 2 . The specific figure depends primarily on the size of the seams. For wide, only cement grouts are usually used. In this case, the consumption, of course, will be greater. You can find out about the width of the joints for a particular type of grout "Litokol" by marking. The range of values ​​is indicated by numbers after the name. So, Litochrom 1-6 is intended for grouting joints with a thickness of 1-6 mm. Grout Lintochrom 3-15 can be used to process joints in 3-15 mm.
Grout "Litokol": reviews
The opinion of buyers about the means of this brand was very good. The seams with its use are very neat and of high quality. The consumer also likes the fact that you can choose the color for any tile. However, many people do not recommend using the epoxy version for self-decoration of walls with tiles. The fact is that this is quite a difficult tool to apply. What is noted even by experts-finishers.
Grout "Litokol", reviews of which are otherwise positive, does not turn yellow and does not turn black. The strength of this composition can be judged by the fact that after hardening it becomes similar to plastic. The advantages of this tool, many consumers include the fact that in addition to it (to some varieties) is a special supplement Night Vision. If you mix it into the paste, the seams will subsequently glow in the dark.