r/Tile•
monseraa

How bad is this grout job? GC never used SikaTile-815 and not sure he knows what he's doing with it.

We’re having a bathroom remodel done and the installer used SikaTile-815 Secure Grout. From what I’ve read, it’s a polymer-modified, rapid-set grout that works differently than standard grout - sets faster, no slake time, requires exact water measurement, and should be cleaned with minimal water once it’s firm but still soft.

The grout in our shower hasn’t dried yet, but the surface is rough everywhere, not smooth, and there are some visible air bubbles in the joints. During installation, he seemed to panic because it wasn’t coming off the tiles easily and started vigorously scrubbing with a sponge. I’m worried he used too much water and didn’t read the directions.

He won’t be back until Friday (it's Wednesday), which means it’ll be fully hardened by then. From what I’ve read, once it’s cured, any fixes would mean scraping or grinding out the grout before re-doing it so it bonds properly. Super worried about damaging the tile.

Not sure what to do here... does this look like something worth re-doing before the job is finished, or is this normal for SikaTile-815? Any tips for addressing the bubbles and roughness without damaging the tile?

Note: second photos is full bathroom job pre-grout. Lost faith in the guy doing this job when he couldn't handle cutting the big tiles. One thing after the other.

Posted Aug 14, 2025, 12:44 AM UTC

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