A range of sealers and cleaners that live up to their great reputation.
This week, we’re looking at the Stain Proof range of sealers and cleaners by Dry Treat. Stain Proof has an excellent reputation in the tiling & building community for being stronger and more durable than other sealers. Their cleaning products are pretty highly regarded too.
We come from a building and construction background at Multifors, and so we’re fairly experienced with using this product. And honestly, our opinion of it hasn’t changed over the years – Stain Proof is still an absolutely fantastic sealing and cleaning product.
Let’s get into a bit more detail. Here’s our review of 4 popular Stain Proof products.
1. Stain Proof Premium Impregnating Sealer
This is the Stain Proof product that Dry Treat is known for. Previously known as ‘Stain Proof Original’, this sealer performs much more effectively than your average penetrating sealer.
This is thanks to Stain Proof’s unique molecular formula. Essentially, penetrating (or ‘impregnating’) sealers work by sending a layer of sealing molecules deep into the pores of your concrete, stone or masonry. The molecules in Stain Proof Premium Impregnating Sealer are hundreds of times smaller than most other sealers, allowing them to penetrate much deeper into the surface for a more thorough sealing layer.
This layer protects your concrete or paving against oil, water and grime. It also helps retain your surfaces’ natural finish and colour and protects against damage from freeze-thawing, salt spalling and efflorescence. It’s also breathable, allowing water vapour to escape and extending the life of your surface.
Stain Proof is so confident in the effectiveness of their product that most Stain Proof products carry a 10 to 15-year warranty (provided it’s always applied by an accredited applicator – bit of a tongue twister for you there).
This extra performance does come with one slight downside. Stain Proof is known for having a higher VOC count than other sealers, so be sure to work with adequate ventilation to mitigate the potential for harm. The dangerous chemicals in these products are no joke.
2. Stain Proof 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent
Some materials – like limestone, travertine or sandstone – are softer and more porous than other popular paving materials. If you’ve used one of these stones for your outdoor or indoor surface – especially near a poolside or in a bathroom – then you should be using the 40SK Consolidator.
This type of seal bonds (or consolidates) with the substrate of your surface, increasing the density of your material as it hardens. Like other penetrating sealers, this happens deep inside the pores of the surface, rather than just along the top layer.
Stain Proof 40SK Consolidator & Water Repellent is the preferred choice when you’re dealing with these softer stones. As the name suggests, it will provide an extra level of protection against repelling moisture damage and add density to these soft, porous materials.
The Premium Impregnating Sealer is a great product, but it provides slightly less water protection for limestone, sandstone etc. compared to the 40SK. The 40SK also performs better against salt damage, so this is a great sealer if you have a saltwater pool or live in a coastal area.
3. Stain Proof Quartz and Porcelain Sealer
This is another sealing product from Stain Proof, but don’t worry, we won’t make you sit through another explanation of how their sealers work. All you really need to know about this product is that it’s been specifically formulated for porcelain and quartz, making it a perfect option for your porcelain tiles or quartz benchtops.
We sell everything you need for DIY tiling projects here at Multifors, and this Stain Proof sealer is an excellent choice for finishing the job right with your tiles. This sealer is non-film forming and invisible, doesn’t change the level of surface friction, and will help protect your tiles or benchtops from oil or water-based stains for up to 10 years.
You should wait 24 hours after applying this sealer to add your grout, in order for the porcelain and the sealer to properly bond first. Then, wait for your grout to cure before adding another coat. You can check out the product specifications and application instructions here for more info.
4. Stain Proof Cleaners
In addition to their range of sealers, the Stain Proof product line also includes a number of high-quality cleaners. There are quite a few out there, so we’ve grouped some of the popular ones together here. These include:
- Daily Floor Cleaner:
This is an awesome floor cleaner that uses natural enzymes (like in your gut) to break down stains from mould, oil and grime effectively.
It’s environmentally responsible and does a good job on natural stone, porcelain & ceramic, grout, vinyl, and unfinished wood. The natural base of Daily Floor Cleaner also means that it’s gentler on your skin than other traditional chemical-based cleaners.
2. Daily Countertop Cleaner
This is a high-performing benchtop cleaner that also has invisible sealing properties. This is a great choice for keeping your countertops grime-free, with a hint of added protection & durability.
Stain Proof Daily Countertop Cleaner is a fairly gentle product for most surfaces, but not necessarily for humans. Direct contact may cause some irritation to the skin and eyes, so be cautious.
3.Alkaline Cleaner and Acidic Cleaner
Finally, these are two great cleaners for different materials. The Alkaline Cleaner will do well on soft, acid-sensitive materials like concrete, natural stone (including calcites like marble and limestone), unfinished wood, vinyl, brick, tile and masonry. It’s biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
When you need a bit more ‘oomph’, the Acidic Cleaner has slightly more cutting power for grime and stains. However, you can’t use it on everything, so check whether the material you’re cleaning is acid safe. This acidic cleaner is perfect for removing difficult messes like limescale, rust stains, grout haze, and mortar mess.
These are some of the Stain Proof cleaning products that are available at Multifors. These are good-quality cleaners that would stand up to both domestic and commercial use.
We’re committed to regularly featuring and reviewing some of our favourite products on our blog, to help you always choose the right one for the job. Got something you’d like us to review? Contact us today to let us know!
Our Verdict: We know from experience that Stain Proof is a dependable and high-performing product, and that’s just as true today. We’re big fans of the Stain Proof range here at Multifors and we’d happily recommend these sealers and cleaners to our customers – especially the Premium Impregnating Sealer.
Multifors is an online hardware marketplace. We stock a huge range of sealers, cleaners and additives, including the Stain Proof range and so much more. Delivery across Metro Melbourne from only $19.95.
Tiling a pool area is a great DIY project. In fact, it’s one of the most common projects that our customers ask us about. Yet there’s plenty you need to consider. For one, you need to make sure you’re using materials that can withstand getting very, very wet.
We have many years of construction experience here at Multifors, including plenty of pool installations. We like to think we know what works, so we thought we’d put together a quick guide to help you DIY your pool area or choose some products for a professional to install.
We’ll discuss a few things to keep in mind, and talk in detail about our favourite products for the job. One name you’ll see a lot of is Litokol, and for good reason. This Italian company has been putting out a range of grouts and sealing products that perform way above the competition.
Choosing the right tiles for your pool area or pool.
Whether you’re tiling the pool itself or the surrounding pool area, the tiles that you choose will play an important role. They need to be safe enough for your family to use regularly, and they need to last a long time in less-than-ideal conditions.
Firstly, make sure you’re actually buying outdoor tiles for your pool area, not just regular tiles. Tiles that have been designed for the indoors won’t hold up as well to the elements, whereas outdoor tiles are designed to be thicker and much more resistant to water and temperature fluctuations. Slip resistance is also crucial. Look for tiles with at least an R11 slip rating, like the stunning Vesuvius Porcelain Paver.
Most importantly, you should always try to choose a tile material that is naturally water-resistant, as you can expect it to be copping a fair bit of water over its lifespan! We exclusively stock porcelain outdoor tiles here at Multifors, because porcelain is a highly durable and water-resistant material that’s still affordable enough for most DIY budgets.
Porcelain generally doesn’t need to be sealed, which is another huge advantage over many other tiles. If you do decide to go with concrete or a natural stone tile for your pool area instead, you’ll need to put a bit more effort into sealing it. We’ll talk a bit more about this later in the article.
As for tiling the surface of the pool itself, small porcelain or glass mosaic tiles are an extremely popular choice that can look fantastic when the sun shines through the water. This leads us to perhaps the most important consideration: Using the right tile grout.
Always use an epoxy grout. We strongly recommend Litokol, especially for mosaic pools.
Epoxy grouts are essential for pool areas, both for the tiled areas around your pool and especially in the pool tiling itself. These grouts are made out of epoxy resins that perform much better than traditional cement grouts, especially when it comes to staying waterproof.
Not all epoxy grouts are created equal, however, so choose wisely. One grout that we have been seriously impressed with lately is Litokol, an Italian company with a great reputation for producing extremely high-quality pool grouts. We witnessed some Litokol product demos recently where they outperformed pretty much any grout we’ve ever seen, and with over 50 years of construction experience, that’s not something we say lightly!
Their HQ is based in the heart of Italy’s ceramics district, where high-end mosaic pools are a serious business. It follows that these guys know a thing or two about developing high-performing grouts and pool sealing products. The Litokol Starlike EVO range of grouts comes in a wide range of colours to ensure your DIY pool project looks stunning and stays safely sealed against moisture for a long, long time.
If you’re building a glass-tiled mosaic pool, then Litokol Starlike Crystal EVO is especially worth checking out. It’s a clear epoxy grout which contains tiny quartz microspheres that allow light to filter straight through, greatly enhancing the colour of your glass mosaic. Starlike is very technologically advanced for grout, and it will give your pool a level of extra sparkle that is sure to impress.
The build-up of mould and water damage in your pool area can cost you thousands of dollars, so don’t settle cheap when choosing a pool grout. You should go for a high-end, high-performing epoxy grout like Litokol that won’t need to be replaced.
If you use concrete or stone, you’ll need a good quality sealer
Not everybody wants a tiled pool area. If you’d prefer to use concrete or a natural stone paver, that’s perfectly doable. But you will need to spend some extra time sealing it, and you will have to continue to reseal it as the years go on.
Fortunately, a good-quality sealer can last for up to 10 years. If you’re sealing porous stone pavers or concrete, Stain Proof is what we’d recommend. These guys are famous for their high-quality impregnating sealers, and they enjoy a great reputation in the construction industry.
The Stain Proof 40Sk Consolidator is our choice of product for pool areas – it fortifies the surface of porous substrate materials without changing their appearance. Stain Proof Premium Impregnating Sealer is another excellent sealant that’s cleared for use in pool areas, although it is more of a general use product than the water-focused consolidator.
If you’re keen on sticking with Litokol, they also offer some incredible waterproofing protection with their Aquamaster Liquid Membrane. This product is easy to apply and offers an excellent seal. As we mentioned earlier, it can also be overlaid on your pre-sealed porcelain tiles for an extra layer of protection.
Don’t forget small details, like drains, risers and coping.
Finally, it’s important not to forget the small stuff. For instance, adequate drainage is very important to a pool area, so it’s important not to overlook this when you’re planning your project.
Personally, we’re big fans of the Lauxes Linear Floor Grate. These classy, rectangular grates can add an extra touch of luxury to your pool area, and allow for a different-looking design to your average circular pool grate. Choosing grates in bold colours like gold or matt black can also add an extra focal point to the design of your pool area.
You’ll also need to consider the edges of your pool. ‘Riser’ tiles with drop-down edges are a popular choice, and they’re all but essential when you’re tiling around a fibreglass pool shell. Aluminium Pool Coping is another classic option that’s hard to beat.
Considering these smaller details early in the project can help you create a more aesthetically unified design later on, rather than choosing things later as an afterthought. It may seem like a small thing now, but it can make a lot of difference to the final picture!
Tiling or re-tiling your pool area is a great DIY project, but you’ll need a bit of prior knowledge to get it right. Hopefully, this quick guide has given you a good idea of what you’ll need to consider and the type of high-quality products and materials you should be looking for.
You can find all of the products that we’ve recommended – including Outdoor Porcelain Tiles, the Stain Proof Range and Litokol Starlike EVO Grouts – in the Multifors online store. Don’t waste time getting started with fast delivery across Metro Melbourne from $19.95.
If you’re a pool installer or tiling professional, you’re always looking for better epoxy grout. Something that will improve your wet area builds and deliver great results for your clients.
Well, look no further than Litokol. This is an easy-to-apply, technologically advanced grout that performs at a very high level. Litokol’s two-component, acid-resistant epoxy grout products like Starlike EVO enjoy a huge following in Europe, but they’re little known in Australia.
We deal with a lot of different trade professionals every day at Multifors, including tilers and pool builders. We’ve also got around 50 years of building & construction experience. And we honestly think that Litokol is one of the most exciting products we’ve ever dealt with.
Here’s why we think Litokol is a better grout than anything else on the market right now, especially for wet areas and pool builds.
1. It’s an epoxy that’s as easy to apply as cementitious grout
These days, epoxy grout is the go-to grout for wet areas and pools. It’s common knowledge that it’s better-performing and much more water-resistant than cementitious grouts.
Unfortunately, epoxy has also earnt a mixed reputation amongst tilers, as the consistency can feel more frustrating to work with and to clean up after. That’s why one of the biggest things that impressed us about Litokol is how incredibly easy it is to apply, with great results and minimal clean-up.
Don’t worry about wrestling with a rubbery epoxy grout or cleaning up a huge, grout-haze mess. This stuff is easy to apply and carries a 1hr pot life. It sets like glass and has an extremely high-quality seal – something we’ll talk in more detail about later. This grout is so easy to apply, it puts even the simplicity of cement grout to shame!
To make clean-up even simpler, Litokol sells Epoxy Grout Scourer Pads that activate a detergent in the grout when rubbed over the joint, making clean-up as simple as one more wipe-over with a damp cloth. This stuff is going to save you time and effort, as well as delivering impressive results for your clients.
2. Starlike Crystal EVO makes mosaic pools look incredible.
Litokol is particularly famous for their unique and sometimes boundary-pushing finishes and additives, which include sparkling & metallic tones and even a glow-in-the-dark grout.
Yet there’s one product that really stands out for pools, especially when used with the glass mosaic tiles that have become such a classic pool cladding option. We’re talking about Starlike Crystal EVO, a technologically advanced, translucent epoxy grout that uses Litokol’s patented special formula.
This grout contains tiny quartz microspheres that allow sunlight to filter straight through the grout, refracting and greatly enhancing the colour of your glass mosaic tiles. When the sunlight hits the pool, this grout will give your tiles a level of sparkle that you won’t believe. It’s the best choice for when you want your tiles, not the grout, to be the star of the show.
Don’t believe us? Check out this testimony on Houzz from a woman who hated the basic white grouting job that her pool installers had given her expensive Italian mosaic tiles. After discovering Litokol Crystal EVO, she had them replace their first grouting job with Litokol. She goes on to say that the level of service from the Litokol staff was outstanding.
Don’t wait for your customers to start asking for this grout. If they’re the kind of person who wants the best available, then show them Litokol. It’s the real deal.
3. Litokol’s waterproof seal is extra-strong and bacteria resistant.
If this talk of glow-in-the-dark grouts and clear glass microspheres has you suspicious that Litokol is all about gimmicks, don’t be. This is a serious, premium product that outperforms basically every other grout on the market.
This grout has high mechanical resistance and can withstand water damage from swimming pools or other sources. Salt and pool chemicals also pose no risk to this particular grout, and as mentioned it is incredibly easy to clean up, even compared to cement grouts.
It’s also bacteriostatic, meaning that mould and fungi will not grow, and it is non-absorbent and stain-proof. Overall, this two-component epoxy grout is an impressive mix. Litokol has put a lot of time, money and effort into researching its scientifically advanced formula.
They have quite a bit of prestige in Europe, too – their HQ is based in the heart of the Italian Ceramics District, and their grouts are highly sought after for mosaic pools across Italy and well beyond. We’re pretty happy to be spreading the good word here in Australia.
4. It’s environmentally friendly and very safe to work with.
When you’re a trade professional, you can really appreciate why the safety of the products you use is so important. Working with grout day-in and day-out can expose you to some hazardous and unhealthy chemicals, so it’s refreshing to see that Litokol has truly put the safety of their product front and centre.
Unlike most grout products on the market, Litokol has only one ingredient that’s listed as an irritant. This is extra impressive when you consider that most grouts contain chemicals that are labelled as toxic or corrosive. This time, the health and safety of the installer have been put first.
Using their patented Zherorisk compounds, Litokol keeps VOC emissions incredibly low by all standards. You can count on this product to be safe for you to work with, as well as being non-hazardous and environmentally sustainable in both the short and long run. You’ll also find up to 10-50% of recycled material used in products across the Litokol range.
These are the four main reasons we consider Litokol to be the best epoxy grout available, especially for pools and wet areas. If you’re a professional tiler or pool installer, then you need to get across this product. It’s high-quality and safe to use, with long-term results that look fantastic.
We’re big fans of Litokol here at Multifors, and we’re proud to be one of the exclusive Australian distributors. We stock a diverse range of Litokol Products, including the Starlike EVO Range, Starlike Crystal EVO and other useful wet-area products like the Aquamaster Liquid Membrane.
This week, we’re looking at Litokol.
Hailing from Italy, Litokol have been putting out some seriously exciting epoxy grout with their Starlike EVO range. “Hang on,” I hear you say, “Grout? Exciting?” But bear with us, because these Litokol products may change your mind.
Here are our 5 biggest takeaways from reviewing the Starlike EVO range of grout products:
1. They have one of the most interesting ranges of colours and finishes out there.
For many DIY customers, the biggest selling point of the Starlike range is that it’s fun, which probably isn’t something that gets said a lot about grouts and sealants. Yet Litokol has come out with some really interesting additives that keep things fresh without feeling tacky, and it can create a great talking point for your bathroom or kitchen design.
These include the NIGHTVISION glow-in-the-dark grout, which absorbs natural sunlight to give off a photo-luminescent glow for a few hours after dark. This effect will work with most grout colours, although we think it looks particularly good with blue or cool-coloured tiles.
There are also glitter additives, which currently come in gold and a metallic ‘galaxy’ colour. These glitter additives add highlights to the grout, rather than making them look glittery all the time. When the light hits this stuff, your tiles will absolutely sparkle.
Finally, we were also really impressed with the Starlike Crystal EVO grout, which is clear and translucent. Thousands of tiny glass microspheres allow light to filter right through, greatly enhancing the colour of your feature tiles.
This makes it a great option for glass tiles or mosaics. These high-quality tiles are fairly expensive, so you want to make sure you’re using a quality grout in order to do them justice. This Starlike Crystal Grout is unique in the way it will make the bright colours of your tile really pop.
2. It’s a high-performing Epoxy product
So, aside from these fun additives, how does the Starlike range actually perform? Extremely well, as it turns out. We’d happily recommend this grout for exterior or interior use, especially in wet areas and pools, which Litokol has been thoroughly designed to withstand..
As a two-component, acid-resistant epoxy grout, Starlike EVO is totally waterproof and engineered to last a long time, even with underfloor heating. Like other epoxy grouts, it’s self-sealing and won’t require any extra sealant to be added.
This stuff dries very hard, and it’s designed to penetrate deep into your tiles and ensure long-lasting durability. It’s also bacteriostatic, meaning that bacteria and mould won’t stand a chance. Compared to cementitious grouts and even other Epoxy grouts, the advantages of using this grout are as clear as day.
While grout is not exactly a Ferrari, Litokol have clearly brought a hint of that famous Italian precision to the table here. This is a high-performing, innovative grout that’s built to last.
3. It’s safe to use and environmentally friendly
Despite regulatory efforts, a lot of grouts on the market today are not good for you at all. The silica dust in cementitious grouts can cause respiratory issues in poorly ventilated areas during installation. Epoxy grouts are a little better, but many of the epoxies on the market also contain lots of toxic or corrosive chemicals.
So it’s refreshing to see that Litokol takes its ‘Non-Toxic’ rating pretty seriously. Most epoxy grouts out there have ingredients that are listed as toxic or corrosive, but Starlike only has one ingredient listed as an irritant and the rest are certified non-toxic. Litokol has put a lot of effort into researching this formula, and you can feel safe using this product as a DIY user.
What’s even better is that all of the grouts in the Starlike range are environmentally friendly. They’ve developed an organic formula, and the chemicals in this grout won’t corrode or harm the surrounding environment over time. Sustainability is also baked right into their process, with many Starlike products containing between 10% and 50% recycled material.
Finally, it’s so fire-safe that it’s certified safe for use on ships. You know, just in case that’s a dealbreaker for you.
4. Litokol epoxy grouts are extremely easy to apply
While epoxy grouts perform much better than cement-based grouts across the board, they’ve also developed a bit of a reputation for being harder to install and clean up after. So we were very impressed with how incredibly easy it was to apply Litokol Starlike EVO, with very minimal clean-up required afterwards.
This grout is simple to apply – even the most inexperienced DIYer should be okay. It also carries an average 1hr pot life, which is pretty impressive when you consider that most epoxy grouts have a pot life of around 20 minutes. There was none of the difficult, rubbery texture that’s usually associated with epoxy. We reckon that this grout is so easy to apply, it puts even the simplicity of cement grout to shame!
As for clean-up, Litokol sells Epoxy Grout Scourer Pads that activate a detergent in the grout when rubbed over the joint, making clean-up as simple as a single wipe-over with a damp cloth. This stuff is going to save you time and effort, and if you’re hiring a professional to do your tiling for you, they’re sure to be happy you’ve chosen Litokol!
5. Litokol offers authentic Italian quality and they’re huge in Europe.
We mentioned earlier that Litokol have brought some of that famous Italian precision to their grouts, but honestly, we may have been underselling the point. These guys have some serious pedigree in Italy and Europe, and they’re heavily immersed in the pool-building and tiling industries that their products are designed for.
The Litokol HQ is located in the heart of Italy’s ceramic district and is only a few kilometres from Sassuolo, famous worldwide for their exceptional tiles and tiling products. This is a prestige Italian product through and through, which may hold particular appeal for those in the large Italian community in Melbourne where Multifors is currently based.
Litokol has an incredible reputation as a pool and wet-area grout all over Europe, where mosaic style pools have a long tradition and quality is highly regarded. It follows that their grouts look particularly good with european-style glass mosaic tiles. It’s safe to say that as a company, they have a strong grasp on exactly what their customers want and need.
Consumers are still learning about this product in both Australia and the United States, but they’re sure to be as impressed as we were when they finally come around. Litokol is a high-performing grout product that we would happily recommend for any tiling project, and especially for a pool or wet area.
Our Verdict: We genuinely think the Litokol Starlike EVO grout range is a fantastic product and we’re proud to be one of the few hardware retailers offering Litokol online in Australia.
If you’re looking for a high-quality grout that adds flair to your tiling project in a unique way, look no further than this. It’s seriously good stuff – one of the most exciting products that we’ve seen in over 50 years in the industry, and that’s not something we say lightly.
We’re committed to reviewing and exploring some of our favourite products, so that you can always choose the right one. Mutlfifors is an online hardware marketplace. We stock a huge range of tiles, grouts and tiling tools, including the Litokol Starlike range and so much more. Delivery across Metro Melbourne from only $19.95.
Drills are a staple of any toolbox. Whether you’re a DIY-er or a tradie, you won’t get far without a drill. Most commonly used for driving in screws and drilling holes, a drill is a versatile tool that can do all sorts of things if you’ve got the right attachment.
Some jobs, however, will require an Impact Driver. Impact Drivers have been gaining popularity in recent years, and they look very similar to a traditional power drill. Yet they function a bit differently, and they have different uses.
We’ll discuss the differences between the two, as well as some other things you should consider when choosing the right drill for the job.
What’s the difference between a drill and an impact driver?
An impact driver harnesses more torque than a drill and can drive in screws with much more force. This is mostly due to a difference in the way they rotate: a drill simply rotates the chuck (those three little grippy bits) and the attached drill bit, and that’s all there is to it.
An impact drill will also spin the chuck, but it’s got an extra trick up its sleeve. When the screw you’re driving starts to get stuck and the chuck slows down, a small anvil inside the impact driver starts striking the chuck thousands of times a minute to drive the rotation.
These ‘impacts’ give the impact driver a lot of extra torque to drive the screw through tough materials, and it will save the user a lot of energy and frustration.
One other key difference between drills and impact drivers is the type of chuck: most impact drills use a quick lock ¼” hex chuck, and therefore only take ¼” hex drill bits. Your round drill bits won’t fit into your impact driver, making it a bit less versatile than a regular drill.
When you should be using an impact driver
Because of the extra torque it provides, there are quite a few situations where an impact driver is a much better choice than a drill.
Always use an impact driver when you need to drive a screw through metal or particularly dense, knotted wood. It’s also better for driving long screws and lag bolts, which can be hard work otherwise.
In particular, impact drivers are good for when you need to drive in a hell of a lot of screws, like if you’re building a DIY deck or working on a construction site. You’ll find that your wrists and hands get much less exhausted than they would using a drill, and you can work for a lot longer.
Another advantage of impact drivers is that they don’t strip screws as much as regular drills do. This is because the short pulses of anvil-driven torque tighten in a more controlled way than a regular drill, so there’s less slipping about and less wearing away of the screw head.
Unfortunately, there are still some materials – like concrete – that are still too tough for an impact driver. For these situations, consider a Hammer Drill, a close cousin of the impact driver. Instead of using an anvil to increase torque, a hammer drill drives the chuck forward in a rapid hammering motion.
When to stick to your trusty drill instead
Impact Drivers are amazing at what they do, but they’re not quite as versatile as a classic cordless drill.
When you’re dealing with a job that requires precision, you’re better off with a drill. Impact Drivers may have plenty of extra torque, but this means they’re not as accurate when it comes to delivering uniform hole size and precise placement.
The other advantage of a drill is versatility. There are many different drill bits available that perform all kinds of tasks that require rapid rotation. Because the impact driver is limited to ¼” hex shank bits, you have less flexibility in the different tasks you can complete
Other things to consider: Brush Motor or Brushless?
There’s one other thing you should really be considering when you’re thinking about buying a drill: is the motor brushed or brushless?
The difference between the two is friction. Brushed motor drills are a cheaper option, but they’re a bit less efficient and the friction produced by the brush means that certain parts may need to be replaced over time.
Brushless motor technology is a bit more advanced, and it doesn’t produce any friction when it operates. They have more efficient battery lives and they’re considerably more powerful overall. The total lack of friction inside the motor also means they need a lot less maintenance.
If you expect your tools will get a lot of heavy use, you should definitely invest in a brushless tool. If you think you’ll only use it occasionally, you can save money by getting a brushed tool instead. This is why it’s important to think about this when you’re considering buying a drill or an impact driver.
It’s always important to choose the right tool for the job. Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand a bit more about the difference between impact drivers and drills, and made it easier for you to make the right choice.
Shopping for a drill or an impact driver? At Multifors, we stock a huge online range of power tools and power tool accessories, delivered anywhere in Metro Melbourne for only $19.95. Make it easy to get started on the job right away.
It happens all the time. You’re keen to start doing some DIY tiling, but you’ve realised that you actually don’t know anything about grout
Yet grout plays a very important role when you’re tiling. It doesn’t just affect the look of your design, but the longevity and the durability of your tiles too. It’s always important to choose the right grout for the job, so knowing more about what’s out there will go a long way.
Here’s what you should know before choosing a grout:
What are the different types of grout to choose from?
There are a few types of grout out there, but for DIY, there are only really two you need to know about: cementitious grout and epoxy grout. They have different pros and cons, although our favourite is probably epoxy. Here’s the difference:
1. Cementitious Grout: Sanded or Unsanded
As the name suggests, cementitious grouts use cement as a key component. This is the traditional form of grout, and it generally comes in a packet that you mix with water before applying. Cementitious grout is cheaper than epoxy and comes either sanded or unsanded.
Sanded grout is better for wider gaps (⅛ inch wider or more) as it has better holding power and doesn’t shrink after applying. However, the abrasive bits of sand in sanded grout can scratch polished tile surfaces during installation if you’re not careful.
Unsanded grout is recommended for thin gaps only (less than ⅛ inch) as it’s not as durable as sanded grout and will crack easier in wider gaps. However, it’s easier to apply into those small, fiddly little gaps as it shrinks after application. Generally speaking, we’d recommend sanded grout for floor tiles and unsanded grout for wall tiles.
2. Epoxy Grout
A more modern form of grout, Epoxy doesn’t use cement or water at all. Instead, it’s made of epoxy resin, as well as silica fillers, pigments and a hardening component
There are a lot of benefits to using epoxy instead of cementitious grout. It’s harder, it’s more resistant to moisture, stains and mould, and it doesn’t usually require sealant. For these reasons, we prefer epoxy to cementitious grout almost every time, especially in bathrooms where cement grout will start to show wear and tear quickly.
The downside for DIY-ers is that it sets much faster and the consistency of epoxy is a little harder to handle, so you might struggle to install it properly if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s also considerably more expensive than cement grout, but you’ll save more money over time because it requires much less maintenance.
Choosing a grout colour
Colour is a huge consideration when you’re choosing grout. Generally, you’re going to want to pick a neutral colour or a colour that’s a shade more subtle than your tile colour. Some companies even offer clear or translucent grouts. If you can, matching your grout colour to the tile colour will likely give you the best results.
Some people might recommend choosing a dark grout to hide stains and dirt. We don’t recommend this, at least not for this reason. Paired with the wrong colour, grout that is darker than your tile simply looks dirty, and it will only get darker over time.
You’ll also struggle more with grout haze during installation, which could leave unsightly stains on your tiles. However, don’t be afraid to go with dark grout if you’re after a contrasting look. This is pretty trendy right now when done right, especially with subway tiles and splashbacks.
It’s worth noting that lighter grouts will show stains as well if you don’t look after them and clean regularly. Using an epoxy grout is a good idea if you want to avoid stains, as it seals over smoothly like plastic, and doesn’t become porous over time the way that cementitious grout does.
The type of grout you use will also affect the colours you can choose. Unsanded grouts generally have the least choice, while sanded grouts have a good range available. Epoxy grout generally offers the most choice, with some really interesting options now available, like translucent glass grout, sparkling grout or even glow-in-the-dark.
Choosing sealant for your grout
Sealing is very important. You need to seal your cementitious grout to stop moisture from getting in, which can cause dangerous mould to grow and damage your tile adhesive. Epoxy grouts have yet another advantage here because they generally come pre-sealed and won’t require you to do any extra sealing
There are two types of sealant available for cementitious grouts – membrane sealers and penetrating sealers. Membrane sealants are a bit cheaper, but they break down with age. We recommend choosing a penetrating sealant, which soaks all the way through the grout and creates a longer-lasting seal.
For best results, your grout will need to be resealed every few years. Note that resealing is different to a full regrout – it’s not a big job and you should try to stay on top of it.
If you’re installing unglazed tiles, you need to seal them with a glaze before applying your grout. If you put it over the top of your grout, the tile sealant will prevent the grout from properly adhering or penetrating into the tile, and you’ll have wasted your time.
Some other important tips to keep in mind
Finally, here is some of the general grout wisdom we’ve picked up over the years. The first is the general lifespan of grout – expect to go 15-20 years between regrouts and potentially longer with quality epoxy grouts.
Another thing to consider is grout haze, which is the fine dust that gets everywhere while you’re installing your grout. This dust can pose a big problem with porous tiles like quarry tiles or limestone tiles, which will easily stain. Epoxy haze is less severe than cementitious haze, but it can dull the look of polished tiles if you don’t clean it up quickly.
When you’re cleaning up grout haze, we recommend using a dry towel after your first wet mop dries. Getting it wet a second time will turn it into mud again and start a vicious cycle of creating more mess every time you try to clean it.
Also, make sure the area you’re regrouting is well ventilated, and if you’ve got any N95 masks leftover from COVID, it’s a good idea to wear one. Epoxy grouts and cementitious grouts both contain fine toxic particles that can cause respiratory problems if you inhale too much of the haze.
Finally, while installing grout is a fun DIY project to take on yourself, regrouting can be a bit of a pain in the ass, to put it bluntly. Scraping out the old grout to add the new grout is real grunt work, and just slapping it right over the top instead can cause sealing problems down the line. A small room or wall will be fine to do on your own, but consider calling a professional for big regrouting jobs.
Hopefully, this quick guide to grout has given you a better understanding of the stuff. Grout is an important part of tiling and we’ll be posting more in the future about how to work with it.
Meanwhile, why not check out the huge range of grouts at Multifors? We’re an online hardware marketplace, and we take care to only stock the highest quality products at great prices. Delivery across Metro Melbourne from $19.95
As part of our tips and advice section, we’re keen to help our customers get a better feel for some popular tools and tool ranges out there. This week, we’re looking at the Bosch Green range of power tools.
Bosch Green power tools are Bosch’s DIY range, whilst their ‘pro’ range for tradespeople is blue. Here’s what we think of the Bosch Green range:
Great value for money for DIY users.
These green power tools are great for homeowners or DIY enthusiasts who only do occasional jobs and want something affordable and accessible.
The Green Range retails for a much lower price than the professional-level Bosch Blue Range, meaning that you can still enjoy a quality Bosch power tool without breaking the bank. In terms of quality, Bosch has a great reputation in Australia and these tools perform well above the generic, store-brand tools that are everywhere at the budget price point.
This affordability of this DIY range makes Bosch Green a good choice if you’ve got no power tools at all and you need to stock up on quite a few basics, yet you still want to go for a trusted, recognisable brand.
Cordless, compact and user-friendly
These tools are also generally a bit more ergonomic than the blue range. They’re more compact, allowing you to get into tighter spaces, and most of them are cordless.
The interfaces have been designed with ‘user-friendliness’ in mind, so they’re not as daunting as some of the more professional level blue tools either. Think simple, easy-to-find buttons and only a few different settings to choose from.
Finally, most of the green range runs on 18v ‘Power for All’ batteries, which have been designed to work flawlessly on almost every Bosch Green tool made from 2007 onwards, with the exception of a couple of high torque tools that use higher voltages
Once you’ve bought one or two tools with these batteries, you can save even more money on new Bosch Green tools by buying ’Solo’, battery-less versions and using the batteries you already own.
Comes with more accessories than in the ‘pro’ range.
Because they’re marketed to DIY-ers and beginners, Bosch Green tools often come with tool accessory kits that make it easier to do a versatile range of jobs around the house.
Tools in the blue professional range assume that tradespeople already have all these extra things, so you’ll find less stuff bundled in with the tool. However, for a beginner, this extra bundle of accessories and tool-bits can be an excellent selling point.
Not powerful or durable enough for constant, heavy-duty use.
All of the above reasons make the Bosch Green range a really solid choice for occasional DIY-ers and beginners.
Despite being marketed differently from the ‘pro’ Blue range, we actually think these Green tools are okay for tradies too, as long as it’s not a high-priority tool for them. The Green Range really isn’t powerful enough for some more full-on professional jobs and constant, heavy use will likely destroy your tool quickly.
It’s easy to find some disappointing reviews of the Bosch Green range online, but most of these seem to come from tradespeople or hardcore DIY hobbyists who should’ve invested in the Blue Professional range for their job instead. The Bosch Green tools are simply not designed for heavy or ongoing professional use; they have much less torque and they won’t last as long.
Overall, we think this range is ‘good enough’ for tradespeople, but absolutely amazing for DIY users. In fact, Bosch has been voted Australia’s Most Trusted DIY Power Tool Brand by Readers Digest for 9 years running, taking out the title again most recently in 2021.
The verdict: If you’re only busting out the power tools every few weeks, you don’t need to worry about these higher-level performance issues. The Bosch Green Range should still have enough power to get the job done and it’s one of the best affordable options on the market for DIY enthusiasts. If you’re a tradesperson or a very frequent tool user, it may be worth paying extra and going for the blue version of the tool instead.
Hopefully, this review has given you a better understanding of the Bosch Green Range. If you’re currently shopping for new power tools, check out the huge range of power tools and power tool accessories available online at Multifors. Delivery across Metro Melbourne from $19.95.
Are you considering new timber flooring for your home, but can’t decide whether to go with dark or light coloured look?
While it’s partly up to personal taste, there are a few general rules you can follow to ensure that whatever colour you pick actually looks good in your home. Here are four things to keep in mind when choosing between dark or light timber floors.
1. Consider the natural and artificial lighting.
We think lighting is arguably the most important aspect to consider – it can really make or break your floors. To ensure you’re choosing a colour that really suits your home, there are two types of lighting that you’ll need to consider.
Natural lighting changes throughout the day, and window placement matters quite a bit. Eastern facing rooms will take on a yellowy hue in the mornings, and western facing rooms will get a huge boost to red colours & warm tones in the evenings. This makes reddish-coloured timber floors like Regent Advanced Daylesford look extra rich & vibrant during these hours.
Throughout the middle of the day, or if you live somewhere without a lot of sunlight, you can expect cool blue-grey tones to show up the most. Timber flooring with a matte finish or naturally grey-blue timber floors like Bondi Oak can take on a really interesting character in this light.
Artificial light matters too. Light floors are versatile with pretty much any kind of light, and they generally amplify the brightness in a room. Dark floors are a bit more fickle, but potentially more rewarding if done right. Dark timbers pair well with natural light, mood-lighting or floor lamps, whereas bright overhead lighting can sometimes give off a glare and make your floors look glossy
2. Wide-open spaces, or cozy and enclosed?
This one speaks to the kind of room you’re trying to create. There’s no wrong answer when it comes to choosing a colour, but it helps to play to the strengths of the room.
Light timber creates a feeling of wide-open space, whereas dark timber evokes a sense of coziness and can make a room feel smaller. There’s certainly a lot of interplay here with the lighting, but the size of the room and the overall vibe you’re going for are what matters.
A large open-plan space with high ceilings will look even more bright and spacious with light-coloured timber floors. Alternatively, a study or a lounge room with an old-fashioned fireplace will feel extra-cozy and comforting with dark wooden floors to match.
These aren’t hard and fast rules, and you can always use light flooring to make a small room brighter or dark flooring to make a large room cozier. But knowing about this relationship between colour and space will make it easier to choose a floor that really suits your home.
3. Practical considerations: Do you have kids or pets?
If you’re expecting your floor to cop a lot of heavy use, then you might be better off opting for a light-coloured timber floor.
Both dirt and scratches show up much more clearly on dark wooden floors, and visible damage is harder to buff out. If you have young children or energetic pets, then the likelihood of damage occurring is a lot higher.
If you’re a pet owner who loves the ambience of a dark wooden floor, however, then don’t lose hope. While scratches do look harsher, darker floors are more durable over time because they’re easier to refinish than light floors.
Consider placing doormats at the entrances, sweeping regularly, and implementing a no-shoes-inside rule to help protect your timber floors from scratches and dust.
4. Consider the furniture.
Finally, you should consider the type of furniture that you’re planning to put in the room.
This is especially true if you have a lot of timber furniture – the look will definitely clash if it’s way too different, or blend in if it’s way too similar! Yet if you can get your furniture and your flooring to complement each other, your room is going to look incredible.
There are some general styling rules you can use to help you make the right choice here, even with timber furniture. Warm-coloured furniture always looks great against a darker shade, whereas bright floors enhance the effects of patterns and bold, bright coloured furniture.
Hopefully these styling tips will help you choose a timber floor that looks great in your home for years to come.
If you’re still trying to decide on a colour, why not browse through the huge range of timber veneer and laminate flooring at Multifors for a little inspiration. We’ve got plenty of great flooring products to choose from.
When it comes to choosing your floor tiles, porcelain and ceramic are easily the two most popular materials out there. If you’re new to the world of tiles, it can be hard to figure out which option you should go for, or even what the difference is between the two.
Personally, we think that porcelain tiles are a better choice for a home – but that doesn’t mean ceramic tiles don’t have their place! We’ll break down the key differences between the two, and why we think porcelain tiles are the better choice in most cases.
Porcelain tiles are tougher and more durable.
Porcelain is actually a specific type of ceramic tile that’s designed to be stronger. Both porcelain and ceramic tiles are clay-based and fired in a kiln, but porcelain uses higher density clay and is fired for much longer at higher temperatures.
This creates a tile that is harder and more durable than your regular ceramic tile. It’s also significantly more waterproof and stain-proof. For this reason, porcelain is easily the preferred choice for tiling a bathroom or a laundry, where moisture, stains and water are an almost everyday occurrence.
They’re also a better choice for an outside area, as they’re much more likely to withstand the weather – especially in the extreme climates of Australia! Additionally, porcelain tiles are usually a uniform colour all the way through. This means that if you scratch or chip them, the damage will be subtler and harder to notice.
Ceramic tiles are softer, cheaper and easier to DIY.
Ceramic tiles may be softer and less durable than porcelain, but this fact makes ceramic tiles so much easier to cut and work with. It also makes them slightly comfier to walk on.
You need special tools to cut porcelain tiles, so they will usually require professional installation. Ceramic, on the other hand, can easily be cut and installed by a DIY renovator. If you’re looking to quickly spice up a room by yourself, you’ll have a much better time of it if you choose ceramic tiles.
Ceramic tiles are also easier to produce than porcelain tiles, so they’re generally a much cheaper option. Most ceramic tiles these days also come with a waterproof glaze, which helps against moisture damage and makes customising patterns easier. However, scratches or chips in the glazing will look much more obvious than in a uniform porcelain tile.
In most cases, porcelain is the better choice for flooring.
Overall, we think that porcelain is a better choice when it comes to choosing floor tiles.
Ceramic may be cheaper and slightly softer on the feet, but it’s likely to degrade faster and cost you more in maintenance over time. Porcelain, on the other hand, is an extremely hardy material that will need very little maintenance.
If you just love the look or feel of ceramic, consider using it for a feature area like a sunroom or a splashback wall where it’s not going to receive too much hard use. It’s also worth considering for low traffic areas or if you’re committed to completely DIY’ing it, but overall it may not be worth it in the long run.
Floors are something we walk on every day, so durability is arguably the biggest deciding factor. It’s for this reason that we generally recommend going with porcelain over ceramic, especially if you’re tiling your bathroom or kitchen!
Hopefully, this article has helped you better understand the difference between porcelain and ceramic floor tiles and made it a little easier for you to make the right choice.
At Multifors, we stock a huge range of high-quality porcelain floor tiles in a variety of styles and colours. If you’d like to find out more about porcelain floor tiling, or you just want to ask a few questions, get in touch with our knowledgeable team today!
As part of our tips and advice section, we’re keen to help our customers get a better feel for some of the popular tools and tool ranges out there. This week, we’re looking at Hot Devil Blowtorches.
Hot Devil is a well-known brand here in Australia, with a huge range of torches. There are way too many out there for us to cover all of them, so today we’ll be focusing on 3 of our favourite butane torches that Hot Devil offers – The Professional Blowtorch, The Mini Gas Blowtorch and The 3 in 1 Gas Torch & Soldering Iron.
These 3 are all affordable options for DIY but they have different strengths. We’ll share our thoughts on these Hot Devil Blowtorches and discuss their differences to help you decide which one is the right tool for your job.
1. Hot Devil Professional Blowtorch (Product no. BTS8023)
The Professional Blowtorch is one of the most popular tools in the Hot Devil range. It’s designed for soldering, heat shrinking, pre-heating metals and loosening rusted nuts, bolts and screws. It should give you around 30m of burn time per canister, however, it’s not recommended to use the tool for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Despite its ‘professional’ namesake, this blowtorch is probably better suited to heavy DIY use than the worksite. It’s definitely a powerful torch for the price, but a busy tradesman may want to fork out for the even more durable & powerful Ultimate Blow Torch or the 10 piece Soldering & Torch kit.
The design of this particular torch actually differs quite a bit from other Hot Devil products, consisting of a multi-setting nozzle that connects directly to the top of a replaceable Butane Canister. This design makes the Professional Blowtorch extra easy to store away, despite it being significantly larger than other Hot Devil products once the canister is attached.
Burning at 1350℃ with auto-ignition, an adjustable flame and flare control, this blowtorch is a great affordable all-rounder for DIY. The full-sized flame gets larger than both the Mini Torch and the 3 in 1 Torch, making this our favourite affordable choice if you’re working on a big project with more surface area to cover.
One thing we did find is that once you get it down to a finer flame, it’s a bit touchier than some of the smaller Hot Devil torches. For this reason, we wouldn’t recommend it for precision tasks. It’s also bulkier than most of the Hot Devil range once the canister is attached to the handle, which is annoying for smaller tasks as well.
2. Hot Devil Mini Gas Blowtorch (Product no. HD3100)
This powerful little torch is so small that it almost resembles a cigarette lighter on steroids. Yet despite the tiny package, it manages to retain much of the functionality of its larger relatives!
The Hot Devil Mini Gas Blowtorch is also capable of burning at 1350℃, with an adjustable flame and a safety lock. This means you can use it for many of the same tasks as other Hot Devil torches, including soldering, heat shrinking and loosening rusted bolts. As with any butane blowtorch, it’s not recommended that you use this tool for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Its tiny size and light weight gives this blowtorch a big advantage on precision jobs, making it great for hard-to-reach wiring or even for stripping away paint in a controlled way. The downside of its small size is that it runs out a little faster and it’s definitely not well suited to big, long jobs.
Like other Hot Devil butane products, this one is completely refillable, although the Mini Torches are often sold empty initially. Overall, this is a perfect choice if you’re a very occasional blowtorch user. It’s much cheaper than other Hot Devil torches, it’s easy to use and it won’t get in the way in your toolbox.
3. Hot Devil 3 in 1 Gas Torch (Product no. HD908)
This versatile little torch is one of the most useful Hot Devil torches available. It’s much more affordable and compact than similar Hot Devil Soldering and Torch kits, yet it also offers much more functionality than the various sizes of Butane Torches they have on offer.
A big draw for the 3 in 1 Gas Torch is a longer run time than both the mini and the professional blowtorches – it should burn for up to an entire hour before running out! (Once again: never use these for more than 10 minutes at a time.) It’s also a bit easier to use than the professional, with an easy-to-understand setting switch, a palm-sized grip and a safety lock.
The 3 in 1 torch burns slightly less hot than the Professional or the Micro, clocking in at 1300℃ instead of 1350℃. It more than makes up for this by offering two lower settings for precision soldering. Simply attach the soldering tip it comes with and you can enjoy a 400℃ soldering setting and a 500℃ hot blow setting.
This torch is great because you can use these lower heat settings to do much more complex soldering tasks, like motherboard circuitry soldering or desoldering with the hot blow setting. Yet the 3 in 1 still gives you all the functionality of a fully-fledged blowtorch that can heat shrink, solder thick wiring or loosen rusted bolts at 1300℃.
The verdict: Of these three options, we think that the versatility of the 3 in 1 Gas Torch & Soldering Iron offers the best value for money for DIY projects. However, if you don’t think you’ll do much fine soldering work, then go for the affordable Mini Gas Blowtorch as a convenient everyday tool and the Professional Blowtorch for those bigger jobs.
The Hot Devil range is seriously huge, but hopefully understanding some of their most popular DIY-level options has helped you in choosing the right blowtorch for you.
If you’re currently shopping for new power tools, why not check out the huge range of power tools and power tool accessories available online at Multifors. Delivery across Metro Melbourne from $19.95.
