Experienced landscaper in the paving trade, John Shepherd, shares his insights after trying out a high-performance hybrid grout on a paving project. Read the Fuga Pave grout review to find out how this high-quality cementitious formula compares on price and ease of application, and whether the zero-efflorescence claim rings true.
Owner of Shepherds Landscaping & Building in Dundee, John has been landscaping, bricklaying and joining since he was 18 years old. He established his own business seven years ago and revells in delivering bespoke projects to clients in and around his city on the east coast of Scotland.
John considers that it’s important to move with the times when it comes to grouts and other landscaping products.
“It is hard to keep up sometimes,” he shares, “but I like to find things that work, products that will last the test of time and that look the best.”
He recently tried out Fuga Pave grout for the first time on a large garden redesign in Dundee.
Featuring a fine-grain formula, Fuga Pave is a grout with superior flexibility and a water-repellent compound that passes the drop water test.
With a robust mix containing specially chosen polymers and additives the grout withstand heavy traffic and is less liable to deterioration from the elements. It features a flexural strength that meets the European and International standards (EN 12808-3 and ISO 13007-4.1.4, respectively).
John says that Fuga Pave is now ‘a firm favourite’ for him and his team after using Fuga Pave Light Grey grout (one of the five colour options available) to contrast with Overland dark porcelain pavers on the Dundee paving job.
Read on to find out why John and his team rated the grout when considering price, ease of use, colour options and the durability of the mix.
Review of Fuga Pave's ease of application
You want a grout to be easy to mix and use. If your team is well-versed on how to apply and clean-off the grout, you can breathe easy in the knowledge that there won’t be any issues with the finish later down the track.
Ease of application is one of the reasons why John and his team highly rate Fuga Pave grout.
“There are other products out there four times the price which don’t feel as easy to use as Fuga Pave,” shares John who emphatically says that learning to use the grout has been an easy transition after watching a couple of how-to videos online.
“With the right sized joints, a little goes a long way,” he explains. “I am really impressed with how far it goes, how well it fills the joints and in the overall finish.”
Naturally antibacterial and with a selection of UV non-fade colours to choose from, Fuga Pave is suitable for pointing joints from 0 to 20mm wide, both outside, inside and for underfloor heating systems.
Fuga Pave grout can be used for pointing:
- Porcelain tiles
- Natural stone including sandstone, Yorkstone and Indian stone
- Low thickness slabs
- Ceramic tiles
- Klinker
- Cotto
- Glass and ceramic mosaic
- Marble
- Recomposed materials
John shared with us his personal insider tips for applying Fuga Pave grout. Read on to see what they are or take a look at our complete guide on how to mix and apply the grout.
How Fuga Pave rates on price
Price is a massive deciding factor when reviewing whether to sample a new grout. And John says that value for money was certainly a clincher for his landscaping business.
“With Fuga Pave, the price for the quality of install is fantastic.
“It certainly offers a high-end finish without a huge price tag.”
Fuga Pave grout – also known as Flex CH – is available in 20kg bags for £55 (excluding VAT). One bag covers an area of approximately 15–20m2, depending on the slab joints.
For smaller jobs, you can buy Fuga Pave grout in a 5kg tub (£21.99 excluding VAT) to cover an area of around 5m2 per tub.
As always with The Paving Experts, huge discounts are available on bulk orders. It’s best to call us on 0330 122 1025 to arrange.
Review of Fuga Pave grout colours
Another big bonus for Fuga Pave is the range of colour options available.
“The choice of colours is a big plus,” says John, who loves to have extra options to either colour-match or add a contrast to the chosen paving materials.
The Fuga Pave grout colours are:
- Anthracite
- Jasmin
- Light Grey
- Limestone
- Mid Grey
“Having five [colours] to choose from feels like a bit of a luxury as some other products are more limited.
John also shares that some other grouting formulas often come with a mixed grain, stating, “this sometimes detracts from the finish I want.”
But he says with Fuga Pave he was pleased with the finish.
“We were all impressed with the end result.”
Using the new FUGA-PAVE grout on sandstone, I’ve got to say I’m really pleased with the results. To be able to colour match is a great thing, really chuffed!
Fuga Pave's zero efflorescence claim reviewed
A striking accolade that comes with Fuga Pave grout is the manufacturer’s claim that the grout generates ‘zero efflorescence’.
With such a strong claim we asked John whether he found this to be true.
“I’d definitely say that the finish doesn’t create the additional problems seen with some other grouts.
“Staining has been a particular issue with some other brands, and this creates extra and unnecessary work for you. Worse than that, it can knock your confidence and that of the customer’s too.”
John says he hasn’t had a problem with efflorescence, staining or low spots while using Fuga Pave.
“I’ve found that when using Fuga Pave, and applying it strictly to the instructions, we haven’t had those problems.
“Sometimes you get the fear when going to do the joints because you just don’t know what will happen. So far we’ve not had this with Fuga Pave and feel confident we know how to make sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Next, John shares his personal methods for applying the extra-strong, cementitious grout to avoid any issues with efflorescence and staining.
John's expert application tips
After using Fuga Pave himself, John advises to take things easy during application by not mixing the whole bag at once.
“Mix a quarter of a bag at a time so you can use the product without rushing and worrying about it going off too quickly,” shares John.
“Working in smaller batches also helps you to keep consistent coverage.”
John prefers to use a larger washboy like the Raimondi pedalo washboy kit with an extendable pole (‘the bigger the washboy, the better!’ he says). He opts for using a grouting gun for installation along with the washboy.
“A hard float and sponge work wonders for getting the grout off quickly and efficiently.
“I am not a tiler, I am a landscape gardener, so these tools are fairly new to me but I am really impressed with how well they work.”
Since John and his team’s recent Dundee paving job, Fuga Pave has certainly become one of their go-to grouting formulas to use.
But the landscaper does share that he still likes to choose other products, depending on the job at hand.
“I always choose a full bed mortar, slurry primer and the right finish for grout. But the products can change depending on the type of stone or paving material used.
“There is no one-size-fits-all, but always following British Standards and best practice is a must.”
How do you rate Fuga Pave?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Fuga Pave. Share the finishes you’ve achieved on your business’s landscaping projects and shine a light on the additional colour options that can bring an extra flash of oomph to a hardscape environment.
If you haven’t yet tried Fuga Pave grout, get in touch with our team and we’d be more than happy to talk you through how to use the product and the best bedding mortar and slurry primer to match it with.
Call us on 0330 122 1025 or send us a message.
