Start with Three Questions

1. Will the equipment be exposed to constant vibration or impact?
   – If yes, go with epoxy.
2. Will chemicals contact the equipment base or surrounding concrete?
   – If yes, epoxy is your best bet.
3. Will the operating environment regularly exceed 150°F?
   – If yes, cement is typically the better option.

Once you’ve answered these, you’ll know whether to use epoxy or cement-based grout. From there, match the specific product to the performance demands of your application.

Compressive Strength: Commonly Misunderstood

Compressive strength is often the first thing engineers look at. It’s a measure of the maximum stress a material can handle before failing. For example, if a grout has a 14,000 psi rating, it shouldn’t fail under that level of pressure.

However, in many industrial settings, grout failures rarely result from inadequate compressive strength. Even though epoxy grouts usually have higher strength ratings, advances in cement grout chemistry now allow some cementitious grouts to match or exceed those numbers.

The key is to consider strength over time and under your actual temperature conditions. Always factor in weather or environmental controls during placement.

Recommended Products:

Five Star XP-230 Epoxy Grout

SikaGrout 4316

Cost Considerations: Value vs. Overkill

Price usually tempers the drive for maximum strength. Epoxy grouts can cost about four times more than cement grouts. And that’s just the base cost — operating conditions like chemical exposure or extreme heat can raise the price even more.

At this stage, many teams ask, “Do we really need that much strength?” In many cases, the answer is no. Choose based on need, not over-specification.

Recommended Products:

Five Star Grout

SikaGrout 328

Chemical Resistance: Match It to the Environment

If your system involves handling or potential exposure to chemicals, your grout must resist those substances while still supporting load transfer and durability.

Standard epoxy grouts typically offer good chemical resistance across the pH spectrum. But exposure to heat, spills, or poor cleaning schedules can challenge even these materials.

Always review the product’s chemical resistance chart or technical data sheet. If the data is missing or unclear, consider lab testing the grout under your specific conditions before committing to a full installation.

Grouts with the best chemical resistance tend to be the most expensive — but a failure in service will cost far more.

Recommended Products:

Euclid E3 HCR Epoxy Grout

Five Star Novolac Epoxy Grout

Impact Resistance: Think Beyond Static Load

If your process generates sudden force — like cavitation in pumps, stamping in metalwork, or braking action in roll stops — your grout must handle impact. Epoxy grouts excel here due to their low-modulus, polymer structure. They absorb shock and rebound without damage.

Cement grouts, while great under static loads, are brittle. Thin applications are especially vulnerable. Some cement grouts are modified for better impact resistance, including:

• Metallic grouts: Use metal fillers for added strength and durability.
• Hybrid grouts: Blend epoxy-like performance with the ease of cement grout installation.

Recommended Products:

SikaFlow 648

SikaGrout 885

Vibration Dampening: Protect Equipment and Foundations

Vibration slowly degrades equipment alignment, bearing life, and concrete integrity. Epoxy grouts bond tightly to baseplates and frames, helping route energy away from critical components. When placed properly, they can deliver close to 100% effective bearing area.

Epoxy’s flexibility also helps absorb residual vibrations, reducing stress on foundations over time.

Recommended Products:

Five Star DP Epoxy Grout HF

SikaFlow 678

High Temperature Resistance: Know the Limits

If your process includes prolonged exposure to high heat, your grout must handle those conditions permanently.

• Epoxy grouts: Typically rated to 150°F. Above that, they may soften or deform under continuous pressure.
• Cement grouts: Standard versions handle around 350°F. Specialized or hybrid versions can go up to 2400°F.

If heat is a factor, cement grout is usually the safer, more durable choice.

Recommended Products:

Five Star Hybrid Grout

Five Star HTR Grout

Flowability: Often Overlooked, But Critical

Grout must flow smoothly into place — especially under baseplates and tight clearances. Unfortunately, flowability is often described in vague terms like “fluid,” “plastic,” or “flowable.” These aren’t helpful unless you’re deeply familiar with the formulations.

A mock-up pour is the best way to evaluate flowability, but it’s rarely feasible. Instead, understand how material type affects movement:

• Cement grouts: Cement reacts with water and lime to form a fluid, lubricated mix that flows easily — if mixed correctly.
• Epoxy grouts: Act like adhesives and resist flow. They stick to everything. Colder temperatures increase viscosity and make placement harder.

Always consider ambient conditions and mix methods to ensure the grout performs as expected.

Recommended Products:

Stratarock Thin Pour

Stratarock Precision Grout

Final Thoughts

Choosing between epoxy and cement grout depends on understanding your process environment, load demands, and operating conditions. Use the checklist below to guide your decision:

• Vibration or impact? → Epoxy
• Chemical exposure? → Epoxy
• High temperature? → Cement
• Cost-sensitive? → Cement
• Extreme strength or resistance? → Depends on the need

Matching the right grout to your application ensures performance, reliability, and long-term stability.

Don’t forget to check out our line sheet!

The post Epoxy vs Cement Grout. Which is Right? appeared first on Indcon Inc..

Epoxy grout is essential when working with rotating equipment in heavy industries. It’s a trusted solution for ensuring that machines and structures stay firmly anchored, even under intense conditions. However, one thing we all know about epoxy grout is that cold weather can throw a wrench into the works. When temperatures drop, installing epoxy grout becomes a challenge. Typically, we end up building temporary shelters, heating everything from the grout to the equipment, and waiting days for the right conditions. While this process works and ensures a strong, durable result, it’s not exactly a quick or easy fix. But cold weather grouting? We’ve got it figured out. It’s not the most enjoyable part of the job, but we know how to get it done right when the cold rolls in.

But what about those “in-between” times of the year? You know, when it’s not freezing cold, but not quite warm enough for optimal epoxy grout conditions either? These are the days when it’s cooler than the recommended temperature for the grout—until much later in the afternoon. If you’re in the southern states, this might happen in late fall, winter, or even early spring. For those in the Midwest or Northeast, these temperature swings are more likely to occur in early to mid-spring or early fall. Picture it: it’s 55 or 60 degrees by 3 p.m., and for a moment, you think, “This should be warm enough to grout, right?” But here’s the catch—it’s still too cold for epoxy grout to properly cure without additional heat.

During these times, the temptation is to reduce or stop heating altogether. After all, maintaining heat means extra labor. Someone has to monitor and refuel the heaters constantly. You’ll need a fire watch at night. And if you’re not working 24/7 on-site, keeping the heat going adds an extra layer of logistical headache and cost. It’s a lot to deal with for just a few degrees difference, and it can slow down your entire project. But here’s the good news: there’s a better way.

When temperatures dip below 60 degrees, instead of relying on constant heating, you can accelerate the epoxy grout. Using an accelerator ensures much higher early strength without the need for continuous heating. This solution can save hours of labor that would otherwise be spent managing heaters, and it significantly speeds up the process. No more wasted energy, and no more delays just waiting for the temperature to cooperate. Accelerating epoxy grout is the smarter, more efficient option when you’re dealing with cooler days and fluctuating temperatures.

MasterFlow 640 grout accelerator is especially useful when working in remote or hard-to-reach areas where setting up heating equipment would be difficult or impractical. Think of deep water or wastewater structures, tunnel infrastructure, or other inground locations that maintain a constant cool temperature year-round. These places are particularly challenging for traditional grouting methods. But with an accelerated system, you can stay on schedule and achieve the necessary strength in the grout without worrying about maintaining heat for days on end.

Plus, when those cool days sneak up on you in the middle of a project, this method can help you regain lost time. You’ll be able to move forward without halting progress just because the temperature won’t stay consistently warm.

So, as winter approaches, and those cool days start threatening your project schedule, give us a call. We’ve got the tools and the know-how to keep your project on track, no matter the temperature. Accelerating your epoxy grout could be the key to staying efficient, cutting down on labor, and keeping things moving smoothly—even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Don’t forget to check out our line sheet to see all we have to offer!

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It doesn’t help that many times, the grouting is in question. It’s a task that always seems to be a point of contention between parties during a project. It comes as the last step prior to major process installations or just prior to start-up.  Everyone seems to be holding their breath waiting on the results from QC or 3^rd party inspectors. So how do we grout equipment to get the very best chance of success?

Because, making any task easier means it’s more likely to be done right, we need to make the work of  grouting easier. It is essential that grouting not be something that is reviled and avoided.

You already know about the benefits of pumping for the contractor like:

• Drastically reduces time and labor
• Less mess on and around the equipment
• Moves harmful dust away from an enclosed work area

But, how do we make the end result the best possible outcome for everyone. The best outcome here is as close to 100% bearing surface achieved after grouting. This is the desired outcome for the owner’s reps and the contractor because it means a better, longer lasting installation.

Traditional grouting techniques have proven to be effective over many years. However, there are always the questions like, “Shouldn’t you be using a head box?” or  “ How do we know the pocket is full?”. Pumping is a way to demonstrate the total filling of the pocket and the complete purging of any air under the plate.

Pumping puts the grout closer to where it should end up. It allows for you to grout from the center out eliminating grout travel down the side of a plate where it could trap air. It eliminates the chances of a “gulp” of air introduced when pouring through holes in the plate. It also uses the fluid properties of the grout to “push” air out in stead of trying to agitate air pockets out by banding methods.

The pumping process has lots to offer on any size grouting job. Sure it’s easy to see the benefits when you’re looking at the prospect of pouring hundreds of cubic feet. But, even smaller applications can benefit from pumping with low cost units and expanded availability of rental pumps.

So, give some thought to the benefits of pumping for your next grouting or concrete repair project.

Call to talk to someone about grout pumping equipment for your next grouting project that might help you cut costs, time and deliver a better installation for your client.

Don’t forget to check out our line sheet to see all we have to offer!

The post Why Grout Pumping Beats Pouring appeared first on Indcon Inc..

With ever-growing pressures to complete buildings on tight schedules, flooring and subflooring contractors often feel pinched from multiple sources. Modern flooring materials such as tiling and the associated adhesives are advancing to dry faster than before, and various construction trades demand access to rooms sooner. Owners, designers and general contractors demand high quality, along with rapid installation. For contractors installing self-leveling underlayment (SLU), this means new approaches are needed to complete work faster and more efficiently. Pumping of SLU can help address these challenges.

Traditionally, concrete underlayment installation has relied heavily on manual processes. Water and cement-aggregate compounds are mixed in large barrels, typically using drills equipped with paddles. The barrels are wheeled to the desired location, and the mixture is poured and distributed manually. After each batch is placed, the process is repeated and another batch is placed adjacent to the previous batch. For larger jobs, this process makes it difficult to maintain a “wet edge,” a necessity for a homogeneous pour.

The manual process is also labor intensive, requiring more people for larger jobs. Significant coordination is needed to clear the work area and time batch placement for proper curing and access.

A New Approach

With SLU pumping, scheduling challenges can be greatly reduced. Placement can generally be completed faster with fewer people. Since larger rooms do not necessarily require additional workers, these resources can be applied elsewhere on the project or on other projects.

Time savings begin with the material mixing process. Using combined mixing and pumping units, water can be mixed automatically with cement-aggregate compounds in prescribed amounts. SLU mixtures can be pumped up to distances of 300 feet and heights of 60 feet.

Alternatively, separate mixing and pumping units can be employed to generate higher volumes and pump greater distances. Using certain mixers and pumps, up to 300 50-pound bags of SLU compound can be mixed and pumped per hour, with pumping distances of up to 400 feet and heights of 150 feet.

Coordination of batch placement is another challenge greatly simplified with pumped SLU. Instead of manually placing batches that must be matched and tied together, pumped SLU can be placed in a more continuous manner, with multiple passes made in a zig-zag pattern. This enables workers to place SLU in widths of just a few inches at a time, or several feet at a time, while maintaining a “wet edge” and more continuity in the SLU layer.

Schedule-related challenges common to most construction projects will likely always be present. But employing the latest pumping technology in SLU placement can help address these challenges.

SLU Pumping vs Manual Placement

The pumping crew can mix and place approximately 200 sacks per hour. This equates to 1,300 sacks, or 32,500 square feet at ¼-inch thickness, for an average day of 6.5 hours of actual pumping.

The manual crew, at an average of five bags in 7 minutes per barrel, can mix and place 90 sacks per hour. This equates to 585 sacks, or 14,265 square feet at ¼-inch thickness for the same 6.5 hours of pumping.

Excerpts from an article by Danny Carrillo, who is the western Demo Specialist for Graco Toughtek.

The post Reduce SLU Scheduling Headaches and Labor appeared first on Indcon Inc..

The truth is, grout pumping has its benefits, but it also comes with limitations that can affect your project if you’re not prepared. Whether you’re using cement-based grout or epoxy grout, understanding how and when to pump can make the difference between a smooth install and one that causes delays, rework, or even equipment failure.

Below, we’re clearing up three common myths about grout pumping. Knowing the facts can help your crew avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary headaches.

Myth #1: “With grout pumping, you’re guaranteed a successful grout job.”

Reality:
Pumping grout helps get it close to where it needs to go, especially in hard-to-reach areas. But getting it there is only half the battle. The real key to a strong grout installation — especially under baseplates or machinery — is achieving proper bearing. Without the right technique and placement method, even pumped grout can leave voids that lead to uneven support or equipment issues down the line.

Key takeaway: Pumping is just one part of the process. It doesn’t replace proper placement or inspection.

Myth #2: “Any pump will work for any kind of grout.”

Reality:
Grout isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither are pumps. Cement grouts with high early strength or high temperatures can clog or wear out pumps not designed to handle them. Epoxy grouts are even more demanding. Their high viscosity and sticky consistency make them especially difficult to pump.

Epoxy grout is great under equipment because it resists movement, heat, and chemicals. But those same characteristics make it hard on pumping equipment. You’ll need a pump designed with minimal exposure to moving parts and enough pressure to handle the material. Trying to push epoxy or aggressive cement grouts through a basic pump usually ends in wasted material, downtime, or both.

Key takeaway: Match your pump to the type of grout you’re using. The wrong setup can cost more than it saves.

Myth #3: “Grout pumping always makes grouting faster.”

Reality:
For cement grouts, pumping does speed up placement. But the biggest bottleneck usually isn’t pumping — it’s mixing. If you don’t have the right mixing setup or enough crew members feeding the pump, your pump will sit idle waiting for the next batch. So while pumping may feel faster, it won’t be unless your mixing operation can keep up.

When it comes to epoxy grout, pumping rarely saves time. In fact, pouring might be just as fast or faster. Epoxy flows easily once it’s in motion, so you’re not asking much of it during placement. What pumping does offer with epoxy is precision. It helps you make sure the cavity is completely filled, something that’s critical in machinery grouting or other precision applications.

Key takeaway: Pumping can improve speed only when your mixing system is dialed in. Otherwise, it might just be an expensive idle machine.

Know When — and How — to Pump Grout

Grout pumping can be a useful tool when used correctly, but it’s not a magic solution. It works best when matched with the right grout, the right pump, and a crew that understands the full process — from mixing to placement. Whether you’re working with cement grout or epoxy grout, understanding the limits of pumping can help you make better decisions on the jobsite and avoid costly mistakes.

Give us a call at 888-809-2365 if you have any questions about pumping or any other maintenance needs. And don’t forget to check out our line sheet to see all we have to offer!

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