About the Brand

Mapei Grout, Mortar, Membranes and Adhesives

The three things that decide whether a tile floor is still sound in ten years are the mortar, the membrane, and the adhesive, and nobody ever sees any of them. Mapei is the brand most Ontario tile contractors specify for exactly that reason: an Italian manufacturer with more than 80 years in the trade, making its products in Canada since 1978.

Squarefoot Flooring stocks the Mapei range for residential and commercial project supply at both stores, Mississauga (700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4) and Barrie (112 Saunders Rd, Units 1-4). Bring your tile size and substrate and we will specify the system with you.

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  • Store Ready: See samples in person
  • Expert Advice: Room & material matching
  • In-Stock Options: Fast project timelines
  • Install Team: In-house crews available
Mapei Grout, Mortar, Membranes and Adhesives

Shop Mapei by Category

Choose the right Mapei material for your room, lifestyle, and installation needs.

Mapei Collections

Browse featured Mapei Flooring collections, then open the full list by material.

Featured Collections

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All Collections by Material

Browse all 54 collections, neatly organised by material.

Vinyl Flooring7 collections
Engineered Hardwood5 collections
Porcelain1 collection
Other Collections41 collections

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Visit a Squarefoot Flooring store to compare samples under real lighting.

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Featured Mapei Products

See featured colours and finishes from Mapei across key material families.

Explore Mapei by Material

Start with the material that fits your space, budget, and installation needs.

Mapei flooring

Why Homeowners Choose Mapei

Practical flooring options, coordinated designs, and local store support for Ontario homes.

  • Coordinated colours and finishes with options available across multiple rooms
  • Waterproof and water-resistant options available for busy areas—confirm ratings on each product
  • Options available for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and living spaces when the specific product is approved
  • Real wood and realistic wood-look collections
  • Tile and decorative surfaces with options available for feature walls and statement areas
  • Available at Squarefoot Flooring in Mississauga and Barrie

Complete Your Mapei Project

Get installation, finishing materials, and local support for your flooring or tile project.

Visit a Squarefoot Flooring Store

See Mapei colours, finishes, and collections in person. Compare samples under real lighting and get practical help choosing the right floor for your project.

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Book a virtual appointment with our flooring team.

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Helpful Guides for Choosing Mapei Flooring

Read practical guides and articles to help you compare materials, rooms, and finishes before you buy.

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Why Mapei Stands Out

What Urban Zebra is

Urban Zebra is a Toronto-based tile importer that brings in porcelain and ceramic tile from Italy and Spain, the two countries that set the standard for the category, along with select lines from other international mills. The look runs wide: marble-look slabs, wood-look planks, concrete and stone visuals, patterned encaustic looks, brick and subway tiles, glass mosaics, and large-format panels. Squarefoot Flooring carries the range across four groups you can shop directly: porcelain floor and wall tile, ceramic wall tile, mosaic tile, and stone-look pieces.

In simple terms: Urban Zebra is where you go when you want an Italian or Spanish tile look without hunting through a dozen suppliers. Porcelain handles floors, walls, and wet areas. Ceramic covers walls. Mosaics handle the detail work like backsplash tile and shower niches.

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Why Urban Zebra earns a place in the store

Not every imported tile brand is worth stocking. Urban Zebra makes the cut for a few concrete reasons. The porcelain bodies are pressed and fired in Italy and Spain, which is where the best rectified edges, digital print detail, and colour consistency in the industry come from. The catalogue is deep enough that a full home, from the kitchen backsplash tile to the bathroom floor tiles to a feature wall, can be pulled from a single brand and still look intentional together.

Our teams in Mississauga and Barrie work with these tiles constantly, so the advice you get on the floor is based on how Urban Zebra behaves in real Toronto, Mississauga, and Barrie homes, not on a spec sheet.

Decision: If you want a European tile look with the confidence of seeing it in person first, Urban Zebra is a strong shortlist brand. Match it against porcelain vs ceramic before you settle on a body type.

The Urban Zebra ranges, by what they are for

Porcelain floor and wall

The workhorse of the line. Dense, low water absorption, and rated for floors, walls, and wet zones. This is where the marble-look, concrete-look, and wood-look series live, in sizes from small formats up to large panels for a seamless wall.

Shop porcelain floor and wall tile

Ceramic wall tile

Lighter bodies built for vertical surfaces. Glossy, matte, and textured faces in glazed colours and classic shapes, ideal for a bathroom feature wall or a glossy kitchen run.

Shop ceramic wall tile

Mosaic and detail tile

Hexagons, herringbone, penny rounds, glass, and stone-look chips. This is the group you reach for on a backsplash, a shower niche, or a shower floor tile where grip and small formats matter.

Shop mosaic tile

Brick, subway, and patterned

Slim brick shapes, subway tiles, and encaustic-style patterns for kitchens, entryways, and character walls. A quick way to add texture without changing the whole room.

Browse all tile at Squarefoot

Where Urban Zebra tile works in a home

Bathrooms and showers

Porcelain is the right body for bathroom tiling because it shrugs off moisture. Use larger porcelain on the floor and walls, then step down to a mosaic on the shower floor so the grout joints give your feet grip. For bathroom floor tiles, a matte or textured finish reads warmer and hides water spotting better than high gloss.

Decision: Porcelain on the big surfaces, mosaic underfoot in the shower. Ask us in the store to confirm the slip rating on any shower floor tile before you buy.

Kitchens

The kitchen backsplash tile is where Urban Zebra gets to show off. Glossy ceramic subway, a zellige-style handmade look, a slim brick, or a patterned mosaic all sit well behind a range. Because the ceramic wall bodies are lighter, they are quick to set on a vertical run.

Floors and open living areas

Wood-look and stone-look porcelain planks and slabs give you the warmth of those materials with the durability of tile, which suits high-traffic Toronto condos and busy family homes in Barrie and Mississauga. Pair the floor with matching mosaics or trims from the same series for a finished result.

Truth: Porcelain that looks like wood will never scratch or cup the way real hardwood can. The trade-off is that tile is harder and cooler underfoot, which is why many owners pair it with heated floors in bathrooms.

Seeing, buying, and installing Urban Zebra tile

Our website is still being updated with the full current Urban Zebra range, and more is being added regularly. In the meantime, the fastest way to see everything on offer is to visit a store or call the store directly. Both locations carry Urban Zebra and can order any series from the current book.

Squarefoot installs what it sells. Tile setting is handled by our own in-house crews, residential and commercial, not subcontractors, so the same team that helps you choose the tile is accountable for how it goes in. See how we approach it on our tile installation page.

If you have been searching for a tile store near me, both stores are open to walk-ins. Compare the range in Mississauga or find tile near you in Barrie, and bring your measurements so we can work out quantities on the spot.

Common Questions About Mapei Flooring

Quick answers about Mapei, materials, and shopping at Squarefoot Flooring.

What is Mapei?
Mapei is an Italian manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, and chemical products for building, with more than 80 years in the trade. Canada was the first country outside Italy where Mapei established production facilities, and the company has manufactured here since 1978, with its Canadian head office in Laval, Quebec.
Which Mapei mortar should I use for large format tile?
Large format tile, meaning anything over 15 inches on any side, requires a medium-bed or large-tile mortar rather than a standard thin-set. Standard thin-set slumps under the weight and coverage of a large tile, which causes lippage and long-term bond failure. For tile 15 inches or smaller on a sound substrate, a polymer-modified thin-set is appropriate.
Should I use cement grout or epoxy grout?
Standard cement grout absorbs staining in kitchens and bathrooms and needs sealing. Epoxy grout does not absorb staining. Epoxy costs more in labour and material and is harder to work with, so it is not necessary everywhere, but for showers, kitchen backsplashes, and any area where colour consistency matters long term, epoxy is the professional specification.
What is the difference between a waterproofing membrane and an uncoupling membrane?
A waterproofing membrane creates a barrier that stops water reaching the substrate, and every shower floor and shower wall should have one beneath the tile. An uncoupling or crack isolation membrane separates the tile from movement in the substrate so a hairline crack in the slab does not telegraph up and crack the tile. A wet shower over a concrete slab often needs both, or a product rated for both.
What does the ECO in Mapei Ultrabond ECO mean?
The ECO designation on the Mapei Ultrabond line reflects low-VOC formulation, which matters in sealed condos, bedrooms, and occupied commercial spaces. The range includes distinct adhesives for wood, vinyl, carpet, VCT, and cove base, because each flooring material requires a different chemistry.
Do I need to remove old adhesive before installing new flooring?
Yes. Removing old adhesive residue from a concrete slab before laying new flooring is a critical prep step that is often skipped, and it is a leading cause of bond failure. Mapei Ultrabond adhesive removers break down old adhesive without damaging the concrete substrate.
Can I buy Mapei products at Squarefoot Flooring?
Yes. Both Squarefoot showrooms carry Mapei setting materials and adhesives for residential and commercial project supply: Mississauga at 700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4, and Barrie at 112 Saunders Rd, Units 1-4. Contractors ordering for a job can call the store directly to confirm current stock.

Explore other flooring and tile brands available at Squarefoot Flooring stores.