TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum - View Single Post - Rising water marks on tiles around shower

FiscoKing · 03-07-2007

Spoke to Topps tiles today. Managed to get hold of someone that is involved in some way with their quality assurance for the products that they sell. He said they would not recommend toppfix for the shower area either, but said this was more to do with the size of the tile (15 x 10 inch) than the application.

Spoke to BAL who said the microflex was ok for a residential shower area.

Spoke to Palace chemicals who make Toppfix for topps tiles. He would not comment on what happens to toppfix when it gets wet, and told me to regrout.

Spoke to Wedi, who said you should use a waterproof tile adhesive and waterproof grout with their product. When you take a tile off wediboard, the board has to be replaced. Wediboard is designed to last as long as the tile on it. When you pry the tile off, the cement backing comes off the board, leaving the hard foam inner. Tile adhesive will not stick to the foam, so you have to replace the board.

The guy at topps was quite helpful. He said all large ceramic tiles (B&Q quality) are not identical in size and will have a slight bend to them because of the firing process. When you arrange the tiles in a brick pattern, you get the edge of one tile kicking out compared to the tile below because its ending at the middle of the tile. If memory serves, I think my tiler said something to the same effect. Because of this, you'll get exposed unglazed portions of tile showing, and this is where the water can get in.

If I have to remove the tiles, the bathroom is a write-off. The wediboard IS the bathroom, all custom cut and custom sealed.

I wish the tiler had explained some of this before he started

. It's always down to the guys on the forums to explain how the job should be done properly.

The only option I have is to re-grout making sure that the (waterproof) grout covers the glaze on the tiles.

Incidentally, all of the people I called above, ended up signing off by saying "And good luck"...

It's not just a bathroom, it's an f*ing adventure.