Help! Tiled wetroom floor looks perfect but grout doesn't dry out! - Tile Advice

[White Room]

I don't know how much use the shower has had or how many people have used it in a day but moisture will find it's way through the standard grout that's why it's tanked below the tiles.

Pulled out a few wet rooms and there's allways been moisture that has made it's way under the tiles, if theres cracking in the grout then it will accelerate the process.

 

[Paula]

 

[Paula]

The above photos are the lowest quality I can do on my camera, but hopefully useful? While on my hands and knees noticed that there is grout missing around the drain, but doesn't look like the black lines on the grout away from the drain is cracked, just very dark coloured. Do you think that water could be getting in through the drain holes and migrating up the slope of the tray to the joints next to the wall?

 

[Paula]

Whitebeam, thanks for that. It's an en-suite shower, so just my husband and I using it, and only since about last June, so not even a year. We noticed the black marks within weeks of using it.

So are you saying that however well the tiles are laid there will always be moisture under the tiles, and that these black marks are unavoidable then (if cementitious grout is used)? Or do you think ours is badly done?

 

[Dash J]

I use bal epoxy,and yes the swimming pools were a nightmare
Paid a good linear m2 rate for it tho
Epoxy has changed its not as bad as it once was
As I say i always use it on my wet floors
Prob a bit over spec but better to be safe eh

 

[Dash J]

Should be bone dry in my opinion
If not there will be problems,as you can see
Marc

 

[Paula]

That's interesting, DashJ. But I think Bal only do black or white in epoxy, don't they? Mapei do a wider range of colours. So you've never had trouble with epoxy cracking in upstairs wetroom floors (suspended timber?) ?

 

[Dash J]

Bal do grey Paula,I have never had a problem at all on upstairs wet floors
One of my neighbours got a wet room done same as you impey
He had water coming in from his ceiling
I had a look and the water was going in through the grout
This had caused the tiles to fail
I lifted the tiles,let it all dry out,fixed tiles 100% coverage,can't stress enough the importance of this!
Then grouted with bal grey epoxy
It's still perfect
Sod's law I will get a phone call from him tomorrow lol
The guys who told you epoxy wouldn't work are talking rubbish
And the tiler will most certainly tell you it won't work because he doesn't want to do it
If you can establish there is no underlying problem and you are still unhappy with the finish I would suggest re grouting with epoxy

Marc

 

[Paula]

Bal do grey Paula,I have never had a problem at all on upstairs wet floors
One of my neighbours got a wet room done same as you impey
He had water coming in from his ceiling
I had a look and the water was going in through the grout
This had caused the tiles to fail
I lifted the tiles,let it all dry out,fixed tiles 100% coverage,can't stress enough the importance of this!
Then grouted with bal grey epoxy
It's still perfect
Sod's law I will get a phone call from him tomorrow lol
The guys who told you epoxy wouldn't work are talking rubbish
And the tiler will most certainly tell you it won't work because he doesn't want to do it
If you can establish there is no underlying problem and you are still unhappy with the finish I would suggest re grouting with epoxy

Marc

Thanks for this, Marc

just out of interest, how did you ensure 100% coverage? My builder has told me that this is impossible, as there will always be lines of adhesive where a rake is used?

And why was water coming through the ceiling: surely the tanking should have stopped this?

 

[Paula]

I don't know how much use the shower has had or how many people have used it in a day but moisture will find it's way through the standard grout that's why it's tanked below the tiles.

Pulled out a few wet rooms and there's allways been moisture that has made it's way under the tiles, if theres cracking in the grout then it will accelerate the process.

Sorry, only just worked out how to do this quote business (!) but just to be clear, are you saying that it is inevitable that I will always have wet grout, even if the tiles are fully bedded down and grout not cracked? I need to know if I should be pushing to have the tiles re-laid….

Paula

 

[John Benton]

This was a badly tiled tray that was letting water through the joints, the tiles were a mixture of dot and dab and using a notched trowel. There were big voids around the drain that water was sitting in and the tiles eventually came loose. I suspect that the drain had been set too high and they had to build up adhesive to the correct height.

Only thing I could do was remove the tiles, fill the voids, and then use a notched trowel, back butter the tiles, fix and grout, and no more problems.

 

[Paula]

This was a badly tiled tray that was letting water through the joints, the tiles were a mixture of dot and dab and using a notched trowel. There were big voids around the drain that water was sitting in and the tiles eventually came loose. I suspect that the drain had been set too high and they had to build up adhesive to the correct height.
Thanks for that, John. I've been on my hands and knees and now in daylight I can see that there are extremely fine cracks along joints in the shower, mostly where the grout meets the tiles. They are very difficult to see, but definitely there, plus gaps around the grout round the drain. I suspect this is what is happening in my tray. One question, though: if we take up the tiles, will this damage the Impey tanking underneath?

All this has been very helpful, and certainly made me look a lot more closely at what is going on with the grout, so thanks everyone who has replied!

Paula
Only thing I could do was remove the tiles, fill the voids, and then use a notched trowel, back butter the tiles, fix and grout, and no more problems.

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Thanks for this, John!

Just a quick question, if we take up our tiles, as you did, then will this damage the membrane underneath?

Paula

 

[John Benton]

Thanks for this, John!

Just a quick question, if we take up our tiles, as you did, then will this damage the membrane underneath?

Paula

That's the $64,000 dollar question. You won't know until you start taking them up. If they are fixed correctly I would say yes it is likely to damage the membrane.

 

[Stef]

Recognise those mosaics JB,




3 trays I done past couple of weeks.

 

[John Benton]

Recognise those mosaics JB,
View attachment 60601
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View attachment 60603

3 trays I done past couple of weeks.

Those were Caslgrande Padana Italian porcelain Stef. Nightmare to washdown the grout as the face was riven.

PS did customer supply RayBans for the last job :yikes: