What was meant to be a quick re-seal of a shower tray has turned into a regrouting dilema. The 'professional' who installed the original travertine shower tray and wall tiles seems to have only used 'dabs' of adhesive in the centre of each tile - and they are rather large tiles! - not only that but when I removed the grout (as most of it had cracked) the 'dabs' are 10-15mm deep. I am left with large hollows between every tile and am unsure of what to do next. I assume the grout has cracked due to the hollows around the edge of each tile so I also assume I need to fill these gaps to stop the tile from moving and subsequently the grout from cracking again in another years time. I have never tiled or grouted before so any advice would be appreciated. I have brought Mapei sealant and adhesive in Jasmine already (which looks like a good match to the original) and have a rough idea of what I have to do with the two products but I also get the impression the tiles have never been sealed and they have a semi-rough feel to them like they need polishing, is this a common thing with travertine? Any ideas - I considered expanding foam but get the impression the solvent might attack the tile? I really am lost!!!

Please dont use expanding foam !!!!!

sounds like you need to get someone round to look at it for you. doesn't sound safe to me.

Do NOT use the foam............it would only push them off.

Sounds like they need to be removed.

Was it a powered adhesive he used or tubbed gear.

Does not sound good.

tbo i'd take the lot up and start again.

Oh dear! I'd suggest that you get a tiler to come and take a look before you make a bad job worse, but on the face of it, it does sound like a "take 'em all off and start again" situation.

Sorry,

Daz

it sounds bad, if he dot n dabbed with Travertine you have problems because Travertine is quite susceptible to crumbling or cracking if not bedded properly, I would try using a grouting/ pointing gun fill with flexible adhesive mixed on the soft side (ie very creamy)and try forcing it into the joints that should put more adhesive under the tiles, clean joints and let dry over night then grout and re seal the lot with a high quality sealer also silicone corners and 45 joints,
the only other solution is very expensive?? maybe another tiler has a better solution??

if in doubt ask for a few references and pictures of past work

as whitebeam said tubbed or bagged? if tubbed you are in a bad way..on a side note anyone used granfix multifix? opinions please
i have used for the walls but never on floor i always use white flex with travertine (either grey or white with all natural stone)

Have you been in contact with the tiler who fixed them.

also, do you know what they're tiled onto? large format travertine tiles are heavy, and if they're only dabbed on, with a bed of 10 to 15 mil (which seems too thick for any adhesives that i know) onto plaster skim, i think you may have a serious problem, and you either need to get him back, or find a good tiler to come and look.

The whole thing sounds like a typical builder/plasterer/handyman job rather than a professional tiler. A grout gun with the Mapei grout (a particularly slippery grout it is too I might add) will help back-fill behind the tiles. Assuming you can get away with not taking them off and starting again the tiles will need to be cleaned and sealed properly. The roughness sounds like efflourescence, salt crystals forming on the surface due to too high a moisture content (i.e unsealed tiles getting wet and drying out). Lithofin make a cleaner and stainguard which will do the job. Better yet get someone recommended by someone who knows to do it for you. Definintely do not use foam.

Goos luck, sadly I see this sort of thing more and more often.

Thanks for the replies. The tiles are on what looks like aquapanel so assume the bond is good enough otherwise - like you say - they should have dropped off by now. The job was done by a proper tiler who was actually recommended to the boss by the place they purchased the tiles from! And yes they had problems throughout the whole job and needless to say hes not been invited back, even to correct his work. I like the grout/mortar gun approach, would I be able to use adhesive in it as apposed to grout as I would assume it would be better in the long term? When it comes to the semi-rough apperance of the tiles I don't know if it may be grout/filler that has been used to fill the imperfections in the original surface, can this be 'polished' with a scotch pad and then cleaned or does it have to be done in a particular order. I am still removing grout - and will be all day! - and didn't know if the next step would be a scotch pad clean the whole area, deep clean with Lithofin (which I used on the base) then use the lithofin impregnator before grouting (or filling with adhesive if that is preferable). I may be doing a tiling course the way things are going!!! Thanks all !

Looks like you have found a lot of the info you need already reading you last post. Is it possibly you could try and take one tile off at the top? If it comes away easy you may be able to get away with getting them all off?

If its tubbed adhesive he has used id be suprised though at that thickness it would probably still be wet even if it was tiled months ago. However if it is tubbed and thats the reason for trying to remove one then the will come off relativley easily. You can steam them off just buy leaving a wall paper steamer in the room with windows and doors shut, thats usually enough to let them loosen up.

Spoke to the tile supplier today who had a record of the job, they gave me info on the tile, grout, adhesive and sealant. It was all Weber stuff that was used. They even put me in touch with a Weber rep who came to visit (was in the area!) and he recommended two ways of resolving the situation, pretty much what we had discussed on the forum, as the adhesive was cement based (can't find the paperwork to tell you what the product was) and the backing was what looks like aquapanel he was confident the tiles wouldn't drop off (they were installed august 08!) and suggested either ripping them off and starting again or grouting with a slightly wet mix like Karlm suggested, although it could all need doing again in another couple of years if cracks become a problem again. He even gave me a demo Dvd of the basics of tiling with product recommendation and usage! I assume this isn't a regular occurance and Weber 'fairys' don't just appear whenever you tilers have a problem?!!?! I'm waiting for a response from the bosses so its back to grout removal for me tomorrow!!! Thanks for all the help so far everyone!