Help!: Do my tiles need glazed with a sealer

[cheryl123]

Hi there im new to this forun so forgive me if i do not use correctly at first.

i have a question i hope someone could help with. my shower leaked last night and after a friend had a look at it and thinks it is leaking through the mosaic tile. (Tile was pre grouted just to look like mosaic.) when water runs on it the white turns a grey transparent colour. If you run your finger along it white comes off on your finger. The tile has a matt look to it. is it possible that the tile should have been glazed with some type of sealer? If so could i dry out the shower re seal and apply glaze now? Would there be a product that you would recommend.

I would very much appreciate your help. Thanks

[Dave]

what type of mosaic is it..?...and to have white residue come off onto your finger doesn't sound right...Also what grout was used then we can advise better.?

[timeless john]

If it is a tile that looks like mosaic and is pre grouted, did you grout between the joints of this larger tile!
Did you grout over the lines of the pre grouted tile mosaic and if so what with?

Timeless John.

[cheryl123]

hi thank u for your responses. I paid a tiler to tile for me so i unfortunately do not know what type of grout he used. He grouted around the tiles but not over the lines already pre grouted.

[Dave]

Have you got a pic..?

[cheryl123]

Dave it looks exactly like the tile on your profile page. I can take a picture i will maybe take me a while to figure out how to up load it. I will have a go. Thanks

[Dave]

Which one..?


can you copy and paste the pic from my profile to this thread.

[timeless john]

Prehaps this lady lives in Durham!

Timeless John.

[cheryl123]

no i cant it didnt work. its the blue tiles on the home page not one of your photos. working on my pics now

[Dave]

AHH i see...Maybe it is worth giving your tiler a call and ask why you have grout residue ...or what he used to grout....this ain't easy if we can't see what you do..

[cheryl123]

hi here are two pics of my tiles, hope it helps

[cheryl123]

sorry i attached the two pics but they dont seem to be coming up. thanks for trying to help though. Just out of interest is there any glaze sealer that you can get or should that not have been needed?

[Dave]

It depends on what the tile type is as to whether a sealer will take/hold..?..it will seal the grout .but for it to leak then i think there will be more to it..

[cheryl123]

ok thanks u for you help c

[Dave]

Cheryl...i would call the tiler back and get him to investigate where the leak is....water is getting through somewhere..is there a silicone seal in the shower corner and at the base..?

[cheryl123]

yes sealed around the base but not the corner where the two tiles meet my friend discovered and was not very impressed with. the seal around bottom seems fine. my friend said needed sealed in corner but was also worried about the residue and wondered if a glaze sealer should have been used also. the tiling was done about two years age though so i doubt tiler even remember me or be interested to be honest.

[Dave]

2 yrs ago.... you do need a seal in the corner but it's the residue that i am more concerned about....

I think it might be wise if get a tiler to come and look at this job and see exactly what is what...

where abouts are you.?