Laura Asley Tiles - aghhhhhh!

[frogeye]

Hi

My very first job was to re-tile my own bathroom - it took an age because of having to keep bathroom functional whilst repairing water damage from previous tilers work - okay it was me! - but here's my problem...................

I primed and tanked the walls as per instructions - I fitted the tiles with Bal white - I grouted with Bal microban and sealed with Bal silicone - I was reasonably happy with the result ( wish i had been told a bit more about kick outs with brick bond, but it was 100% better than it was)...then I noticed a colour Variation on 4 tiles - all at the bath level - I put it down to a shade mix and was happy to live with it. Now 4 months on it is obvious that the shade is getting darker (much) and shading is appearing elsewhere - so I have water logging (or what ever the technical term is) of my tiles. How do I best deal with it? Remove the affected tiles? - about 10 - re grout and waterproof grout or can I let them dry naturally and then seal the grout?
I have never had this problem before - thought I was buying a quality tile that my wife had selected. Any chance of compensation?
I can post a photo if it helps - but imagine a cream tile next to a blue one and you are not far off.
Sorry it's so late - a bottle of cheap vino just had to be drunk

frogeye

[brian c]

i think the best way to deal with it is to replace the affected tiles as you say,regarding compensation ...dont you think you might have got two different batches of tiles instead of the same batch,this might explain the shading.

[mz30]

Do you have any boxes left?
Is the problem in an area that gets quiet wet?

The reason i ask ,i've used laura ashley tiles before on a couple of occasions and on one particular matt finished tile it stated on the box "Do not use in showers or extreme wet areas".
Now good selling bathroom tiles like that

[frogeye]

Thanks for the replies

at first I thought it was a problem with a batch too - but there were only two colours and one of the two I had wasn't one of them, but as I knew no better it was the only answer. I don't have any boxes left, but Homebase has plenty of them for me to look at - they are still on sale ( I bought them off the net - from a proper retailer) but I don't recall there being a warning as where not to use them.

Yes they are in a place that gets wet

I don't think they can be classed as matt - more a bumpy semi gloss finish.

What a nightmare if I have to remove and replace - they are around my shower over the bath area - will they dry naturally if I remove the grout and refrain from showers - or if I remove and replace should I waterproof the grout to prevent a reoccurance?

What a joke - if this stops anyone wasting their money and time with Laura Ashley tiles - then at least thats something

a despondent frogeye

[mz30]

If i am right the grout will not be the problem ,i think the tile's are to porous for a shower area ,to check (if you have one)get a loose tile and run water over it for a few minutes and then check against the problem tiles in your bathroom.
I think you said it was the first couple of courses around your shower/bath area which are affected,they are the one's that usually take the most water in that situation.

[frogeye]

Hi

funnily enough my sister has the same tiles fitted to her bathroom, even down to the tile surround - a complete coincidence as my wife selected them anyway - so no family telepathy involved. She has the same arrangement and has had no problems. They could be a differnet batch of course but I will never know. At the moment I will let the area dry out and see if that does the trick. I may be wrong, but I have never seen a tile advertised that said it was unsuitable for use in a shower area. I have used cheap b&Q tiles without problem. I am tempted to think that they were made down to a price in china (as someone mentioned in an earlier thread that such tiles are notorious for being poor)
I will check at homebase and see what is stated on the box - but I never read anything about where not to put them

thanks anyway
frogeye

[Pawelzik]

Hello frogeye. We know some sites where this had happened. We found tiles from the same batch but at some tiles the water crept between the ceramic and the glaze causing a shade under the glaze that didn´t go. Therefore it was a matter of quality for the tile manufacturer and the responsible represantative came to site. They agreed that it was a glaze failure and took the costs for replacement. Martin

[brian c]

sounds like you might have a case to be answered frogeye.

[Fabbydoo]

Hi Frogeye

Can you tell me how you got on?
I have exactly the same problem with my porous tiles from Laura Ashley!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigneil]

LOL you could photograph as evidence ..claim.... then re-tile your own bathroom and have them pay you for the work

[TilingLogistics]

When these tiles dry out do they return to their normal colour?

Kev

[TilingLogistics]

If the answer to my above post is no then you need to contact BCT they sell all the Laura Ashley range.

Kev

[Fabbydoo]

Hi Guys
Basically its the lowest run of tiles to the shower tray. Two became discoloured so I thought it might have been a miss match with the batch numbers, but then the whole bottom row started to do the same!

Have not used the shower for months now, so the tiles seem to have dried out as their colour has returned to normal.

They were fitted professionally by someone with 40 years experience. The tray is not plastic so there is very little movement. Is it the grouting? Can I paint a sealent over the top of every tile?

I'm the silly wifey that choose them so please not too technical. Its a beautiful shower and cost a fortune. I really wish I's gone to B&Q !

Just read a few more threads, maybe B&Q is not the best place either!

[frogeye]

Hi folks
an update on my tiles
I left them for at least 3 weeks to dry out on the wall. I even removed the grout around them to give more chance to dry. No showers for 3 weeks was a pain, but hopefully it would be worth it. The tiles did change colour, back as near as dam it to the original.

I regrouted and used 2 coats of aqua seal (if I remember the name right) spray on cost me about £35. It is advertised on this site.

So did it work? Well yes and no. I had noticed that there was a blue tinge to a few other tiles further up the wall. These have not discoloured after treatment, however the ones on the bath are as blue as ever.

I will be cutting the 5 affected tiles out and fitting new ones later. I feel this is the only answer.

The walls were aquapanal and tanked with a bal kit (prefer the ardex). I used bal white star and bal grout.

Hope this is of use

frogeye

[Dave]

Is this what you mean frogeye...

[frogeye]

Hi Dave
yes thats the one
mixed results I'm afraid
maybe the tiles are just too pourous?
looks like there was a batch of tiles that have this problem

so where from here?

[TilingLogistics]

I would dry the tiles out and try a good quality penetrating sealer before removing them after all you have nothing to lose. Strip the tiles with a sealing and coating remover and reseal using a penetrating sealer.

Kev

[frogeye]

I would dry the tiles out and try a good quality penetrating sealer before removing them after all you have nothing to lose. Strip the tiles with a sealing and coating remover and reseal using a penetrating sealer.

Kev

Hi Kev
thanks for the advice
can you recommend a product? as this is getting expensive. Will I have to be without a shower for 3 - 4 weeks again? I must admit I had hoped that the spray would have done the job, but maybe the tile is too porous? If I go the tile removal route - only 5 involved, would you suggest sealing the tile before fixing, could I seal the reverse side as in the biscuit? or would this affect the adhesion with the bal white star?
without doubt there is a problem with this tile as it now appears I am not the only one suffering

frogeye

[TilingLogistics]

Hi Kev
thanks for the advice
can you recommend a product? as this is getting expensive. Will I have to be without a shower for 3 - 4 weeks again? I must admit I had hoped that the spray would have done the job, but maybe the tile is too porous? If I go the tile removal route - only 5 involved, would you suggest sealing the tile before fixing, could I seal the reverse side as in the biscuit? or would this affect the adhesion with the bal white star?
without doubt there is a problem with this tile as it now appears I am not the only one suffering

frogeye

I am not allowed to recommend the products I use on this site as the site is sponsored by another sealer manufacturer or retailer. Either PM me or wait for someone like dave or someone to mention a suitable Lithothin product.

Kev

[frogeye]

okay - understood
cheers

frogeye

[JMM]

Hi, new member here, attracted by this thread. Just had my en suite tiled through out with Laura Ashley. Shower tiles show "picture framing" indicating water under the glaze. Tiler used Unibond waterproof grout so should be O.K. Have a rep coming from BCT next week but am much comforted to know someone else has same problem and will mention this to him. Has anyone else suffered with their Laura Ashley tiles in this way?

[grumpygrouter]

Hi, new member here, attracted by this thread. Just had my en suite tiled through out with Laura Ashley. Shower tiles show "picture framing" indicating water under the glaze. Tiler used Unibond waterproof grout so should be O.K. Have a rep coming from BCT next week but am much comforted to know someone else has same problem and will mention this to him. Has anyone else suffered with their Laura Ashley tiles in this way?

Unless the tiler used epoxy grout, I am afraid you have been mis-led by the Unibond marketing team. Cementitious grout such as the Unibond stuff is NOT waterproof in the dictionary sense! It is only waterproof in the respect that it will not "break down" when in contact with water. It will still allow water through to the substrate behind and into the edges of the tiles. It should dry out though and your picture framing should disappear - if it is water getting in. It is possible you have another problem with the tiles not related to the grout/water situation.

[TilingLogistics]

It's amazing how many manufacturers actually say waterproof on their products and get away with it

Kev