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Discuss Leaking 7 year old wetroom, Impey aquadec, Newbie Post! in the Tanking and Wetrooms Forum area at TilersForums. USA and UK Tiling Forum

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Boluwd

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I appear to have a leak in the bathroom floor. The room was created seven years ago to provide a wet shower area using an Impey aquadec former and the dry area to include Warmup UFH. The wet area is covered in 25 mm square mosaic.
A crack was discovered in one of the dry area tiles after about a month. The repair involved relaying another area of tiles on top of all the existing ones.

Recently, I have noticed that water appears to rise through the grouting in the dry area when you put exaggerated foot pressure on certain areas of the floor. Also, water has entered through cracks in the mosaic grouting (water rises up through the grout when standing in certain positions in the wet area). This is usually in the opposite side to where the shower head is.
In addition, one of the wall tiles in the corner below the shower sounds hollow when tapped and it is evident that there is a gap around the grouting.

An under floor inspection shows some of the support noggins are wet with fungal growth. This is the noggin supporting the floor directly underneath the shower. However, one of the floorboards running the length of the floor in the "dry" area is also black and mouldy.

The photo showing the Tilesafe membrane, has the junction between tanked and non tanked area corresponding with the line of this damp floorboard.

There is ingress of water from the corner wall tile, but also through all the cracked grouting in the mosaics. It appears, that no tanking was laid up the first course of wall tiles.

Can this situation be repaired without gutting the whole floor area and starting from scratch? I’m concerned about repairing the damp floor boards in the dry area. If water has managed to find its way up through two layers of tiles, how much damage is there on the plywood that is hidden from view.?
Photos to follow.
 
OP
B

Boluwd

I appear to have a leak in the bathroom floor. The room was created seven years ago to provide a wet shower area using an Impey aquadec former and the dry area to include Warmup UFH. The wet area is covered in 25 mm square mosaic.
A crack was discovered in one of the dry area tiles after about a month. The repair involved relaying another area of tiles on top of all the existing ones.

Recently, I have noticed that water appears to rise through the grouting in the dry area when you put exaggerated foot pressure on certain areas of the floor. Also, water has entered through cracks in the mosaic grouting (water rises up through the grout when standing in certain positions in the wet area). This is usually in the opposite side to where the shower head is.
In addition, one of the wall tiles in the corner below the shower sounds hollow when tapped and it is evident that there is a gap around the grouting.

An under floor inspection shows some of the support noggins are wet with fungal growth. This is the noggin supporting the floor directly underneath the shower. However, one of the floorboards running the length of the floor in the "dry" area is also black and mouldy.

The photo showing the Tilesafe membrane, has the junction between tanked and non tanked area corresponding with the line of this damp floorboard.

There is ingress of water from the corner wall tile, but also through all the cracked grouting in the mosaics. It appears, that no tanking was laid up the first course of wall tiles.

Can this situation be repaired without gutting the whole floor area and starting from scratch? I’m concerned about repairing the damp floor boards in the dry area. If water has managed to find its way up through two layers of tiles, how much damage is there on the plywood that is hidden from view.?
Photos to follow.

20170920-142049.JPG 20170917-121253.JPG 20170917-124521.JPG 20170919_123305_LI.jpg 20170919_123329.jpg 20170919_123402.jpg 20170919_123526.jpg P1020612.JPG P1020613.JPG
 
OP
B

Boluwd

Thank you for your replies. Deep down, I have resigned myself to the worst scenario of lifting the whole floor back down to the joists, and getting a new aquadec, replacing wet floorboards and getting the WHOLE floor tanked. I shall put it up as a customer tile job on here. I have consulted a local tiler/bathroom fitter who recommended a "quickfix" because they couldn't do a complete strip down until early next year. I don't want to ask the original tradesmen because of a) not sure if the tiler is still alive and b) your reply above!
Is it a massive job to remove the old former and UFH boarding? How do you get to the screws which are covered in https://www.tilersforums.com/forums/tile-adhesive/ and the notorious Tilesafe? I am imagining using a tactical nuclear warhead to remove the original Impey! Can this be reused?
So many questions.
 
OP
W

WetSaw

It's not just the floor, the wall should have been tanked as well. Also the floor joists look a bit lightweight to me so you may be suffering some deflection ( bounce ) which would cause the grout to crack.
Hopefully one of the guys on here can sort it out for you.
 
OP
F

Flintstone

All out, walls included is the only way to ensure this doesn't happen again, the job was not right from the start unfortunately.
 
OP
B

Boluwd

Thank you all for your replies.
When you say walls, do you mean the bottom 3 inches as shown on the installation videos of Tilesafe or are we talking about up to the ceiling?
Also, the joists are the original build from 1974, a bungalow. Will only the aquadec former need support timbers or are you indicating that the whole bathroom floor needs strengthening?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
D

Dumbo

The floor needs not to have any bounce in it so you may have to put noggins between joists . ( short timber running at 90degrees to direction if joists ) or possibly pair up the joists ( attach another joist along side existing joists) to strengthen the joists . Also good practice to tank wall to ceiling . Another thing the other impey membrane is easier to use than the bitumous one . I think it is called impey Waterguard
 

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