Slate bathroom : stains, sealing and cracked grouting.

[Mcarey]

Hi,
We've just bought a house, and have a ten month old demanding baby . The previous owners had a flood and the bathroom was redone. It has a slate floor and shower( slate walls). The grouting is cracked in the shower, and it leaks through the kitchen ceiling when running for too long- is this due to the cracked grout, or should there be something behind the tiles to stop this? The slate doesn't appear to be sealed and the bathroom now has lots of white marks I can't get rid of, what should I do? Any help massively appreciated. Anything that takes a long time is somewhat hard due to my little one, and I feel a bit stuck.

 

[kilty55]

oh dear doesnt sound good.....check with the shower down the tray only first to see if its the pipe work thats leaking is what i would suggest to elimanate thats as well but by the sounds of it it may well all need stripped out

 

[widler]

Some picks would help.
Is it cracked in the corners or in the grout lines, is it siliconed in the corners and shower base ?

 

[widler]

Sorry i meant pictures not picks

 

[EverDon Tiling]

as above pics would be helpful

 

[Mcarey]

Hi all,

attached is pictures of the cracked groouting, it runs vertically along where the two walls meet. don't know about the seal, seems sealed. I've attached a picture anyhow! also a picture of the staining (hmmm only two photos are appearing, perhaps there is a limit). Many thanks everyone!

 

[EverDon Tiling]

the crack is from expansion in the corner and needs to be siliconed.

 

[Mcarey]

Oh ok! That sounds easy enough ( I hope). Thank so much. I could do that and see if we still have a leak * sigh*

 

[widler]

Aye as above, id remove the old stuff from the tray as well and re silicone the lot

 

[widler]

Ps the marks are possibly from shampoo/soap being used over time and the tiles not being cleaned regularly, they also could not of been sealed

 

[Mcarey]

Thanks all! We've only been here since mid dec and the bathroom was new when we moved in, given I've tried to scrub those marks off ith appropriate cleaner several times, I decided it wasn't sealed. :-( If I seal it, will the marks be less obvious, or is it basically ruined? Should the builders should have sealed it, ( and done the grouting correctly)? Can I just complain, even though they did it for the previous owners, or am I probably on a hiding to nothing, and will next appear on a day time BBc programme moaning about it? Sorry to go on, last questions I promise!

 

[kilty55]

i would advise you strip it all and re do it looks badly damaged

 

[Mcarey]

Take all the slate off, and re- do the bathroom?? Eek! Oh crumbs. I guess I sort of thought that, but hoped there would be a less expensive solution, I'm so mad it wasn't done properly. Perhaps this is one of thse learning experiences.

 

[kilty55]

you could try re sealing the silicone etc mccarey but imo the mould etc will grow back through it looks pretty damaged especially if there is water coming through the ceiling the floor/walls may well be badly damaged

 

[True Tiling]

Sounds like water has got between the slate and the background to which they are (bonded). This, unfortunately cannot be rectified without a full strip-out of all tiles and walls. Simply attempting to re-seal will not work, as once water has penetrated through to your wall, shrinkage will occur after a good seal has been made and drying out has occurred. New sealants will not cure fully. The area needs to be completely dry.
It sounds like standard plasterboard and water-soluble tile adhesive was used in the fixing of the slate. In this case, the incorrect substrates and materials were used in the fixing of slate in a wet area, and you should seek advice for rectifying your home.

 

[True Tiling]

Bad advice mate - any movement joint should not have to be re-applied.

 

[widler]

So if a movement joint, erm moves you just like erm leave it ?

 

[True Tiling]

I was just thinking that a movement joint should have been properly filled in the first place using the correct silicone or movement strip. It would be a pain and a threat to the tiling if movement joints in supermarkets and leisure complexes had to be repeatedly filled would it not? Why anywhere else? (Don't mean to offend!)

 

[Spud]

I was just thinking that a movement joint should have been properly filled in the first place using the correct silicone or movement strip. It would be a pain and a threat to the tiling if movement joints in supermarkets and leisure complexes had to be repeatedly filled would it not? Why anywhere else? (Don't mean to offend!)

silicone joints do need replacing over time , movement joints in floors dont prevent water ingress and are filled with elastic material for the finished look to prevent an unsitely gap where dirt may be trapped the important part of a movement joint is only the actually gap its self not the material it is filled with

 

[True Tiling]

But isn't it very important that a movement joint needs to move? Can't fill it with any material like you say I'm afraid.
The thing is Gary, that in a wet room situation, a movement joint cannot fail under any circumstances, so I question your "unsitely gap" theory and disregard your text. A movement gap using a 25% flex 100% silicone sealant over a correct installation IN ANY SITUATION is a sure move, no? Shouldn't need to be re-filled if the floor has been checked out, acclimatised and tiled properly...

 

[Spud]

sorry true tiling perhaps my reply wasnt very clear, a movement joint must allow movement if you leave a gap between any 2 surfaces and its is unfilled this is a movement joint allowing the 2 surfaces to move independantly of each other that is the important part of any movement joint the GAP or space between them, ideally no filler at all should be used but elastic materials are used to protect the edge of the tiles and to stop a dirt build up in the joint ,the filling of the gap can be any material which allows movement ,solid materials would stop the movement and it would be a movement joint any longer

 

[Spud]

I getting confused true tiling as first off you were talking about movement joints on supermarket floors and then edited your reply, you are being very naive if you believe that silicone joints last forever ,in a wet room situation all the waterproofing is done behind the tiles and does not rely on the silicone joint to make a wet room waterproof

 

[True Tiling]

If we are talking floors, then it appears your knowledge is limited: what you have just said needs education. You are using GAP and space/movement joints to your advantageous argument. You lost it. Read up!

 

[True Tiling]

Done 5 wetrooms Gary. No comeback for a re-seal...

 

[Spud]

Done 5 wetrooms Gary. No comeback for a re-seal...

sounds like you are extremely experienced, I am just a keen beginner/learner so I will bow to your greater knowledge and experience , I will try and look up the correct information, can you recommend any good courses I might be able to attend to improve my knowledge and skill, I live in the hertfordshire area thanks in advance
Gary, 5 wet rooms

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Now I'm confused????? 5 wet rooms? is that this month or total?:lol:

 

[Peter]

Sounds like you need to go on a 5 day course Gary, I hope you've not tried a wet room yet.

 

[Spud]

I am not that confident yet Peter the last few I did didnt turn out that well

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Must have been a real doozy that 5 day course Gary, you do a mean wet room, I might PM you and get the address of the place, I might enroll on that, I like you am very keen to learn this tiling lark. Good job there are some very experienced people on this site.

 

[DHTiling]

I wish I had an ICA2 in tiling , so so jealous. must be hard to get such a distinguished qualification. :lol: