Discoloured Tiles after laying...

[John Horgan]

HI Guys,

I am new to the forum and after some guidance. I am currently halfway through tiling my bathroom and have some problems. I bought some tiles online 400x250 Flat White ceramic tiles. I laid the first row with minimal problems then as I laid more I started to experience some issues around them discolouring.

I can only describe this as a shadow like discolouration within the tile. It happened on one of the first row and after a day or so seems to fade. I have since laid more tiles and a week on these are still yet to fade, these were mainly tiles that required a cut. I have spoken to the supplier who asked me to send some pictures and I still await a response, but I carried on with tiles that didn't require cutting. Well I this has happend again with them (laid yesterday).

I took to google and a suggestion was to place a tiles part in water and see if it absorbed water, which it did. It has been on the radiator now for several hours and has just started to dry out. I am now assuming that the ones on the wall are absorbing the moisture from the adhesive.

My question being, will these eventually dry out and be ok? Or do I need to remove and replace them? I am also starting to think (after reading up) that I have used the wrong adhesive. I have used Unibond Ready Mix adhesive & grout. Could it be that the back on the tile is not going to dry out full stop?? They are certainly on the wall and don't come off with ease..

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

 

[Dave]

Using a dispersion adhesive can sometimes bleed moisture into the biscuit as it takes a longer time to set.

is the shading patterned like your adhesive ribs?

 

[John Horgan]

No they are completely different on each tile, some small patches some large, on the ones I laid yesterday they started off simply around the edges and seemed to get worse. I have removed most of the ones that I laid yesterday and the adhesive was still damp, so that would have been after about 19hours. Could that explain the issue? Should they have gone off in that time?

 

[Dave]

Did you comb the adhesive on the wall or butter the tile back and press into place , how thick is the adhesive.?

 

[Unregistered]

Combed onto the wall and added excess to the tile where required then pressed into place. I imagine around 5mm or so dependant on the wall some thicker some thinner...

 

[Dave]

Imho , I think that is your issue... Try a cement bagged adhesive..

 

[White Room]

Combed onto the wall and added excess to the tile where required then pressed into place. I imagine around 5mm or so dependant on the wall some thicker some thinner...

You could be waiting 6 months before thats ready for grouting...

 

[ttt tiling]

Never use fix and grout , dIY rubbish!

 

[average]

You could be waiting 6 months before thats ready for grouting...

Whys that, sure i have a 12mm notched trowel, so will mine take longer with standard set add

 

[Stef]

Whys that, sure i have a 12mm notched trowel, so will mine take longer with standard set add

If your using tubbed addy then it will take ages to dry out.
Ready mixed is a dispersion adhesive & needs air & somewhere for the moisture to soak into to cure properly.
Using powder adhesives you don't have the same problem, they cure under chemical hydration, although with powder the setting times are all gauged at 20degrees so if it's colder it will take longer & if it's warmer it will speed the process up.