Grouting failing ?

[Sanke]

Hi all
i was called to investigate a leak from under a shower tray. To investigate meant removing the tiles from edge of tray fixing the leak & then reinstalling tray. The gap left was only 50mm so we used a mosaic ( couldn't match existing tiles ) The tiles were left for 20 (instructions were for 16 hrs ) hours before grouting & then 24 hours before trying shower. It leaked :mad2: Returned the following day & grout was still wet & watery. Cleaned away what I could & then repeated process & it has leaked again. Have I done something wrong ? Anything else I can do short of rip out all tiles behind cubicle & start again ?

 

[Sean Kelly]

So what and where was the leak? Could it be that the leak is further up the wall than first thought? If the shower was not used for a couple of days then is it the hot/cold water feed to shower? I'm presuming it's not the shower trap leaking.

 

[Sanke]

Hi Sean
Originally we thought it was the trap as it just fell off the pipe in my hand. I installed a new tray on a leg lit to get it up off the tiles hence now we only had 50mm of tiling to cover. As soon as you point shower head onto wall the water seeps through it. As I said earlier when I first went back the grout was wet & soft !! Going to look again tomorrow

 

[Gazzer]

What products have you used ?

 

[Chalker]

How have you sealed the enclosure. Best practice is to silicone tray before tiling, tile. Silicone again ( including where the profiles meet the tray). Fit profiles and silicone inside them where they touch the tray( this is where mst enclosures leak) .then fit the enclosure, and silicone the inside and outside of the wall profiles, but ONLY the outside of the tray to enclosure.

 

[Sanke]

Bal powdered adhesive from topps & homebase grout ( only needed small amount of cream grout ) All waterproof

 

[Sanke]

Original installation used ordinary plasterboard & was slightly damp. Could this have something to do with current problem

 

[White Room]

Grout is water resistant not waterproof...

 

[Gazzer]

Got a photo of the area ?

 

[Sanke]

Hi whitebeam
That is what I should have said. When I have grouted before it has gone rock hard. This was still soft the day after ?

 

[Chalker]

Was it a ready mixed grout?

 

[Sanke]

Was it a ready mixed grout?

Yes

 

[Chalker]

Yes

theres the problem.
Its rubbish. Very slow cure! Might be ok for a kitchen splash back, but not for a shower.

 

[Sanke]

theres the problem.
Its rubbish. Very slow cure! Might be ok for a kitchen splash back, but not for a shower.

Instructions said to leave for 24 hrs which was done. So if we left it for a while & then tried again should it be ok or now that it has got wet too soon is it ruined ? I suppose if we wanted to try a powdered grout I would still have to remove the existing mosaic tiles or could the grout be removed ?

 

[Chalker]

If it hasn't gone off remove the enclosure and scrape out the grout.
then re grout with a good quality powder grout.
i like bal microflex, others are available.