Help! Tiled wetroom floor looks perfect but grout doesn't dry out!

[John Benton]

This was a badly tiled tray that was letting water through the joints, the tiles were a mixture of dot and dab and using a notched trowel. There were big voids around the drain that water was sitting in and the tiles eventually came loose. I suspect that the drain had been set too high and they had to build up adhesive to the correct height.

Only thing I could do was remove the tiles, fill the voids, and then use a notched trowel, back butter the tiles, fix and grout, and no more problems.

 

[Paula]

This was a badly tiled tray that was letting water through the joints, the tiles were a mixture of dot and dab and using a notched trowel. There were big voids around the drain that water was sitting in and the tiles eventually came loose. I suspect that the drain had been set too high and they had to build up adhesive to the correct height.
Thanks for that, John. I've been on my hands and knees and now in daylight I can see that there are extremely fine cracks along joints in the shower, mostly where the grout meets the tiles. They are very difficult to see, but definitely there, plus gaps around the grout round the drain. I suspect this is what is happening in my tray. One question, though: if we take up the tiles, will this damage the Impey tanking underneath?

All this has been very helpful, and certainly made me look a lot more closely at what is going on with the grout, so thanks everyone who has replied!

Paula
Only thing I could do was remove the tiles, fill the voids, and then use a notched trowel, back butter the tiles, fix and grout, and no more problems.

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Thanks for this, John!

Just a quick question, if we take up our tiles, as you did, then will this damage the membrane underneath?

Paula

 

[John Benton]

Thanks for this, John!

Just a quick question, if we take up our tiles, as you did, then will this damage the membrane underneath?

Paula

That's the $64,000 dollar question. You won't know until you start taking them up. If they are fixed correctly I would say yes it is likely to damage the membrane.

 

[Stef]

Recognise those mosaics JB,




3 trays I done past couple of weeks.

 

[John Benton]

Recognise those mosaics JB,
View attachment 60601
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3 trays I done past couple of weeks.

Those were Caslgrande Padana Italian porcelain Stef. Nightmare to washdown the grout as the face was riven.

PS did customer supply RayBans for the last job :yikes:

 

[Stef]

Those were Caslgrande Padana Italian porcelain Stef. Nightmare to washdown the grout as the face was riven.

PS did customer supply RayBans for the last job :yikes:

Not the same but they are very similar.



This is supposed to be like a Rubiks Cube.

Enough of high jacking this thread.. [emoji6]

 

[trustiling]

Something looks wrong with the grout but it is not uncommon to get patchy looking grout especially grey even in dry areas when as mentions already too much water used to wash down or not letting the grout set long enough before washing.
Again as before, any grout will retain some moisture on a wet floor being used twice a day but it only takes the smallest on pinholes or one crack and water, and lots of it, will find a way through. As for complete and total 100% coverage no one can guarantee that as it does only take even a gap in the bed of a mm for water to travel through bit the grout is the first and best line of defence.
And for that reason all our wet floors whether on concrete or timber are grouted in epoxy by Mapei who have an excellent range of colours.
600 x 600mm tiles won't have that many joints so a regrout won't be that much of a job and it would be complete peace of mind and what I would push for.
Maybe meet halfway and offer to pay for the epoxy but the tiler will do the labour free of charge?

 

[Tile seller]

Your second detailed pic shows a typical crescent moon shape which can be formed when two different mixes are joined together, with the first having perhaps a little too much time to set. Also, the second mix can often be a different viscosity and therefore colour strength. The convex side of the shape will be the first mix.
Furthermore, as already mentioned, over working of sponging down and not allowing correct setting times before doing so can exacerbate the above ,(two different mixes situation). One mix could have been sponged down differently than the other.

I'd go to your nearest decent tile centre and ask to have a look at the kerapoxy colours. Some people think they look a little plastic'y however, I prefer the more vivid colours they give.
Beware as epoxy installation is very different from cement based grout and you need some one who knows what there doing or disaster can strike.

Else, perhaps you could just put up with the colour disparity :/

 

[shunt]

After 8 months you really shouldn't have water build up under the tiles especially if there is no sign of cracked grout.

Check to make sure the waste has been solvent welded together correctly to ensure no water is getting through the height adjustment rings. was the dark grout around the waste only? does it come back when you use it?
shaun.

 

[Dan]

Just bumping some of the older popular (sometimes not so popular) threads. Probably wont be current discussion these days but I just need to do it. So just ignore the thread if it's not current for you.