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

[Paula]

I've summarised this and hope I've got it right! haha

But please check this thread out at our plumbing forum.

Problematic thread on TilersForums might be a leak in shower - can you help us? - Plumbing Forum

Very impressed, well done! Would only pick you up on your spelling of "permanent" (!!!) and the fact that it was actually a couple of months, not weeks, earlier this year, that we didn't use the shower, and the grout in the former was still wet.

It was a great idea to post this on the plumbing forum, so thanks.

 

[Dan]

Very impressed, well done! Would only pick you up on your spelling of "permanent" (!!!) and the fact that it was actually a couple of months, not weeks, earlier this year, that we didn't use the shower, and the grout in the former was still wet.

It was a great idea to post this on the plumbing forum, so thanks.

Apologies. I did it during a few second gap I had between email batch sending earlier so didn't have time to click on Google Chrome to correct the spelling. I did click it though.

 

[Paula]

Also double check the Silicon sealant around the shower area, it can look fine, but I've seen it happen before when you get up close you can get a thumbnail under it where it hasn't quite taken to the tiles.

Ok, I will do that, but I have been down on my hands and knees quite a few times and it looks fine to me!

 

[Paula]

Apologies. I did it during a few second gap I had between email batch sending earlier so didn't have time to click on Google Chrome to correct the spelling. I did click it though.

Was only pulling your leg!

 

[Dan]

Problematic thread on TilersForums might be a leak in shower - can you help us? - Plumbing Forum

Another one thinks it's a leak to the shower head.

 

[Dan]

Was only pulling your leg!

Corrected my spelling and had the mrs spank me for it. Thinking of spilling some moer things wrung. Felt gud.

 

[Paula]

Just thought I'd let you know that we let the floor dry out between Wednesday morning and Sunday afternoon. For the first couple of days, water could still be seen to be seeping up through the grout on the 'dry' side of the shower screen, but by Sunday, it was much drier (although still dark in comparison with the rest of the floor grout). We then covered up the floor in the shower area and ran about 10 buckets of water from the main shower head, disposing of them in the bath rather than the shower drain. We even left the bucket under the head overnight to catch any drips, so the shower floor was completely dry. To begin with, there was no obvious seepage of water, but this morning, water could again be seen seeping up through the grout on the 'dry' side of the screen!

So....it looks like we may have a leak on the supply side, either in the fixed shower head, or the pipework running to the valve, or even the valve itself. As has been suggested, water is perhaps running down behind the tiles and under the shower floor, and then out beyond the screen. I would suggest that this would explain why we have seen so much more seepage beyond the screen since the grout in the tray area was replaced with epoxy: now that water can't evaporate up through the tray grout, it is having to travel further, ie. beyond the screen, where there is ordinary grout.

I have passed on this knowledge to the builder, and hopefully he will send his plumber out to check. I don't think there is any point in checking the drain now for leakage, do you?

Thanks, everyone, for your advice. I never thought that it could possibly be a problem with the pipework, so if this proves to be the case, you are geniuses!!

I'll let you know how we get on.

PS Can't help being worried if we do have seepage behind the tiles, as I know that we don't have waterproof backer board behind the tiles, and the floor tanking only comes up a few inches from the floor.....

 

[The D]

Just thought I'd let you know that we let the floor dry out between Wednesday morning and Sunday afternoon. For the first couple of days, water could still be seen to be seeping up through the grout on the 'dry' side of the shower screen, but by Sunday, it was much drier (although still dark in comparison with the rest of the floor grout). We then covered up the floor in the shower area and ran about 10 buckets of water from the main shower head, disposing of them in the bath rather than the shower drain. We even left the bucket under the head overnight to catch any drips, so the shower floor was completely dry. To begin with, there was no obvious seepage of water, but this morning, water could again be seen seeping up through the grout on the 'dry' side of the screen!

So....it looks like we may have a leak on the supply side, either in the fixed shower head, or the pipework running to the valve, or even the valve itself. As has been suggested, water is perhaps running down behind the tiles and under the shower floor, and then out beyond the screen. I would suggest that this would explain why we have seen so much more seepage beyond the screen since the grout in the tray area was replaced with epoxy: now that water can't evaporate up through the tray grout, it is having to travel further, ie. beyond the screen, where there is ordinary grout.

I have passed on this knowledge to the builder, and hopefully he will send his plumber out to check. I don't think there is any point in checking the drain now for leakage, do you?

Thanks, everyone, for your advice. I never thought that it could possibly be a problem with the pipework, so if this proves to be the case, you are geniuses!!

I'll let you know how we get on.

PS Can't help being worried if we do have seepage behind the tiles, as I know that we don't have waterproof backer board behind the tiles, and the floor tanking only comes up a few inches from the floor.....

so are you saying the walls in the wet area are only tanked a few inches up from the floor or is that just outside the wet area

 

[John Benton]

Thats what I was thinking Deano cos if there's a leak from the valve surely it would have been behind the tanking and it would almost certainly be seen as a wet patch on the ceiling below

 

[Paula]

so are you saying the walls in the wet area are only tanked a few inches up from the floor or is that just outside the wet area

Yes, that's right. Impey Waterguard all over the floor and a few inches up, then nothing apart from plasterboard and large format (300x600) porcelain tiles (I did question this at the time, as the spec for the job mentioned tile backer board in the shower area, but the builder said that it was not necessary....of course at that point I had not read your forum!). Anyway, there is no leak on the ceiling down below: I have been constantly checking! So do you think that it can't possibly be a leak from the valve or shower head, then?

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Can we have a pic of the shower? Is it built in with a removable chrome plate?

 

[The D]

WOW builders I've s---em

 

[John Benton]

We had one a few months ago where water was leaking downstairs only when the shower was turned on, on a concealed valve. Plumber checked it out and it was a crack in one of the brass fittings on the valve. When he undid the fitting it completely broke in two. Have you had the valve checked by the plumber yet?

 

[Paula]

We had one a few months ago where water was leaking downstairs only when the shower was turned on, on a concealed valve. Plumber checked it out and it was a crack in one of the brass fittings on the valve. When he undid the fitting it completely broke in two. Have you had the valve checked by the plumber yet?

No, John, I have asked the builder to send the plumber who installed the bathroom round, but he has not agreed yet. I've told him all about what I've been doing but he hasn't yet agreed. It would certainly help us solve the problem if it was something as simple as that!

 

[The D]

Hey guys , this is my first post here , I'm not a tiler but Infact a plumber, Dan kindly popped this post over onto the plumber forum for us to have a look through,
When I first startling reading the thread I thought it might've been a bad bit of grout not in being laid bad but a slight imperfection in the batch , ( small part )
If it was the drain or the shower because the floor is probably well sealed then I'd've thought the shadows would've spread with usage, I have seen water travel great lengths through tiles b4 protruding up through the cracks but don't think it in this case ,
There must be couple badly sealed parts now that your seeing evidence from your screen side,

do you still think it is somthing to do with badly sealed tiling ??