Moleanos Tiles Looking Stained afterfitting 6 weeks ago

[ronron]

Hi,

I have had a builder fit my two bathrooms with Moleanos White sandstone tiles onto "Wedi Boards". Tiles are 10mm thick

After 6 weeks, heating on for 4 weeks, extra heaters for a week and now a de-humidifier for 3 days the tiles still look asif they are drying out but i think they are stained, see the photos.

Any advice on what the problem could be?

 

[wayne]

Can't say for sure but looks like the tiles have been dot and dabbed and not back skimmed. Where it's dark is where the adhesive has bled through. Back skimming the tile would have probably solved this

 

[ronron]

Hi Wayne,
Thanks, do you think if the wrong colour of adhesive was used i.e. grey instead of white, would also cause the staining with it bleeding through?
Ron

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Wayne right on the money I think. Also what colour adhesive was used?

 

[ronron]

Hi Tony,
The builder says it was white but my wife said she saw adhesive in the bucket that was grey?, so i think i will need to get a few tiles off to see as it is hard to tell through the gaps (Grouting not yet done)

i suspect he has used grey and it has bled through as Wayne has suggested

Thanks
Ron

 

[dave l and l]

check the adhesive that is round the pipe work in the pic that might tell you if its white or grey from the pic it looks white but that could be deceiving

 

[DHTiling]

Was the adhesive a slow set one..?.. this will allow more moisture to ingress back into the tile as it does not hydrate quick enough to prevent wetting through the tile... most look fully bedded but as mentioned the back buttering has not fully covered the tile backs hence the uneven wetting marks.. normally you trowel the walls and back blade the tile to bed, this in turn will be even colour change of tiles if effected by moisture.. but moisture sensitive stone should be fixed with a suitable rapid setting adhesive to minimise this staining..

Just to say the wetting you have there might dry out once the tile expels all the moisture within it...

 

[Dontiler]

Hello and welcome
do you know if your tiles been sealed?
if so I would recommend stripping sealer of as it will help for moisture
evaporate, wouldn't recommend stripping tiles off yet,
you might find out that tiles will dry out and will look as they should,
At the moment all moisture is trapped behinde the sealer,
So if your tiles been sealed, strip off sealer with something like stain away
And leave it to dry for another week or 2
good luck

 

[ronron]

Thanks everybody for your input, as far as i know the sealer has not been applied and after 4 days of having a dehumidifier all that has happened is that my bathroom walls have dried out and split and my bathroom door has warpped so much that it will not close......

Does "Back Skimmed and Back Bladed" mean the same thing?, anybody got a phot of how that should look?

I have a meeting with the builder, the stone supplier and adhesive supplier tomorrow to try and resolve the issue so any more information would be a great help.

Thanks Ron

 

[Pebbs]

The stone is drying out, it can take up to six weeks, did no one tell you that? I don't see any issue at the moment, and the photo that shows the adhesive clearly shows its white. Have a little patience and let the stone dry out before pulling 3 people in, when the stone isn't even dry yet.

Pebbs

 

[ronron]

Hi Pebbs, thanks for your feedback, the tiles have now been up 8 weeks, we have had the heating on for 6 weeks, extra heaters in the bathrooms and dehumidifiers, the walls were so hot you could not touch them, yet the marks never changed from what you see now to what was there 7 weeks ago, so i can't believe they are still drying out?

 

[DHTiling]

Ok.. if that is the case then i am inclined to think they are stained ... you will need a meeting with said individuals and discuss the next step and rectifying the situation.

 

[Dan]

As Dave says. Seems they're stained too much time has passed for them to still be holding moisture.

 

[ronron]

Hi Dave,
Meeting everybody today and i think the plan is to take some tiles off, have a look and also send the tiles and adhesive off for testing......

Question, can white adhesive cause this type of staining?

 

[DHTiling]

Not normally but with certain stones, then you must use an adhesive that is suitable for stone use and of a rapid setting type... this will not let moisture ingress for a prolonged time thus causing what you have there...

I can't see what tests they think will help.. imo it is purely wrong adhesive for stone type..moisture sensitive stones require rapid sets.. just my opinion though, so see what they come up with.