Morning all

[nick moxsom]

Hello folks.

I have just had a builder in to turn my downstairs bathroom into a wet room. We have ceramic tiles on the walls and porcelain tiles on the floor.

He put a bead of Silicon sealant round the floor edge but it didn't seem to stick or dry properly. The builder agreed, took the sealant off, and replaced it with the waterproof grout he had used between the tiles (Unibond "Tile on Floors" Anti-Mould Flexible Waterproof Grout). Trouble is that after two days without using the shower the grout still wasn't dry.

My questions are: 1. Should it take so long for grout to dry? 2. Is a bead of grout sufficient to keep the room watertight? 3. If grout will do the job, why do we need sealant at all?

Hope someone can help, as I have a bathroom I can't use, and paying guests wondering why.

 

[GazTech]

Hello folks.

I have just had a builder in to turn my downstairs bathroom into a wet room. We have ceramic tiles on the walls and porcelain tiles on the floor.

He put a bead of Silicon sealant round the floor edge but it didn't seem to stick or dry properly. The builder agreed, took the sealant off, and replaced it with the waterproof grout he had used between the tiles (Unibond "Tile on Floors" Anti-Mould Flexible Waterproof Grout). Trouble is that after two days without using the shower the grout still wasn't dry.

My questions are: 1. Should it take so long for grout to dry? 2. Is a bead of grout sufficient to keep the room watertight? 3. If grout will do the job, why do we need sealant at all?

Hope someone can help, as I have a bathroom I can't use, and paying guests wondering why.

Welcome to the forums Nick, grout alone will not waterproof your shower, the type you have used is water resistant and not waterproof. You may well have excess water behind the tiles where your tiles meet, this is why your Silicon wouldn't stick, and the grout may well be drawing the water in from behind. Remove the grout and try a de-humidifier to take the moisture from behind, and then either use Silicon again, or epoxy resin grout ( which is waterproof ).....Gaz

 

[medlar]

hi mate and welcome to the tilers forum

 

[DHTiling]

Morning nick and welcome to tilers forums.....

This builder.!!...what prep did he do to the walls and floor before tiling commenced..?

Was there any form of tanking done..?..

 

[MICK the Tiler]

G'Day and welcome to the forums

 

[White Room]

Hello and welcome

 

[Daveyboy]

Hi Nick..Welcome to the Forums...It sounds like the builder didn't allow the room to dry before putting down the Silicon. If he used a lot of water to wash down the tiles then the water will have soaked through the wall/floor tile joints and will have been absorbed by the floor adhesive/substrate. If the room is cold/damp with little or no air circulation, it could take a very long time before it drys. I'd follow Gaztechs advice plus warm up the room if its cold. When the joints are fully dry, re-apply the Silicon.. Good luck...

 

[nick moxsom]

Thanks to all for your advice and help. I will remove the grout, dry the room thoroughly and re-use a sealant. Then perhaps I can take a shower. That way I'll be clean when they arrest me for shooting the builder (lol). Cheers all.

 

[Derry]

Hello and welcome to the forums

 

[monty]

Hello and welcome to the forums...

 

[Olz]

Welcome to the forum mate

 

[cornish_crofter]

Welcome to the forum

Suggest you have a good read of the Wetrooms area of this forum. There is plenty of info in there.

 

[Fekin]

Hi there and welcome to the forums

 

[sWe]

Welcome to the forums

 

[graham31]

Hello...welcome to the forums