Myths and Misunderstandings: Testing the water resistance of grout

[Dan]

I agree if we were talking about standing water on a wetroom floor. I'm thinking more of a situation involving the walls of a shower cubicle or the shower end walls above a bath.
I've not long had a shower and 30 mins later all the jasmine coloured grout is no longer dark. I appreciate in winter that would take longer to dry out. That's a far cry from my walls being submerged underwater for 6 or 7 hours. Dean's test suggests, to me anyway, that in a normal shower environment with a shower being used 2 or 3 times a day - there's very little risk of water ingress. I'm betting the same test using a primer and a modified grout would last a lot longer.

I also think if Dean had used mosaics then the time to failure would have been the same. Yes more water would get through which would mean more real world damage in a faster time but can't think why it would initially soak through to the cardboard any quicker.

I AM a fan of tanking. It is imperative in some situations and in all the others - well if you can eliminate a risk, no matter how small, then it's worth doing in my opinion.
Just can't accept that a proper install is doomed due to the absence of tanking. I know for a fact this isn't the case because I've ripped loads out and they were fine.

Note that your grout may appear dry. But the moisture it's carrying to the adhesive is still existent. And that's what builds up over time.

 

[The D]

Note that your grout may appear dry. But the moisture it's carrying to the adhesive is still existent. And that's what builds up over time.

hahahahahahahahahahahaha you are as mad as a march hare, do you smoke crack ?

 

[macten]

Note that your grout may appear dry. But the moisture it's carrying to the adhesive is still existent. And that's what builds up over time.

Then maybe a better test is to repeat what Dean did but leave the water in for a couple of hours then empty it.
24 hours later repeat and so on. If your theory is correct then it will, at some point in the future, surely fail yes?

 

[Dan]

Seriously?

Your cardboard got wet mate.

If your shower is used a few times a day in a busy family house, it's going to get moisture behind there.

We wait months for some screeds to dry and while they appear dry to the eye we use gizmos to measure the moisture.

I'm not saying it's dripping wet but it's moisture. For sure.

 

[widler]

Not dead against it at all 3fall,all my wet rooms are tanked, obviously 😉
Ive tanked the odd bathroom as well 🙂
If they ask i will do it, ive recommended it and ive had the
" its been tiles for 20 years without a problem , why bother" off many a person, public or builder or kitchen/bathroom firm .

You can't really argue with that, well i suppose some would 😉

 

[The D]

Seriously?

Your cardboard got wet mate.

If your shower is used a few times a day in a busy family house, it's going to get moisture behind there.

We wait months for some screeds to dry and while they appear dry to the eye we use gizmos to measure the moisture.

I'm not saying it's dripping wet but it's moisture. For sure.

how many wetrooms have you stripped Dan ?

How to Remove ceramic wall tiles from a shower « Construction & Repair

 

[widler]

I will just go and get mesen a beer, don't write owt else yet

 

[widler]

Sorted 🙂

 

[Qwerty]

Ok gents..... I've just done some much needed housekeeping in this thread. Don't make me hit the "delete" button again tonight!!! 🙄😀

 

[Dan]

I haven't removed any my dear.

I can see why you're the only person to have ever said they actually enjoyed sharing threads with Mike Reeman. Who you said you thought knew his stuff, and is actually guy who just did a 5 day course at PTS in 2008.

Does it feel a waste?