Newbie here ...looking for advice please

[devillindaf]

Hi all - just come across this site and congrats to all for the great advice supplied to all - Happy New Year!

Wondered if anyone can throw any light on an issue I have with a walk in shower cubicle. Had new bathroom installed about 2.5 years ago and made the wrong decision (in hindsight) to have "a tiled hole in the wall" type shelf made to house shampoo etc. The shelf was on an outside brick wall.

Shower is fully tiled but after about a year, the tiles directly beneath and on the shelf started to bow and crack, the grouting crumbled and it was obvious that the plaster behind the tiles had "blown" due to water seepage. I had a builder in to totally strip the wall, re plaster and re tile (he did seal the wall prior to tiling) and at the same time I had the hole in the wall bricked up and so had a flat newly tiled wall. Being aware of the problem he crammed loads of grout between the tiles to avoid the same issue.

10 months on and I have the same problem albeit the tiles and grouting are now cracking upwards from the top of the shower tray. The builder has re looked at the damage and cannot understand why it would happen again - there is no "hole in the wall" to allow water seepage and the silicone around the rim of the tray was perfect. We have looked at the outside wall and there are no cracks etc.

Can anyone advise if they have ever encountered this problem before, there is no water pipe in the offending wall and we are now wondering if it could be to do with the shower drain although the damage started at the other end of the shower tray to the drain. I will obviously have to have the wall re tiled again (this involves removal of shower side / door etc) but would like to get to the bottom of why it happened to prevent a third issue in a years time.

By the way the bathroom was installed by a leading DIY chain so not a home DIY job!!!

Kind regards to all

 

[DHTiling]

Grout isn't waterproof , so water will ingress through it.

 

[peteablard]

Sounds like a classic example of why wet areas should be tanked. Unfortunately getting the installation done by a leading DIY chain doesn't guarantee you'll always get a proffesional tradesman. If the wall is being stripped then insist on it being tanked before it is re tiled, as Dave said above grout isn't waterproof and water will get through it.

 

[devillindaf]

Thanks both - the odd thing is that the wall was previously tiled by ourselves (prior to the new bathroom) and stayed perfect for approx 15 years. And be to fair to the DIY chain, the standard of their workmanship was excellent. I have a different builder coming on Sunday to have a look so will post back if he comes up with a different view.

 

[kilty55]

hi is the wall contructed form timber/plywood

 

[Andy Allen]

why not get a tiler out to look at it and not a builder..?

 

[AliGage]

Any idea what grout was used?
What sort of shower/setup do you have? And what ventilation. A couple of snaps of your bathroom would be ideal if you can upload some.

 

[devillindaf]

It is a 1930's house so a solid brick wall.

 

[devillindaf]

The local builder who corrected it first time installs bathrooms and kitchens and has people working for him that specialize in specific jobs - tiling being one of them. I will try and get some pictures up tomorrow but it is just a normal glass shower cubicle (two walls fully tiled floor to ceiling) which is positioned in the corner of the bathroom. There is a fairly large window next to the cubicle and I always have the small top part of the window open so ventilation should not be a problem. No idea what type of grout but the shower runs on an electric pump housed in the airing cupboard.

 

[devillindaf]

Ok so a different builder assessed the wall yesterday and has suggested there could be 2 reasons for the damage:

1) the previous repair was carried out before the actual brickwork (not plaster) had dried and as the water in the wall had nowhere to go it re soaked the new plaster. Although it is only the 2 bottom lines of tiling at the moment which show damage, he tapped the 3 lines of tiles above and it does seem as if the plaster has blown there as well.

2) shower tray had not been fitted correctly and was moving - however as the sealant around the tray was fully intact this may be a red herring.

Do either of these reasons seem feasible to any of you lovely experts out there.....?

Thanks

 

[leftylewis1987]

How long did it take the builder to rip off existing walls, plaster and tile?

 

[leftylewis1987]

I would recommend using a waterproof powder adhesive not a cheap ready made adhesive. A lot of DIY companies like using adhesive and grout in 1 tub which is a waste of time u might as well ask an electrician to do the work as they know the same as a builder.

 

[White Room]

I would recommend using a waterproof powder adhesive not a cheap ready made adhesive. A lot of DIY companies like using adhesive and grout in 1 tub which is a waste of time u might as well ask an electrician to do the work as they know the same as a builder.

It's water resistant not water proof.....

 

[devillindaf]

The tiles are still on the wall awaiting confirmation of which builder I will use - basically you can tell the plaster has blown by tapping but if it is like last time, I suspect they will come off really quickly as the plaster was soaking behind them. Just wondered if the theory of "water in the bricks" was a valid suggestion and if so the way forward. One builder has said the bricks need to be covered with a cement (?) type substance before the actual plastering is done as that will stop the plaster getting wet again. Does this sound correct?

 

[White Room]

I would be checking the outside that water is not seeping thru where the hole in the wall was, the cement he mentioned would be a sand/cement with an intagral waterproofer mixed with the render to stop any water that may soaking thru from the exterior.

 

[devillindaf]

Cheers all - as this will be the third time of tiling this wall - hope its third time lucky!