Shower problem

[dscoll]

Dylante. Yes i've contacted the tiler. He says the job was done correctly, "something else" must have caused the grout to crack and allow the water to get behind.

Have you contacted the tiler? This needs to be put right (PVA will not make it right).

The builder may well be the nicest bloke in the world but (most) builders have no clue about tiling, that is why they get pros in. This builder has not got the first clue what he is doing just like I wouldnt have the first clue how to build a house. If he got a pro in the first place, he should get the advise of a real pro now and foot the bill for putting it right. Clearly he doesnt want to pay for that (who would) so he is going to tell you that he can fix it him self so that he can walk away.

We are not telling you all this for a laugh, this is the best advise you will find anywhere and its free!! There is no way of sorting out these tiles with out taking them off and the builder should be paying the bill for that IMO.

 

[dscoll]

I bought some new adhesive : mapei kerraflex maxi and stuck a couple of pieces of the old tile onto the wall. They stuck solid, so there's nothing wrong with the wall.
Looking at the tiles that have come off the wall i noticed that about 80% of the adhesive still stuck on the back is still combed, ie the tiles look like they have been buttered , then combed. Surely when the tile is pushed onto the wall this combing should flatten out, is this correct?
I think that the tiles have simply not been pushed on firmly enough.
DS

 

[Rich]

Yes there should be a good contact on the back of the tile and it is possible that that is why they have started to come away but I think that there is more to it than than.

That is a good adhesive but this does not mean that the wall is ok, a badly preped substrate could take a few days to a couple of years to fail. sticking on piece of tile up and it sticking doesnt tell us anything. To start with the wall will need to be primed.

What were you hoping tp do with the keraflex? Re tile with it or pour it down the back of the tiles?

 

[dscoll]

Ok,thanks i can prime the wall, that's not a problem.

Yes there should be a good contact on the back of the tile and it is possible that that is why they have started to come away but I think that there is more to it than than.

That is a good adhesive but this does not mean that the wall is ok, a badly preped substrate could take a few days to a couple of years to fail. sticking on piece of tile up and it sticking doesnt tell us anything. To start with the wall will need to be primed.

What were you hoping tp do with the keraflex? Re tile with it or pour it down the back of the tiles?

 

[Rich]

Ok, does this mean that you are going to retile? Priming the wall behind the tiles that you wanted to pour PVA down the back of will still do nothing. The tiles need removing and retiling from scratch.

If you are worried that the reason for the tiles coming away from the wall is that the tiler didnt press the tiles back into the adhesive enough, then Im not sure what you hope to gain by pouring any kind of adhesive down the back of them as you will not be able to press the tiles into the new adhesive.

 

[dscoll]

Dylante. Im going to prime and retile the shower enclosure with a contrasting tile. Outside the shower enclosure im going to use the pva to stick the original loose tiles back on.

Ok, does this mean that you are going to retile? Priming the wall behind the tiles that you wanted to pour PVA down the back of will still do nothing. The tiles need removing and retiling from scratch.

If you are worried that the reason for the tiles coming away from the wall is that the tiler didnt press the tiles back into the adhesive enough, then Im not sure what you hope to gain by pouring any kind of adhesive down the back of them as you will not be able to press the tiles into the new adhesive.

 

[Deleted member 9966]

Dylante. Im going to prime and retile the shower enclosure with a contrasting tile. Outside the shower enclosure im going to use the pva to stick the original loose tiles back on.

pva won't stick tiles to a wall I'm afraid. pva is not suitable for use in bathroom/wet areas because after it has dried, if it comes into contact with water or moisture, the dried pva will become live again and you will find the tiles will come away again. best to use the correct adhesive for the job and a suitable acrylic based primer.

 

[dscoll]

GirlRacerRed. The pva will be used outside the shower enclosure. It will be behind the tiles which are sealed with grout. It should not come into contact with any moisture.

pva won't stick tiles to a wall I'm afraid. pva is not suitable for use in bathroom/wet areas because after it has dried, if it comes into contact with water or moisture, the dried pva will become live again and you will find the tiles will come away again. best to use the correct adhesive for the job and a suitable acrylic based primer.

 

[Deleted member 9966]

GirlRacerRed. The pva will be used outside the shower enclosure. It will be behind the tiles which are sealed with grout. It should not come into contact with any moisture.

even the moisture/condensation in the air when you run a bath/shower?

It's your bathroom and you can choose to use whatever materials you like. Here, we merely point out that certain materials are not suitable to be used. But it's your choice and we live in a free world. I have explained that the PVA could become live and active again, causing tiles to come away from walls, so if you're happy to continue using it, it is your prerogative.

I feel that the members of the forum have contributed as much advice to your questions and queries as possible now.

 

[Derry]

dscoll, I would strongly advise you don't reapply any of the tiles with pva.
2 wrongs won't make a right i'm affraid. If you are taking the trouble to put the job right then make sure it is permanently right.
I appreciate it is time consuming and frustrating but do the job right now and you have peace of mind.

 

[dscoll]

Derry. I can't retile outside the shower because the tile is out of stock. That's the main problem. I can use a contrasting tile inside the shower because is an enclosed space and won't look so bad. All the tiles ouside the shower (and on the floor) are the same. I can't reuse the old tiles because they are either get chipped when removed or have ahdesive on the back which i can't get off.

dscoll, I would strongly advise you don't reapply any of the tiles with pva.
2 wrongs won't make a right i'm affraid. If you are taking the trouble to put the job right then make sure it is permanently right.
I appreciate it is time consuming and frustrating but do the job right now and you have peace of mind.

 

[Rich]

As GRR has said I think you have been given plenty of really good advice on this by the members on here but it doesnt sound like you are going to take any of it.

The tiles will come off the wall again, I will bet my life on it and I would imagine that it will be in a matter of weeks rather than years. It is a pain in the back side that the tiles are out of stock but this does not mean that you have to reuse the old tiles, there are other options out there. this is going to cause you a lot of bother over the coming months.

Best of luck with the project and be sure to pop back on here when the tiles do fall off the wall and we will be happy to advise on how to redo the job properly

 

[widler]

ignore what i wrote then,just re read the 1st post,not what i thought !

ps,ive been plastering/tiling since i left school in 86,not once have i heard of the pva trick,3 card trick,even a prostitute's trick,seriously mate,it won't work

 

[dscoll]

Dylante. So what are these "other options"?

As GRR has said I think you have been given plenty of really good advice on this by the members on here but it doesnt sound like you are going to take any of it.

The tiles will come off the wall again, I will bet my life on it and I would imagine that it will be in a matter of weeks rather than years. It is a pain in the back side that the tiles are out of stock but this does not mean that you have to reuse the old tiles, there are other options out there. this is going to cause you a lot of bother over the coming months.

Best of luck with the project and be sure to pop back on here when the tiles do fall off the wall and we will be happy to advise on how to redo the job properly

 

[Deleted member 9966]

the other options Dylante I think is referring to are using other tiles or even a whole strip back and re-fit with new materials.