Shower Problems

[IanD]

Tile Style: Mosaic
Tile Material: Glass
Substrata: Cement Board on brick, Cement Board on Timber stud wall
Grout: The tiler said he has used swimming pool grout (what ever that mean)
I recently had a shower installed. I have had a lot of trouble with the tiles. I’m just about to contact the builder, for the fourth time; to inform him the grouting is yet again cracked in places, gone gray in other places and leaked were the screens frame meets the wall. Every time he does repairs it looks worse.
Before calling him this time I would like to be pre armed. If you could answer me so question or suggest question I would be thankful.
My questions.
1.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Should he of used swimming pool grout? Is this not meant for concrete substrates and designed to be wet all the time?
2.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Why is the grout going gray? He says it is due to moisture getting in when the grout was going off. This happened because it’s a cold house.
3.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Should the tiles go straight on to the cement board?

Thank you for any help


:mad2:

 

[mikethetile]

has he used mapei grout

I know you said that he used swimmimg pool grout but I find it difficult to believe that he would pay for that over ordinary grout just to grout a shower

 

[DHTiling]

Hello Ian and welcome... The grout just means it is suitable for immersion in water, as in it will not break down.

Cement board is great to tile straight too, but is the cracking that is a problem as well as far as i can see.

Couple questions..

What make of grout is it and have you any pics..

 

[mikethetile]

if the grouts gone grey and is cracking it could be due to grout being mixed with too much water

is the cracking in the centre of the grout line or beside the tile

 

[Gazzer]

Hmm the term he probably used was, "suitable for swimming pools" .
Weber white wall grout has printed on the bag "Suitable for swimming pools".Weber grout for swimming pools
I dont see this as the issue here though.
IMO the grout should have been a polymer modified grout as you were grouting glass tiles.

 

[IanD]

Hi Dave
Do not known the make and pics attached

Hi Mike
For the position of cracks please see pics

HI Sir Ramic
No the term he used was

i use swimming pool grout, it cost more but it worth the finish

Thank you for all for your reply's

hope the pic show up ok

 

[Gazzer]

OMG thats awfull :mad2:

 

[mikethetile]

ive got an awfull feeling thats not the grout

thers a lot more issues than grouting here

it looks like water ingress to me

 

[IanD]

Pardon the ignorance, Ingress? Do you mean the water is getting through the grout or do you mean it is some how getting behind it.

 

[Ken Bruty]

:yikes: blimey, was his spirit level not working either? That grey stuff looks like adhesive in the joints covered by a very thin layer of grout.

 

[mikethetile]

it looks to me like waters getting into the substrate

was the area tanked you dont mention this in your original post

 

[IanD]

The shower has aqua cement board and water proof tape. I've looked at some of the post on this site and feel that what appeared to be done by the main contractor meets your standard of tanking. Does there need to be a movable layer between the cement board and the tiles , especially on the stud walls?

 

[mikethetile]

if it was cement board you can tile straight on to the board

 

[jay]

seems you have a big problem as water is getting behind tiles and looks like into substrate can you let us know the way the work was carried out including product names ie w/p ,adhesive tubbed or bagged this would help

 

[Olz]

Looks to me like too much adhesive, that has seeped between the tiles, hence it going grey, and leaving fat too little grout, theres hardly any grout depth in the last pic you posted, doesnt even look to be 1mm deep :yikes:

Sorry, but that looks like it needs ripping out and doing again.