Shower stone tiles & grout remain wet/dark

14 years ago

I just finished reading the awful account of a bathroom remodel nightmare posted last year by LadyCFP, along with some similar threads about plugged weepholes and bad pans, and I have the sinking feeling that we're in the same boat. For various reasons (other house defects combined with health problems), our master bath shower received little use for the first 15 mos. that we owned our new home. I still use the tub about as often as the shower.

In the last 2 - 3 months we've finally been able to use our bathroom. Last week, I mentioned to dh that I'd noticed an area at my end (the shower is about 12' long) where the stone floor (4" squares) & grout appeared wet 24 hrs. after my last shower, and there were some discolored areas at his end of the shower. I scrubbed the floor with SoftScrub w/ bleach, which removed some of the discoloration but had no other effect. We run a ventilating fan during/after showers, and currently run a 40 pt. dehu in the master bath nearly 24/7 due to mild, wet weather in the very humid south.

This weekend, I noticed that the stone & grout still have some damp looking patches at both ends, away from where the water hits, 36 hrs. after last use, and at dh's end there are several places where the dark appearance extends up the wall grout 2" - 3", in an area that's not hit by the shower spray. Beneath the bathroom is a garage, so dh pulled out the insulation he installed last winter and found no sign of damp under the shower. His closet abuts the shower, and a Damp-Rid container tucked in a corner by the shower fills in less than two weeks.

Dh removed the metal drain cover and tried to inspect, but didn't have much success. I guess we need something like a dental mirror and strong flashllight to get a good look. Before we start doing any demo, I want to verify that we can get replacements for the stone tiles, in hopes that we won't be pulling up the entire shower floor and will only be replacing a few pieces.

Do I understand correctly that to inspect/unplug weepholes, we will have to remove the stone around the drain? Is there any hope of doing that without destroying it? How do we unplug the weepholes? Are there any special tools required?

I'm hoping this can be a DIY job, because we're tapped out after paying $$$ to repair water intrustion problems, regrade, install proper drainage outside, etc. The builder lost money on this spec house that we bought when it was 98-99% complete, and he has not been very good about addressing other issues. (Actually, he's been a drama queen who's cried, theatened suicide, and said he was quitting everything & moving to FL.)

If it's not a DIY job, could you please suggest questions to ask tile pros to determine if they really know their stuff? I can sell my grandmother's china, or a kidney, if we have to raise funds (only sort of kidding.)

Thanks in advance for your advice. I'll check in daily and will try my best to answer any...

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

bill_vincent
14 years ago
Do I understand correctly that to inspect/unplug weepholes, we will have to remove the stone around the drain? Is there any hope of doing that without destroying it? How do we unplug the weepholes? Are there any special tools required?

It CAN be done, even as a DIY task. You need to cut the grout joints around the tiles you're going to remove, and then use a hammer and chisel. once you have the tiles out, you need to be very careful not to damage the pan membrane. All it takes is a pin prick, and the whole thing is coming out. Once you clear the weepholes, though, you need to tape them off and water test it before you put it all back together to make sure it's still watertight.
rockmanor
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, Bill, that is reassuring. Dh is reasonably handy and will take his time with this job.

What do you suggest using to clear the weepholes? I ran across a comment on another board about a 90-degree angle attachment for a dremel. If such a thing exists, would it be an appropriate tool to use? Is there a universal size for weephole openings?
Related Discussions
Grout staying wet 8 hours after shower
Q
Comments (7)
"if the plumbing is behind layers of 1/2" cement backer board, paint on waterproofing (black waterproofing paint completely covers 1/2" backer board), the pan liner, and tile, how would water get to the inside of the shower pan and wick through the grout?" When I posted I didn't know how your shower was constructed. But if you have a topical waterproofing on your cement board and a pan liner on the floor, the pan liner membrane goes down and gets lapped up the walls 8" to 10" and gets stapled to the studs. The cement board on the walls goes over the pan liner. If there was a leak behind the wall, it could spray on the back of the cement board. It could run down the cement board and go between the cement board and the pan liner, wetting the mud in the floor. I'm not saying that is what's happening. But it's an option. I've seen it before. And you are correct, a water leak behind the wall could show itself in a ceiling below. With the "new news" that the grout is cracked, yes, water could be getting into that crack, thus the slow drying at that joint. In lightweight shower construction, changes in plane (wall-to-wall and wall-to-floor) should be caulked instead of grouted. The surfaces can move independently of one another. Caulk will flex with the movement, grout can crack. Also, if he used a "pan liner", it should have been set on sloped deck mud. Not flat on the subfloor, with sloped mud on top of the flat liner. The flat liner can cause moisture that gets under the tile (through your cracked grout for example) to pond. It can show as damp grout lines that are slow to dry. If the liner was sloped as required by code (which yours may be), the moisture will hit the sloped liner and flow towards the drain. If he used a topical membrane on the walls and on the floor instead of a pan liner on the floor, then all of the above is pretty much non-applicable. With a topical membrane on all shower surfaces, it's probably just latent water running down the shower head wall, or the crack in the grout storing water and being slow to dry.
...See More
areas of dark grout lines in new shower
Q
Comments (28)
Any resolution on what's causing the dark lines, or how to address them? I am having a similar issue on a shower wall tile re-grout. Most of the white non-sanded grout came out fine, but in a few spots it appears that "something from below" leached into the white grout causing it to become grey and dark in spots.... and it occured quickly within the first 3- 6 hours that the grout was drying. In a few spots, it became rust color, as if the red ceramic base of the glazed tile was bleeding into the grout. Any thoughts?
...See More
Shower Floor Grout Remains Wet Looking
Q
Comments (18)
I am definitely not a pro, but if it is a large portion of the floor and staying wet for a week+, then I would say yes. To me that would indicate a good amount of water not draining and standing water with no place to go is never a good thing. Alternatively if it is that the ratio of water was incorrect when mixing the grout, then the grout will be weak and crack/crumble fairly quickly. As I mentioned in some of my comments from my original post, after 2 years with our contractor we gave up as they were useless, but our area at the end of the process was relatively small and it was clear they were not going to fix it. I would press hard for them to fix the problem, it really is the right thing to do. May require them to rip out the floor and pan, but a good contractor should accept that and you will be much happier.
...See More
Does my marble shower tile look wet?
Q
Comments (14)
Thinset at that thickness for your application with a breathable stone install cures in less than 30 days with a thinbed shower pan like you have . It should have initially been given a full cure prior to introducing water(after grouting). There is also rapid set thinsets that cure faster and theres also the wrong type of adhesive such as mastic or PRE mixed bucket grade glues. we dont know what you have. Dont be fooled by misinformation from some novice sales people on here about 2 months. If you want to verify if you have a grading/pooling issue as the cause. you stop using the shower. For at least a handful of days and perhaps put a dehumidifier in the shower to fully dry it out. it will either dry out and clear up or not. only time will tell. Since you have a thinbed pan you arent hurting anything(unless theres a pan leak not verified ) and best get used to it. The only other issue could be poor application of the wrong type sealer in that particular spot also not hurting anything. You chose a fickle material for a shower floor. and now reap the rewards. and you never clarified the flood testing process which is the only way to catch and correct a poor shower pan install before leaving a client with a wet mess like you may have...
...See More
bill_vincent
14 years ago
Is there a universal size for weephole openings?

Not really. Some are small 3/8" x 1/8" oval openings, others are 3/4" slots. Different sizes and shapes for different drains. For ANY of them, an ice pick will work.

Shower stone tiles & grout remain wet/dark

Comments (3)

bill_vincent

rockmanor
Original Author

Related Discussions

bill_vincent

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Shower stone tiles & grout remain wet/dark

Comments (3)

bill_vincent

rockmanorOriginal Author

Related Discussions

bill_vincent

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

rockmanor
Original Author