I changed the entrance of my shower tub. The panel board was moldy; water was getting in between the top tiles and the panel board. the joint was not well sealed. I put new everything for the entrance, even a membrane between the plywood and the tiles. However, it seems to leak from the wall now. Water is coming out of the wall outside the shower tub. Would it be the grout, tiles...? Tiles and grout are probably 20+ yrs old ( turquoise tiles). I tried to put some ready grout ( in a tube), but it still leaks! Calking is well done. Should I remove the old grout and put new one everywhere? Thanks for your help!

Hi everybody, I’m a tile installer. Even though this thread is a little old I thought I’d chime in. I have 12 years installing tile. I was just contracted to install an encaustic cement tile. I had not worked with this tile previously and was Not informed of the 2 page pdf of handling instructions. I was already halfway done with my floor when I found out that I had done everything wrong. Luckily my installation was very clean but I still had to sand off effervescence which is lime leaching from the tile surface. after sanding dusting then scrubbing with special cleanser then rinsing with water again I still am not happy with the result. But they are much better. While doing all this extra work that I can’t charge for I noticed hairline fractures in all the tiles. what could I have done so wrong that the tiles have fractured? I won’t name the company here out of professional courtesy but I am beyond upset that a product such as this could be sold for $50 sqft. It should be pre-sealed and the warnings should be on the box at least. I’m asking the company to refund my clients but I am still out 4000 in labor. it may be the last job I take under my company before joining the tile union again. I will never recommend cement tiles for installation in any application.

We are remodeling our 1930s kitchen. The plaster is cracked and crumbly in some good-sized areas (2' by 4' and 3' x 5' approx). Our trusted electrician insists that the kitchen contractors should demo the plaster and replace it with drywall in the worst areas. The kitchen contractors (whom we've never used before) do not believe this is necessary, and that patching the plaster will be sufficiently strong. They say that if we apply drywall to the old plaster, the new cabinets will not fit, and it seems to me that the extra weight of drywall on already-cracked plaster will only worsen the problem. They caution against doing a complete plaster removal due to the expense and amount of dust. (2 people in our household have asthma, so this is an issue). One wall is exterior brick with no studs beneath the plaster. Another is terra cotta block, also without studs. Metal mesh lathe is used throughout. Because there are no studs, how can they anchor the new 42" solid cherry wall cabinets with either scenario? Without studs, will the brick-plaster or brick-terra cotta systems hold up? (Our previous cabinets were 32" metal). Chat room advice is as varied as my contractors'. I don't know whom to believe!

I feel for you. This guy sounds pretty shady, and, unfortunately, you are new to this experience and too trusting. Most of the contractors I've worked with, even those whose work itself was good, have disappointed me in one way or another. I don't know any homeowner who doesn't feel this way. They start out like first dates, all eager to please, but then they gradually reveal their real, usually unpleasant, selves. I can't tell you how many times I've heard variations on the "tiler had a baby" excuse. People have babies. People get sick. Floods, snow, and hurricanes happen. Most people at most jobs would get fired if they kept using such excuses for missing work or not finishing on time. And though I've had quality work done by a contractor who didn't pull permits, I don't recommend it. Permit requirements vary state to state, and maybe even more locally. If he does have a license, complaints to the issuing authority may provide some recourse, but I'm not knowledgeable about this. I wouldn't worry about trying to win him over. If he's not trying to win you over, he's probably taking advantage of you and your niceness. Expecting him to change is like an abused wife who believes her husband when he says he'll change, or even worse, that the beating is her fault. This is an expensive lesson, but many of us have paid a lot more to learn to be more cautious. And just ignore the other contractors here who just want to blame you and brag about themselves.