Why is this happening?

7 years ago

Newly installed shower- I have seen grout go darker when wet but not white like this. Does this need more sealer or was the grout mix incorrect?

Thanks

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PRO

User

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

I agree Eric on '' peaked my interest '' . I would not assume anything for now . Maybe the A -- this would be a disaster -- or B -- wrong latex for the mortar -- , but it should be visible as a residue and should not turn back to the original color of the dry grout . Could be the glue on the mesh or the paper from the penny tile which reacts to the water ? Possible . Have an upside down picture of the penny tiles ?

It would be interesting to have a small batch of mixed grout , allowed to dry and wet it again . The wet grout will tell part of the story . Sealing the grout will only farther complicate the issue at hand .

Definitely the contact with water is creating a reaction . Could you let water from the shower head hit part of the wall -- about 12'' up from the floor -- for about 10 minutes and take pictures once you stopped the running water and after 15 minutes from it ?

If it turns white , could you feel any residue ?

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Comments (15)

roarah
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Could it be efflorescence? https://www.tcnatile.com/faqs/31-efflorescence.html
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
7 years ago
That looks like grout haze washing out. Give it a few more showers.
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The normal time is early in the morning and I don't see a reason to change that here. So whenever convenient that doesn't interfere with your normal shower and water usage times and whenever your local authorities allow, if they have any restrictions. Normal amounts are to target an inch per week. There are reasons to change that here but...initially, let's target that. If you know what your system puts down per hour, figure out how long to water to target one inch of water on the lawn per week and then observe. At those temperatures, you may notice the remaining green grasses require a little to considerably more. If so, increase it. That will depend on the temperature, winds, grass types, and so on. If you don't know, set the system to run for a reasonable period of time (if it currently runs for an hour, say, leave it there). Put empty tuna cans out on the lawn to catch the water (or just one, moving it around) to see how much water goes down and measure the amount in the can. That'll give you a guide as to how much your system puts down in each area, then set the times accordingly. That every other day is only temporary; in about three weeks as the lawn begins to recover and the existing grasses regrow roots, see if your remaining lawn can tolerate every third day. Maybe it can. Maybe it can't. I don't have much experience with temperatures that high and don't know what soil type you have. At that point, it's also time to think of a wide-spectrum fungicide to clear the field for re-seeding, although I'm going to see if David comes along and sees this. He's more familiar with desert grasses and reseeding in those locales than I am and will give far better advice. On the other side of the fence (pardon the pun), if your system was only running for a very short amount of time, putting down only a few tenths of an inch per week, and the photo was slightly fuzzy, I could be miscalling the whole thing and this could be burned-out grasses from underwatering. :-) But I don't think so. In either case, it's smart to know how much water your system is putting out and to water as rarely as possible and as little as possible anyway. The grasses prefer that and it's easier on your wallet.
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mihelene
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the comments- After reading about efflorescence, I don't think its that as there is no dry residue. After the tile dries (about a day) the white disappears and the tile returns to grey like the perimeter.

Joseph, how long does the washing out take usually? We have one other shower with the penny round in the house, I sent my husband to take a shower in that bath as I am not yet living in the house.

Do you think this is due to the larger amount of grout due to the penny rounds?

Helene
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
7 years ago
mihelene:

There are folks here with much more tile knowledge than I have. Hopefully some will give their theory.
PRO
User
7 years ago
I agree , that's very strange , unless they colored the grout with pure white cement portland. Let's not assume .

Could you post a photo with a dry version of the shower floor and then another one with water running on it / wet floor ? 2 different ones excluding the one shown above .
mihelene
Original Author
7 years ago
I sent my husband on a photography mission but its not exactly what you asked for.

Below is a pic of the same shower floor as above. The view on the left is the floor immediately after a shower- the view on the right is the same shower floor 60 hours after showering. The white area is receding but still there.

I have a picture of that same shower floor just after install but it is too far away to be helpful. The floor color looks the same as the perimeter area in the photos above.

The same thing happened in the upstairs shower, which has the same tile and grout. This is 36 hours after showering. I have no pictures while the shower is running, the one on the left was just after install, the one on the right 36 hours after showering.

Any thoughts?
PRO
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hmmmm....... So 2 different showers , I suppose constructed similar , with 2 identical floors , having the same issue . What was the grout used ? Name of the grout and manufacturer .

What sealer was used , if any?

Alright , one more Q , is there any residue present on the grout ? While you have the wet surface -- color of the grout turns white -- pass a soft brush over the grout and see what is happening . It would be interesting to know what your installer is saying about it , did you asked him ?
e p
7 years ago
Is it possibly a urethane grout? It has a milky appearance before it's cured and it's got a kind of long time before it's ready to be wet. I'm wondering if it could be urethane glue leaching out, then drying again that you are seeing. I do hope this isn't the case... getting urethane grout wet before it's fully cured can compromise it.
mihelene
Original Author
7 years ago
Well the mystery continues. My DH had the tile installer at the house this morning and he's been tiling for 30 years and never seen this before. They were not sealed so we are going to let them dry out completely and then seal and see if that solves the problem.

I am not at the house so i am unable to answer all your questions regarding grout brand, type, etc. I'm pretty sure it was just plain old grout!

Just got a text from the GC and its was not urethane based. The tile floors were completed back in September so they have had plenty of time to dry/cure.
PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
7 years ago
Wrong type of crete used for pan. Latex containing.....

A. Re-emulsified adhesive (mastic or similar bucket grade )

B. Latex leaching from non submesible grade thinset.

C. Some new age grout not allowed to cure or overmixed, OR...old grout that was out of date code/exposed, contaminants in grout water or while grout in process...drywall dust etc

D.One of the body products you are using........

E. High calcium water content causing efflorecense..

F. Dunno but youve peaked my interest
PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
7 years ago
I'm leaning toward latex migration. Do we know the type of waterproofing system used? If a sheet membrane was applied and latex were to be added to thinset that would be a problem. Without knowing the actual method and products used it is impossible to pin this one down.This thread has captured my interest also. Your installer is the only one that can provide the needed information. Folks above have provided many good scenarios but we are all speculating. The residue question has been asked a couple of times without any answer. None, chalky, rubbery or other? I think we have all hit a wall without all the facts.
mihelene
Original Author
7 years ago
I won't be at the house until Thursday 12/8- I will get more complete information on the waterproofing system, the actual grout, etc to answer your questions. There is no residue once the grout returns to its normal color , but he has not tried to wipe off the white discoloration while wet, I will ask him to do that again.
mihelene
Original Author
7 years ago
Ok, husband just checked areas that are still white and rubbed- there is a "chalky" residue. When he rubs he can not get down to the grey colored grout- in the corner areas not affected by the discoloration there is a slight chalky feeling but not as much as the white areas. The downstairs shower was completely back to grey this morning. He took another shower this morning and there is no discoloration now. He will check this afternoon to see how it looks.

Thanks for your continued interest in our saga!
PRO
User
7 years ago
So , what are you saying Helene , '' the problem '' observed on the pictures is '' correcting '' -- disappear-- itself ?

Why is this happening?

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