we have a new shower installed in 2nd floor bath, tiling was done by a local tile guy. it’s been 2-1/2 months and all the vertical corners have cracks, there is a crack under the threshold tile that has rust leaking out of it and the floor has a few places that do not ever dry, they appear to be wet (we have not used this for a week and it still has not dried). we were told to wait about 28 days before sealing it and have not done so. the base is a copper pan with brass drain soldered in, base filled with concrete then the tile floor. floor tile is 2″ square. i have not contacted him for an appraisal of the situation yet. any thoughts or suggestions? thanks
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RAINMAN,
The vertical corners should be caulked instead of grouted. Grout has a tendency to crack in joints where one plane meets another. Wall to wall, floor to wall, etc.. You can usually get a color-matched caulk, either sanded or unsanded, to closely resemble your grout.
As far as the floor staying wet, it sounds as if you don't have a waterproofed pre-slope. Was the pan made with a built-in slope or was it simply a flat pan filled with cement that was sloped toward the drain. If this is the case it is possible that this would cause your floor to stay wet, as the moisture can't get away.
Duey
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST, THE PAN WAS MADE FLAT ON THE BOTTOM, THE TOP OF THE CONCRETE IN IT IS SLOPED. DOES THIS MEAN THE WATER IS FILLING ANY VOIDS IN CONCRETE (OR WHERE IT MEETS WALLS) ? IF SO IS THIS A PROBLEM? I IMAGINE THAT WATER SITTING IN THIS PAN WILL EVENTUALLY WIN THE CORROSION BATTLE.
I WANT TO SEAL THIS BUT IT SEEMS A MOOT POINT IF IT IS ALREADY WET.
THANKS, RAY
Yes, it is a problem. The pan needs to be on top of a preslope so it can drain. Otherwise water will sit in the pan.
If you want to seal it now as is, you need to let it dry for a long, long time first.
Best to start all over with a good contractor.
DG
My guess is it's the pan, like Duey said. Understand that mortar and cement are porous materials and even if you were able to dry out the pan and seal it,any water that did get in(and it will) won't get out as easy as it did before the sealing(and that initial drying will take a loooong time). Best bet is take it out and have a new sloped pan installed, talk to the tile setter about having him pay for it, but have another setter do the work, cause he screwed up and I wouldn't want him anywhere near the place. On further thought, you might get away with removing the tile and mortar bed (VERY CAREFULLY), so as not to damage the copper pan. Then try lining it with a waterproof membrane installed on a sloped mortar base, then a new mortar base over that and then your tile. If the thickness of this all is to much, just do the membrane and mortar base, then tile. The membrane will be your best defense against the rotting pan.
Geoff
Actually, my first guess would be that the "wet" look is really just thinset peeking through the grout.
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