Repair grout or install shower base?

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Our shower had mould issues around the base in the silicon etc that had been patched over the years. Upon removal I've realised in some areas they had even grouted over the silicon and the seal was non existent. Also the tiling job itself is poor with neither set of tiles going all the way to the wall or floor, leaving a cavity that's impossible to reach with traditional grout behind it. No wonder the moisture in the walls around the shower was high and staining of the wooden floor boards by the door.I'm in the process of stripping out the remainder of the grout but want some advice on the best fix going forwards.I don't think grout is going to allow me to fill in the cavity behind and create a good seal. Especially if it shrinks as it dries.Silicone will be easier to fill in the cavity, but will I just have to replace it all again in a year or two?I hate the ledge into the shower, and it makes it hard for elderly/injured/disabled to get in and out. Should I just completely remove the ledge, try to find matching tiles and install a shower base over the floor tiles, which will help improve drainage and cover the poor joins in the tiles completely?Any advice on glass shower frames and bases that I could use in a spot like this. A glass door couldn't open out because it might get hit by the main door and break.

Featured Answer

bigreader

4 years ago

Tiles should not totally meet at the floor and wall to allow for movement. The gap should be sealed with silicone not grout. (Silicon does need maintenance over the years). However if your waterproofing behind the tiles has failed (or wasn’t there to start with) then it needs to be replaced. This is generally done by removing the tiles and starting again. To check if the waterproofing has failed you can use a moisture metre in the adjacent rooms to see the % and how high on the wall the problem goes.

You could remove the hob. It looks like it went in after the floor tiles but I doubt the floor has the required fall for the water to flow towards the drain. So you’ll gain easy access but end up with a wet slippery floor.

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Comments (10)

Gemma B
Original Author
4 years ago
Gemma B
Original Author
4 years ago
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"this could be from some of the missing grout between the tiles on the top of the hob" Grout is porous, at least the typical old-fashioned sort is. I believe epoxy grout is waterproof, but ensuring there are no gaps between each tile and the surrounding grout would be a big ask. So regardless, what waterproofs a shower is the waterproofing layer that is underneath the tiling/grout. Moisture meters work, but depend on the quality of the interpretion. The 'expert' who failed to diagnose our shower leak had a moisture meter. Where do you see the water outside the shower? Did the first guy use his moisture meter on the walls and ceiling on the other sides? It seems surprising that there would be such extensive moisture and you've not noticed any smells or anything in any adjoining room? Where are the tiles that need replacing? You can't replace any floor tiles without pulling the whole thing up and redoing the waterproofing layer. I'm not sure how far up the wall you need to go these days. They used to do just one tile height and around the tap protrusions but these days it seems more typical to waterproof the whole shower to the top of the tiling. As the walls are not plasterboard but fibre cement sheeting I'm not sure why that is. Any additional precaurions are welcome I suppose but I wish they'd get the floor right. Rarely heard of problems when they used copper trays, now they paint smelly stuff everywhere and have to come back and redo it. Can you tell it's one of my pet peeves.
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C P
4 years ago
Full bathroom reno??
Gemma B
Original Author
4 years ago
Not on the books at the moment. Long term yes.
macyjean
4 years ago
"No wonder the moisture in the walls around the shower was high and staining of the wooden floor boards by the door."

It's not just about the tiles, grout and silicone. There needs to be waterproofing underneath those, as Bigreader said, and if moisture is getting through then you need more than a cosmetic fix.
Gemma B thanked macyjean
Gemma B
Original Author
4 years ago
@bigreader The shower hasn't been used in months so I don't think I'll get an accurate moisture reading now. And I'm not keen on turning on the water now that it's been stripped of silicon and grout. Good to know that the gap is normally plugged with silicone. I think all the damp was at floor level. No evidence of paint damage on walls behind the shower cavity.

If we remove the hob, the tiles don't go under it, so would have to install a slab type shower base over it. And I'm not keen on the shower curtain so would want a glass frame around it.
bigreader
4 years ago
Are you sure the tiles don’t go underneath? But either way having nothing there isn’t the solution you want. Have you searched for a shower base of the size you need? What are the measurements?
dreamer
4 years ago
Are your floors a concrete slab or timber ? My previous home had a similar problem, but was on a concrete slab, And we had wall damage in the hall.
A company like Megasealed will come and fix this in a day. They will remove the existing tiles, re water proof, and relay tiles. And also regrout the entire shower recess.
If the paint in the hall is not bubbling, then you may be correct that the damage is in the floor, not the walls. And since you have not used the shower recess for a time, then it is the ideal time to get a professional in to redo the shower base.
With reference to removing the hob, this may be making the job an expensive full renovation. As the hob would be built up from the floor, the tiles would not be underneath, therefore you would be having to take up that hob to the concrete/timber base, then the domino reaction may take into effect. New floor tiles, new levelling of floor etc etc.
macyjean
4 years ago
"If we remove the hob, the tiles don't go under it, so would have to install a slab type shower base over it."

As Dreamer said, the hob comes up from the floor, the tiles are not underneath it. There's a structure which forms a shallow tank, then a waterproofing material over the inside of that, then the tiling over that.

I'm not sure why you think you need a "slab type shower base"? You can tile either way. However, for a hobless shower the whole bathroom floor is supposed to be waterproofed, with a waterstop angle at the edge of the shower floor. So yes, changing from a style with a hob to a hobless gives you a lot more to think about.

Repair grout or install shower base?

bigreader

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Repair grout or install shower base?

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Gemma BOriginal Author

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