Re-grouting due to cracks

[AndyIrons]

Thanks for the welcome.

I have a problem with cracked grout in our en-suite shower, which is within the dormer of a chalet style bungalow, so a timber wall construction. Shower area has hardiebacker board fixed through 50mm overdrawn Celotex using turbo gold screws. 10mm porcelain tiles fixed with Bal White Star adhesive from tub and cement based grout from powder.

I fitted a Lakes Coastline Cannes glass side panel. According to instructions I applied silicone externally only. I filled wall profile fixing holes with silicone immediately before fitting, but I realise my rookie mistake was not using stainless screws. A few weeks into use we notice the gold of the turbo screws I used washing out the bottom of wall profile.

Some months later we notice cracking in the lower half of the 1st vertical grout line outside the shower, which is apx 150mm from the side panel. At this point, assuming corrosion of fixing screws is allowing water a path into the wall, I siliconed the inside of the wall profile, from head height down to within 100mm of the tray.

In the subsequent months the cracks have slowly become more significant, and I recently notice hairline cracks in the horizontal grout lines extending into the shower. There is no sign of grout cracking anywhere else in the fully tiled room.

Have learnt a few lessons and trying not to think too much about worse case scenario. Have started raking out cracked grout outside the shower. Intend to remove screen and wall profile and replace all cracked grout next weekend, re-fitting using stainless screws and silicone inside and out. Then optimistically hoping all remains stable.

Hoping you guys can recommend the most suitable grout to use, looking for max flexibility I guess. Will pay what I have to.

 

[AndyIrons]

Think I ran out of characters there, too much waffle!

Should say I got my tiles from local N&C and I’ve been back to ask about grout. They offer 3 types. Their GroutPro cement based powder claims to be flexible. Starlike Evo tub (epoxy I think) sold as ‘waterproof’. Super Grout Pro is another tub sold as suitable for ‘non-rigid substrates’.

 

[Dave]

What size are the tiles ?

 

[AndyIrons]

Tiles are 310 x 560, 10mm porcelain

 

[Dave]

Tiles are 310 x 560, 10mm porcelain

The wrong adhesive has been used , you might find that your tiles have de bonded, hence grout cracking.

 

[AndyIrons]

Ok, thanks Dave. I assume there is not much I can do to resolve now, but would be interested to know what adhesive I should have used.

Only cracks in the room are close to the side panel wall profile so I think water ingress, as explained above, may be a contributing factor.

I’m planning to re-grout the cracked area, currently intending to use Nicobond grout pro flexible, unless you can recommend anything more suitable.

Thanks, Andy

 

[Dave]

Ok, thanks Dave. I assume there is not much I can do to resolve now, but would be interested to know what adhesive I should have used.

Only cracks in the room are close to the side panel wall profile so I think water ingress, as explained above, may be a contributing factor.

I’m planning to re-grout the cracked area, currently intending to use Nicobond grout pro flexible, unless you can recommend anything more suitable.

Thanks, Andy

Adhesive should have been a bagged cement based adhesive, bucket adhesive is a dispersion adhesive and requires air contact and a porous tile / background to lose moisture and create a bond. Where as a cement based adhesive dries through chemical hydration. So when using a dispersion adhesive on large tiles it tends to not dry fully.

 

[AndyIrons]

Appreciate you sharing the knowledge Dave.

I’m likely taking on my bathroom in a few weeks, will be using the same tiles, so very helpful thanks

 

[Tile Marble Granite]

If the grout cracks, there s more to it than just using the improper tile adhesive and the wrong screws. You gotta figure it out what s really causing the grout to crack. Always a reason behind a cracked grout joint. Good luck!

 

[AndyIrons]

Thanks DetroitMi, I agree, it’s a worry. Likely it’s heading towards much more work, but worth trying a re-grout and re-seal first IMO.

 

[Lou]

Thanks for the welcome.

I have a problem with cracked grout in our en-suite shower, which is within the dormer of a chalet style bungalow, so a timber wall construction. Shower area has hardiebacker board fixed through 50mm overdrawn Celotex using turbo gold screws. 10mm porcelain tiles fixed with Bal White Star adhesive from tub and cement based grout from powder.

I fitted a Lakes Coastline Cannes glass side panel. According to instructions I applied silicone externally only. I filled wall profile fixing holes with silicone immediately before fitting, but I realise my rookie mistake was not using stainless screws. A few weeks into use we notice the gold of the turbo screws I used washing out the bottom of wall profile.

Some months later we notice cracking in the lower half of the 1st vertical grout line outside the shower, which is apx 150mm from the side panel. At this point, assuming corrosion of fixing screws is allowing water a path into the wall, I siliconed the inside of the wall profile, from head height down to within 100mm of the tray.

In the subsequent months the cracks have slowly become more significant, and I recently notice hairline cracks in the horizontal grout lines extending into the shower. There is no sign of grout cracking anywhere else in the fully tiled room.

Have learnt a few lessons and trying not to think too much about worse case scenario. Have started raking out cracked grout outside the shower. Intend to remove screen and wall profile and replace all cracked grout next weekend, re-fitting using stainless screws and silicone inside and out. Then optimistically hoping all remains stable.

Hoping you guys can recommend the most suitable grout to use, looking for max flexibility I guess. Will pay what I have to.

Hi
Thanks for clicking on our forum.
How are you getting on with the cracked grout?

 

[AndyIrons]

Hi Lou, taking this on this weekend.

 

[Lou]

Hi Lou, taking this on this weekend.

Hi please show pictures when complete.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask them.

 

[baldeash]

hi
we have took out old tiles in our kitchen and hallway which is large open area, and replaced with porcelain tiles, size of tiles is 2' x 4', after a few weeks we noticed the grout is coming out in a lot of areas, we have tried refilling but the problem persists and it does not look uniform, we also noticed about 5 tiles have hairline cracks, not all the way through, some just right in center of tile, the guy came and replaced the tile, and when he tried to hammer and break tile it was very very difficult to break he showed us, he said he will remove all grout and regrout the whole place, my biggest fear is when he is removing grout, he will end up cracking edges of tiles, and i also need to know the exact type of grout he should be using, he first used a powdered grout mixed with water and then a cement type, can you advise which is best type, our tiles before never cracked at all over 30 years

 

[Ajax123]

hi
we have took out old tiles in our kitchen and hallway which is large open area, and replaced with porcelain tiles, size of tiles is 2' x 4', after a few weeks we noticed the grout is coming out in a lot of areas, we have tried refilling but the problem persists and it does not look uniform, we also noticed about 5 tiles have hairline cracks, not all the way through, some just right in center of tile, the guy came and replaced the tile, and when he tried to hammer and break tile it was very very difficult to break he showed us, he said he will remove all grout and regrout the whole place, my biggest fear is when he is removing grout, he will end up cracking edges of tiles, and i also need to know the exact type of grout he should be using, he first used a powdered grout mixed with water and then a cement type, can you advise which is best type, our tiles before never cracked at all over 30 years

Why do you need to know what grout. Its tiler that needs to know, not you.