Advice needed grout cracked

[Ian Barrow]

Good evening, looking for a bit of advice. Had a new bathroom fitted a couple of months ago and grout in all corners has hairline cracks. Builder has regrouted once and covered with clear silicone. However, has cracked again under sealant. Is Mapei grout and matching sealant colour isn't great. Is clearing of cracked grout and application of sealant in corners best resolution?

 

[Andy Allen]

The corners should never have been grouted in the first place, colour match silicone should of been used...

 

[Ian Barrow]

Thanks Andy, if we replace grout with sealant, does the grout have to be fully removed? Are there any risks of leaving cracked grout with clear silicone over the top as it currently is?

 

[On one]

Ya typical builder then....

 

[One Day]

Problem = Builder.
Solution = Tiler.

Rake out and clean the internal corners and then silicone.
Grout acts as a water magnet, sucking water into corners and preventing silicone doing it's job.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

So hes grouted, grouted again and then clear siliconed it? Wrong, wrong and wrong again!

 

[Waluigi]

Is this the same Ian Barrow that used to live near Guildford?

 

[Ian Barrow]

Soŕry WalLuigi, no.

Any of you guys used the Mapei colour match sealant in the corners and can you get a good finish/match with grout?

 

[Martyn Leeds]

[QUOTE="
Any of you guys used the Mapei colour match sealant in the corners and can you get a good finish/match with grout?[/QUOTE]

Yes

 

[Dumbo]

Soŕry WalLuigi, no.

Any of you guys used the Mapei colour match sealant in the corners and can you get a good finish/match with grout?

Yes also .

 

[John Benton]

Soŕry WalLuigi, no.

Any of you guys used the Mapei colour match sealant in the corners and can you get a good finish/match with grout?

Yep pretty good colour match

 

[Waluigi]

Colour match round a tile as an access panel .

 

[GoneGuy]

The Mapei could match silicone is spot on

 

[Ian Barrow]

An update - builder been back today but just put silicone over cracked grout, what are the problems, if any, of this?

 

[acaciaguy]

It’s wrong. Silicone in corner joints not grout. He’s just covered over the issue. A full silicone joint is better for flex and water sound

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Now here’s an question!
What did you all do before the colour matched silicone was available?
You see in my opinion the builder did what we used to do - grout the corner and go over the dry grout with a clear or white silicone.
The bigger issue here is why is it cracking so much that it’s become a major concern?
As a tiler, I silicone the corner, fix the tiles, grout, then silicone the tile face again. Always have always will!

 

[acaciaguy]

Wally asks why didn’t you use fully silicone in joint? If the colour is white or clear. Why grout?

 

[jasper]

Don't be so quick to judge the builder. Silicone is great unless you happen to have RIW tilesafe membrane behind. I would normally leave the internal corner joint free of grout then silicone knowing the silicone would bite nicely into the gap however CCL Wetrooms advise if you use silicone then warranty will be void. Builder may have been following instructions. RIW also advise the same. And that's why I won't use the bitumen style membrane