Help! Tiled wetroom floor looks perfect but grout doesn't dry out!

[Bathfix Bob]

I wonder if the plumber has pressure tested the showerhead pipework or just hoped for the best.....are there any spare wall tiles just in case?

 

[Paula]

I wonder if the plumber has pressure tested the showerhead pipework or just hoped for the best.....are there any spare wall tiles just in case?

I know he is very conscientious and would imagine that he did, but I suppose a problem could have arisen since?

 

[John Benton]

I think then that the plumber needs to make a hasty appearance to discount the shower valve and pipework as the cause.

 

[Paula]

I think then that the plumber needs to make a hasty appearance to discount the shower valve and pipework as the cause.

Yes, I agree! But neither the builder, nor the plumber, have ever been "hasty"....plus now all the bills have been paid there is no incentive for them to come back.....I will let you know how I get on!

Thanks for your help, it means a lot.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

I wish I had a close up picture of the shower outlet elbow, and facia plate.
Lets not hang the plumber just yet, could be faulty shower valve.
I had one at Christmas that decided to stream out of the spindle and down the back of the tiles onto the ceiling.
What make is the shower Paula?

 

[John Benton]

Hold on a minute Bob, no-ones hung the plumber. This is a process of elimination and the next line of investigation is that the plumber needs to check the pipework and shower valve!!

The make of the valve is Crosswater Bob.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Don't get me wrong I'd happily hang the plumber myself but going from the pics its a top notch job so I'm thinking more along the lines of a failed fitting or something rather than sloppy work.

 

[John Benton]

That's why I said get the the plumber to check the valve and pipework!!!

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Agreed.

 

[Dan]

Calm down lads.

I've posted a thread on plumbing forum and a couple of the lads have taken their time to come over to the dark side here and join in the (what is now a quite long) thread to see if they can look at it from another angle.

We all want to get this sorted out for Paula and I'm sure we're all talking about eliminating things and not looking for blame per se.

So let's not turn this interesting and slightly stressful thread sour just yet 🙂

Back to the topic.

 

[Paula]

I wish I had a close up picture of the shower outlet elbow, and facia plate.
Lets not hang the plumber just yet, could be faulty shower valve.
I had one at Christmas that decided to stream out of the spindle and down the back of the tiles onto the ceiling.
What make is the shower Paula?

OK, Bob, I've taken some photos of the fixed shower head (very expensive Grohe, solid brass) and the valve (Crosswater, also brass I believe). Hope this helps!

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Thanks Paula, is there any pipework for the shower visable from the loft?

You need to keep ringing the builder, he needs to get the plumber back. Don't pay anyone else to come and investigate or the builder will wash his hands of it.

 

[Paula]

Thanks Paula, is there any pipework for the shower visable from the loft?

You need to keep ringing the builder, he needs to get the plumber back. Don't pay anyone else to come and investigate or the builder will wash his hands of it.

Hi Bob

I finally heard back from the builder who says the plumber is coming "some time next week" (!). He also asked if we often used the bath (we don't) as he wondered if it was anything to do with the bath waste coming up in the shower somehow. He didn't believe that water could flow down the wall from the shower head or valve without us seeing wet patches on the wall (which we don't).

No, I don't intend to pay anyone else to come and have a look, as this has been a problem since the day the shower was installed, so I really think he needs to sort it out. He is just very reluctant to do anything more than he has done already (ie. changed the grout in the shower tray area). And it's very hard to get him to come back!

Yes, there is a small amount of pipework visible from the loft, as the hot and cold pipes drop down from here. Should I be looking?!

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Hi Paula

No don't do anything now until plumber has been and keep us updated.

 

[Paula]

Hi Paula

No don't do anything now until plumber has been and keep us updated.

Thanks, Bob. Apparently the plumber is coming some time this week. We haven't been using the shower now for a couple of weeks, but I have been carrying out various tests. I repeated running the main shower head into buckets on a couple of occasions, but couldn't get the wet patch to come back again, which was confusing. I then ran the second, hand-held shower directly down the drain, avoiding any splashes around. I have been running it once a day for about 3 days, and last night, again, there was a noticeable damp patch outside the shower screen, as there was before. So I suppose we have just proved that the damp is not coming directly from above the tiles (in normal use) but either from the shower valve or either of the heads, or the drain itself. It is difficult to trace as it obviously takes a while for the damp to appear, which is why I have been repeating the tests over several days.

I'll let you know how we get on this week!

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Interesting....

It could be the hand held shower outlet elbow, when fitting them you have to get it exactly right regarding the tile thickness, and screwing the fitting into the female thread getting it to end up pointing the right way. The shoulder of the chrome fitting could be bottoming out on the tiles before making a watertight seal in the backplate (depending on the design).

Its a blind fitting and there's no real way of testing it other then very careful planning and sometimes hoping for the best, it could be dribbling down the wall tile adhesive when in use and ending up on the floor tanking somehow.

 

[Qwerty]

I agree with Bob. That was my thought

 

[Bathfix Bob]

What was the outcome of this? I'm on tenterhooks.

And why is tanking and wetroom section all hidden away down here all of a sudden?, I'm worried Paula will not find her way back here to update.

 

[Dan]

Sorry mate that's my doing. Sorted a bathroom fitting category out and thought it was more suited in here but you might be right, probably best back where it was.

Paula should find her way back easy. She'll have notifications linking her to the thread regardless of where it is.

But new members might not find it. So I'll shift it back when I'm next on the computer.

 

[Old Mod]

Ahhhh so that's where it was! Haha

 

[Paula]

What was the outcome of this? I'm on tenterhooks.

And why is tanking and wetroom section all hidden away down here all of a sudden?, I'm worried Paula will not find her way back here to update.

Hi Bob

yes, I found my way back, but did wonder what had happened! Well, as predicted, the plumber has not appeared. Says he is on 6 other jobs with the builder so can't spare the time. I've told him about the various tests, including one the other day where I ran the hand-held hose into a bucket and lo and behold drips of water started coming from the elbow, plus damp patches on the grouting along from here, so there is obviously a problem here (you are a genius!). I find it hard to believe that is the only cause of our problems, as we hardly ever use the hand-held shower, but perhaps there is a similar problem with the fixed head, which we use all the time?

Anyway, I agree with you we definitely need him to come, but I don't know how I can force him! Getting really hacked off with not being able to use our en-suite shower now....

 

[Qwerty]

Where in the UK are you @Paula ?

 

[Paula]

Where in the UK are you @Paula ?

I'm in Surrey!

 

[Qwerty]

Shame, if you were nearby to me I would have popped in and taken a look. Hope you get it sorted

 

[Paula]

Shame, if you were nearby to me I would have popped in and taken a look. Hope you get it sorted

That's very kind of you. Yes, hopefully we will. I feel that we're moving closer, thanks to all the great advice I've received on the Forum!

 

[Old Mod]

Shame I'm not a plumber, Walton's not far from me.
In the words of Manuel "I know nothink!"
If after ALL of your options are exhausted, and you still get no joy from the plumber who did the work......
I do know people who do know somthink! 😀
If you need someone.

 

[Paula]

Shame I'm not a plumber, Walton's not far from me.
In the words of Manuel "I know nothink!"
If after ALL of your options are exhausted, and you still get no joy from the plumber who did the work......
I do know people who do know somthink! 😀
If you need someone.

Thanks very much. That's nice to know. You'd be very welcome to swing by and have a look if you think it would help?

 

[Old Mod]

If I was any kind of plumber I would Paula, unfortunately I'd be clueless.
Sorry.

 

[The D]

Tell the plumber that if it is not sorted within the next month you will be getting quotations together from competent wet room installation companies, to identify a rectify the problem and then you will be starting legal proceedings against him to recover the cost of fixing the leak he has left you with

also any additional costs you have already laid out as in epoxy grout and tilers time and compensation for your new and very expensive wet room being out of action for months on end. you have to make it so it is more hassle for him to leave it than just getting it sorted.

 

[Paula]

Tell the plumber that if it is not sorted within the next month you will be getting quotations together from competent wet room installation companies, to identify a rectify the problem and then you will be starting legal proceedings against him to recover the cost of fixing the leak he has left you with

also any additional costs you have already laid out as in epoxy grout and tilers time and compensation for your new and very expensive wet room being out of action for months on end. you have to make it so it is more hassle for him to leave it than just getting it sorted.

I have to deal with the builder rather than the plumber direct, but yes I think unless we get some action this week we'll have to get heavy-handed. Just out of interest do you know of any 'competent wet room installation companies' we could get in to have a look?

 

[Dan]

I have to deal with the builder rather than the plumber direct, but yes I think unless we get some action this week we'll have to get heavy-handed. Just out of interest do you know of any 'competent wet room installation companies' we could get in to have a look?

Whoever you choose you want them to be reputable in their field. You need them to be highly qualified plumbers. It won't ever get to court or even small claims I'm sure, but if it did, you wouldn't want to have a guy who's winging it.

Take a look on our plumbing forum. Perhaps reply to the thread I created with an update and mention you may need an independent assessor that can carry out an inspection and provide a written quote with what's required to repair the job. You might need to pay for the report, but if you end up taking legal action, I'm pretty sure you'd get that cash back.

Obviously perhaps start to communicate (or at least confirm after speaking on the phone) via email or something so you have some records of the builder saying he'll be there on such a day to do such a thing.

Pretty sure as Deano said, if it's more hassle for him to leave it, he'll be around sharpish to make his headache stop.