Patchy Grout - Tile Advice

[cr0ft]

Hi all,

Finished a bathroom recently for a customer. 100x200 brickbond laid ceramic tiles with 2mm spacing. The wet area around the bath has been tanked with *Homelux* wall matting. The bath walls and above the basin were then tiled. The adhesive was left to dry overnight prior to grouting (tubbed adhesive, BAL). The walls had been plastered prior to tiling and had been left to dry for around 4 months due to the customer running out of money to finish the job off.

A BAL Ivory Microban grout was used to grout the tiles. The whole area was grouted from one mix of the grout, eliminating the possibility of the grout being different colours from that.

On drying, the grout is patchy, darker in some areas than it should be. This is most noticeable in the wet area.

The grout was washed off using a washboy kit to prevent excessive water being used. Each section of the bathroom was grouted and then cleaned after a consistent duration. In short, I know I've done all of this right as (I'm sure like you) we grout lots of bathrooms each year and have never had this problem before with a coloured BAL grout.

BAL technical have come out and are pointing the finger at us (predictable) stating inconsistent washing-down is the most likely cause.

Has anyone else ever encountered this problem with BAL grouts or grouts in general??

 

[Gazzer]

Erm tubbed adhesive on Durabase ??? I dont think that is right ????

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

what do they mean by inconsistent washing-down ?? that you washed off in stages !! or in one go?

 

[cr0ft]

Hi DPF, awaiting a call-back to discuss in more detail. At the moment I've just spoken with the customer who has read me the letter down the phone.

Sir Ramic, to correct my original post, the matting is Homelux matting. I don't know if you know but the instructions for us are on it and it makes no reference to not being able to use tubbed adhesive. It does say that cement-based has to be used behind which makes sense of course as otherwise it wouldn't set!

If you do have a link saying thin-set can't be used then please let me know!

- - - Updated - - -

Having just spoken to BAL technical they are saying they found nothing conclusive so they are suggesting possible causes basically. Am going to have a discussion with them and see what we can sort out between us..

 

[Andy Tiler]

Same as Neil,The shower area is still wet!!

 

[Dan]

Let us know how it goes once you have more detail.

 

[Gazzer]

http://www.homelux.co.uk/downloads/WATERPROOFMATTING_FAQs.pdf

 

[cr0ft]

That's the link I posted SR, it only refers to installing adhesive under the matting where of course tubbed wouldn't be up to the job.

I've used tubbed adhesive on many occasions with this matting on the surface and never had a problem. It was BAL Grip adhesive so fine for wet areas.

 

[DHTiling]

Hi.

When you use a dispersion adhesive onto a waterproof background , then it is going to take a lot longer than overnight to dry.

Dispersion adhesive might say its sets in approx 24 hrs but that is if the background is porous and tile size 300mm sqr or less.

So tiling onto the matting with dispersion adhesive and depending on adhesive depth will result in long setting times , so what you have now is moisture from the adhesive leaching out of the joints , thus wetting the grout and the bal rep should of known this.

Now what to do , either leave to dry which could take weeks now grouted or take out the grout and allow to dry but another issue is the grout could well be stained now from the leaching.

Another point is the adhesive , is it suitable for tiling to a waterproof background and will it bond.

Hence why IMHO an SPF cement based should have been used.

 

[cr0ft]

Hi just got off the phone with Homelux. They say it's fine to use dispersion adhesive with their product between the matting and the tiles and they indicated it shouldn't affect drying times??

 

[Andy Tiler]

Hi just got off the phone with Homelux. They say it's fine to use dispersion adhesive with their product between the matting and the tiles and they indicated it shouldn't affect drying times??

What do homelux know!!! They only sell the stuff.. Bunch of idiots
It's just not dry that's the problem croft

 

[cr0ft]

I could buy that, but the dry area is affected in the same way!

 

[Andy Tiler]

I could buy that, but the dry area is affected in the same way!

In the dry area the background is sucking aswell!! So it will dry quicker!

 

[cr0ft]

Got you, but the dry area should have no patches in it as it was left for 24 hrs as per the instructions on the adhesive. The tiles are only 100x200 so I would expect that adhesive to be bone dry there in that time. Like I said before, we're not doing anything different here to other installs and it's a problem unique to this installation.

 

[Andy Tiler]

Got you, but the dry area should have no patches in it as it was left for 24 hrs as per the instructions on the adhesive. The tiles are only 100x200 so I would expect that adhesive to be bone dry there in that time. Like I said before, we're not doing anything different here to other installs and it's a problem unique to this installation.

It is a bit cold at the moment croft?
To be honest mate I don't use tubbed stuff anymore!! All I can think of is its not dry.. Why don't you colour the grout??