Please help a Newbie

[LesD]

I guess by the lack of replies that it was the wrong question to ask you guys and I think I have found the right answer myself.

I removed the rest of the offending bit of tile and replaced it with a thinner properly glazed piece of white tile. As this bit of white tile will be completely behind the upright channel of the bi-fold door frame it won't be seen and being glazed should have a waterproof face too. I have stuck it in with Keraquick and will use the BAL microflex grout and silicone sealant where appropriate. A picture is attached.

 

[TJ Smiler]

Hi Les, Sorry mate i have been away for a few d ays. If its sitting behind your shower door runner then it's fine just make sure it's grouted properly and don't forget that when you run your silicone seal down the shower screen to make it water tight you do it on the outside only!!!

Good luck to you mate and i hope it lasts, any probs drop a post in

TJ

 

[LesD]

Hi TJ,

I guessed you were out and about. I spent a couple or three evenings routing out as much of the old grout from the upper parts of the walls that I could and it has paid off because this evening I have managed to grout the back wall. I would have liked to have done all three but time and energy ran out. You said it was hard work and would make me sweat and you were right on both counts. Despite trying to follow your instruction but I think tackling 2 sq metres instead of the one at a time that you recommended and possibly slightly over sponging, the finish is not as good as I had hoped it would be. It is well grouted and the joint are full and if I am honest the appearance is better than my previous attempts at grouting it's just that my asperations were aiming higher. I will post a picture tomorrow if you promise not to fall about laughing too much! :smilewinkgrin:

I started at the bottom and worked to the top but by the time I reached the top the bottom had gone off a bit so the sponging was not as easy down there. The top was better and it shows in the appearance. Maybe the next two walls will be an improvement with the practice I have had tonight, well here's hoping!

BTW I scraped out the right hand side of the little bit of white tile that will be behind the door frame so that it will be grouted with the microflex not Keraquick.

Why not put silicone all the way across behind the door frame uprights?
You say do the outside edge only. I know this is a must for the bottom for drainage purposes but what's the reason with the uprights?

 

[TJ Smiler]

Hi Les doing the uprights is what we all do (or should be doing anyway) and it offers more protection, if any water gets through it and slowly over time trickles down the edge of your shower tray and under your floor, give it a few years and you will have to replace the whole lot again, but if you do it right the first time you can have it for the rest of your life without any probs....... when your one or two pushes away from a climax why stop :smilewinkgrin: the same aplies to your shower area lol

Do the outside only so any build up of water or condensation that builds up behind it can run down the upright and back into the shower tray.

Look forward to seeing the pics mate AND STOP RUSHING!!!! ONE SQUARE METRE AT A TIME :incazzato:

TJ

 

[wivers]

I hate grout!!!!!!!!!

 

[TJ Smiler]

This is mine and Les's thread!!!!!!!!!!!!! no room for you and Luke!!!!!

Everyone hates grout

TJ

 

[LesD]

OK thanks for the encouragement, sympathy and great advice guys,

Tonight I grouted the right hand wall and I do think it is a touch better that last evenings attempt on the back wall. I remembered to heed the one square metre at a time advice TJ and it is good advice. With the half hour pot life of the mixed up microflex I did another 1 kg and went all the way up to the top as quickly as I could but sponged the bottom half straight away after I reached the top leaving the top half for a further few minutes before sponging it.

Each half is roughly one square metre so it worked out well.

The pictures I promised are attached. Don't be too unkind, for me this is my best grouting yet! The wall on the right, was only done a short while ago and hasn't had the "tee-shirt" buff up yet. Left hand wall tomorrow all being well and the dreaded silicone bead round the bottom maybe Saturday!

 

[TJ Smiler]

Thats not too bad at all mate (although i would recommend sticking to your day job:lol

Practice makes perfect though mate and grouting is a hard thing to get right but when you do it all day every day like most of us it becomes just a boring, messy, irritating slog of a chore to do..... but the finish is always superb. For someone doing a bit of DIY on your own property it's not too bad at all.

Thanks for the pics Les


TJ

 

[LesD]

Thanks TJ,

When this is done the "Day Job" it is, well until I retire in a year or three's time that is!

 

[LesD]

Today the grouting phase was completed.
Tomorrow the plan is to get silicone bead between the bottom row of tiles and the tray. I have your instructions TJ printed out in readiness.