Why's this tile got damp? - TilersForums.com

[jmp78]

Hi,

Hoping to get a bit of feed back from those who may have seen this problem before. Just completed tiling my bath/shower area and after this first shower noticed that one tile has got damp (see photo attached). Now then, just one entire tile has darkened down, so I know water has got in, but my question is why and how?

If the grout was not good/failed, why haven't the other tiles around it darkened or show any sign if the water getting in to them? If it was a bad batch of tiles, why hasn't it happened to others? My guess at the moment is that this one tile has a bad glaze on the front and this is how water has got in? Has anyone seen happen to just one tile before?

Specs of the install are as follows:

Tanked with a Dunlop tanking system. Allowed one week to dry.
BAL GRIP adhesive, flat bedded. Allowed one week to dry.
Tile is a ceramic, Piamonte Beige from Topps. 3mm spacings between.
Grout is a BAL microflex. Allowed two weeks to dry.

So where do I go next, allow to dry out and seal the grout/tile or remove the tile and replace?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 1779]

I couldnt see which one it was in the pic?

 

[jmp78]

Hi,

It's the full tile in the the center of the photo, doesn't show too well to be honest.

 

[DHTiling]

It's unusual that just one tile has wet up....this can happen when water soaks into the tiles biscuit after prolonged wetting/showering.....some tiles have little or no glaze at the edges and thats where water can soak in if the edge is slightly exposed...by this i mean grout isn't flush to the face.

 

[jmp78]

Thanks,

There's no exposed edges, I've checked it all over. Any suggestions on how to resolve this one? Really disappointing that its jus one, I think I'd feel better if it had happened to several, at least I could blame something for it. Like you say its very unusual that just one has gone like this and all the other around it are fine.

 

[DHTiling]

you could try removing the tile and see how much wetting has happened.....but you might have to re-do some tanking if it damages it...re-tile and try again.....

Or you could leave it to dry and use a grout sealer......

Does the tile it's self have any different feel to the face of it from the others..?..it might well be a faulty tile but it's hard to say by just looking at that photo...

 

[jmp78]

Doesn't feel or look any different, but then again it could microscopic and beyond sight or touch. I think my best course of action here might be to allow it to dry out, which could be a fair while being as its tanked, seal the grout (any recommended products?) and then take another shower to see if it happens again. A least that would give me an answer as to where the fault lies?

 

[grumpygrouter]

To be honest, it doesn't look like a damp tile to me. It appears just to have a darker shade to the rest. I would have thought if it was damp, the appearance would not look so consistant.

Can you wait for a few days to see if it "dries out" and then take another photo?

 

[woodie]

Are you sure it wasn't like that before you used the shower, it could well be a tile with a slightly different shade which was not noticed previously i've seen similar in the past

 

[jmp78]

I'm 100% sure it wasn't that shade before, definitely darkened down after getting water on it. The photo doesn't show it too well, I've tried to take a couple of photos but it doesn't seem to do it just it justice. I'll see if it drys out / lightens up over the next few days... That's all I can do, but really annoying as its the thing I focus on every time a walk in the bathroom now!