Repair grout or install shower base?
Our shower had mould issues around the base in the silicon etc that had been patched over the years. Upon removal I've realised in some areas they had even grouted over the silicon and the seal was non existent. Also the tiling job itself is poor with neither set of tiles going all the way to the wall or floor, leaving a cavity that's impossible to reach with traditional grout behind it. No wonder the moisture in the walls around the shower was high and staining of the wooden floor boards by the door.I'm in the process of stripping out the remainder of the grout but want some advice on the best fix going forwards.I don't think grout is going to allow me to fill in the cavity behind and create a good seal. Especially if it shrinks as it dries.Silicone will be easier to fill in the cavity, but will I just have to replace it all again in a year or two?I hate the ledge into the shower, and it makes it hard for elderly/injured/disabled to get in and out. Should I just completely remove the ledge, try to find matching tiles and install a shower base over the floor tiles, which will help improve drainage and cover the poor joins in the tiles completely?Any advice on glass shower frames and bases that I could use in a spot like this. A glass door couldn't open out because it might get hit by the main door and break.
Comments (10)
macyjean
2 years ago"No wonder the moisture in the walls around the shower was high and staining of the wooden floor boards by the door."
It's not just about the tiles, grout and silicone. There needs to be waterproofing underneath those, as Bigreader said, and if moisture is getting through then you need more than a cosmetic fix.
Gemma B thanked macyjeanGemma B
Original Author2 years ago@bigreader The shower hasn't been used in months so I don't think I'll get an accurate moisture reading now. And I'm not keen on turning on the water now that it's been stripped of silicon and grout. Good to know that the gap is normally plugged with silicone. I think all the damp was at floor level. No evidence of paint damage on walls behind the shower cavity.
If we remove the hob, the tiles don't go under it, so would have to install a slab type shower base over it. And I'm not keen on the shower curtain so would want a glass frame around it.
bigreader
2 years agoAre you sure the tiles don’t go underneath? But either way having nothing there isn’t the solution you want. Have you searched for a shower base of the size you need? What are the measurements?
dreamer
2 years agoAre your floors a concrete slab or timber ? My previous home had a similar problem, but was on a concrete slab, And we had wall damage in the hall.
A company like Megasealed will come and fix this in a day. They will remove the existing tiles, re water proof, and relay tiles. And also regrout the entire shower recess.
If the paint in the hall is not bubbling, then you may be correct that the damage is in the floor, not the walls. And since you have not used the shower recess for a time, then it is the ideal time to get a professional in to redo the shower base.
With reference to removing the hob, this may be making the job an expensive full renovation. As the hob would be built up from the floor, the tiles would not be underneath, therefore you would be having to take up that hob to the concrete/timber base, then the domino reaction may take into effect. New floor tiles, new levelling of floor etc etc.macyjean
2 years ago"If we remove the hob, the tiles don't go under it, so would have to install a slab type shower base over it."
As Dreamer said, the hob comes up from the floor, the tiles are not underneath it. There's a structure which forms a shallow tank, then a waterproofing material over the inside of that, then the tiling over that.
I'm not sure why you think you need a "slab type shower base"? You can tile either way. However, for a hobless shower the whole bathroom floor is supposed to be waterproofed, with a waterstop angle at the edge of the shower floor. So yes, changing from a style with a hob to a hobless gives you a lot more to think about.
bigreader