Tiled Wet Room and Stone Shower Tray Repairs - Some Advice
Before you Contact Us
1st things first. We often see people rip out the floor and rupture the tanking only to find out it was the plumbing from the valve to the rose or hand set hose connection at fault. Unbelievably, most plumbers do not check these connections because they are a bit awkward. A couple of hours for a plumber to check these out could save thousands of pounds. Alternatively you can check these yourself:
i) check for leaks in the connection from the shower valve to the shower head/hose. Run the shower for longer than you would normally shower, collecting all the water in a bucket (and emptying this periodically elsewhere) so you are not using the shower waste. If you see drips/damp patch on your ceiling below then you have an issue with the plumbing not the shower floor.
ii) check for leaks in the waste or waste pipe. Use a hose pipe (i.e NOT the shower itself) to run water directly into the waste. If you see drips/damp patch on your ceiling below then you have an issue with the waste/waste pipe which is easy and cheap to fix.
2nd thing second. Has any of the grout between the floor tiles cracked? This is a sign that the wrong tiling products have been used and your tiler needs to correct this. Regrettably, he will need to replace the floor and tiles, but it may not cost you any money.
3rd thing. Check the wall tiles. Are there cracks in the tiles, cracks in the grout or silicone sealant which is peeling away or blackening? This is probably caused by settlement. It may be possible to re-seal the silicone joints for a temporary fix, but it will only be temporary. The tray will eventually leak. NOTE:- Tiles must be bone dry before trying to re-seal them and it may take several weeks for the installation to dry out enough to re-seal it.
4th thing. The problem may be the porous stone. If the limestone is not properly and regularly sealed it goes porous and the water gets behind the tiles. The same for the grout; floor grout cracks and must be maintained before the water gets in and destroys the adhesive (yes, even water proof adhesive gets wrecked). If this happens you have an expensive problem. The only solution is to take out the floor and replace it. We see this at least twice a week. Limestone in frequently-used-wet rooms and busy people, are not a good mix.
If you'd like us to get involved then please send us some photos and sizes and we will provide a quote to supply and fit a new floor. If you have a glass partition or door then please send photos of the whole perimeter of these.
We can also quote to replace the existing wall tiles with Corian, HI-MACS or Krion wall panels.
If you are happy with our quote then we’ll come and do a site survey.
The Standard Route to Fixing
We come and do a survey and advise you or your builder what removal and preparation work is required. Normally, the floor needs to be removed in the wet area and the first course of tiles removed from the wall. If you do not have access to spare wall tiles we will need to work out a way to make good.
Once the floor is ripped out we come back and take a template of the area.
We go away and make the floor, then 7-10 days later we return to fit it.
Then your builder will need to make good the wall tiles.
Alternatively, we can do the entire job for you. Please call us to discuss.
