OK, here's a wierd grout question. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Question

I had my house built a year ago. Within about a month the grout around the perimeter of my shower started getting soft -- rubbery-like. Within another month you could squish the grout out of its place with your finger. It was like toothpaste. The contractors came out and looked at it, said it was inexplainable, said it was probably caulking and replaced it with GROUT. I saw them mix it. Within another month the same thing happened. They replaced it again WITH GROUT. This happed three more times. Each time they scratch their heads, say this is impossible and regrout it.

We thought that there was some way that water was coming up from underneath and never allowing it to dry thoroughly in the first place. They say that it IMPOSSIBLE due to the way the pan, the liner and the tile are installed.

Now they're telling me they won't fix it again because obviously the homeowners (us) haven't been cleaning it properly. Hah!!!

What is this and what should we do? Thanks

I have let it dry for as much as 2 weeks before using the shower and it is not doing that to any of the other grout in the shower. The shower is ALL tile -- floor, walls, everything. The only place it's doing this is the place where the floor meets the walls. Wierd.

Answer 1

Hire some COMPETENT contractor, then send the dumb one the bill. If he won't pay it take him to civil court.

Answer 2

First if you have not already done so take a ton of photos and or video of the condition.

Second if it is a newly built house it is likely to have a warrantee for such a thing and you need to make a claim against the builder or developer. Also get your realtor on the phone as well.

Since you have left it alone to dry out and it still happens I would say it strongly suggests that moisture is getting under the tile from under the shower or from any area surrounding the walls of the shower.

I frankly don't think proper cleaning or care could remotely be the cause as once the grout has gone in and dried/ cured it is pretty much cement and should be like a rock. However if the area that is getting grouted is not truely dry and has a leak letting moisture in the grout can't dry and cure at all.

If they did not install the the shower and all things associated with the shower and plumbing properly you could have a hidden leak or area collecting moisture that you would not be able to see.

In addition to the grout going soft you could be getting into a situation where mold is growing around the moisture source.

I would not let the same guys come back to do any further work and then call better business bureau for referral for three contractors and have them all in for estimates and opinions.

After you have all of these opinions and estimates I would think there will be a trend pointing to the cause and what will be needed to fix it.

As irritating as it is, I would suggest that you go with what is logical and get photos and stuff in writing and get the thing corrected to avoid getting mold damage which will make problems even worse.

After hopefully getting it repaired you can seek reimbursement and damages from the developer, contractor that thinks you can't clean right and any sub contractor involved. I think it is likely it all has to come out to find the source of the trouble and the grout guy could be doing the grout right but the plumbing could be the trouble maker and you surely don't want to risk black mold.

It is my understanding that newly built homes have a warrantee and I would look into that to get reimbursed for your costs. Do make a big fuss and you may have to consult an attorney and sue the jerks who fouled up.

Someone screwed up as it is not your cleaning routine causing this problem.

Hang in and be tough!

Answer 3

My first thought would be that the problem is your water. You may be getting a chemical reaction which is breaking down the grout. Do you have particularly hard water, which has a lot of minerals in it? I don't know what effect that could have, but you never know.

The only other thing I can think of is that you're wall is not completely dry when you're applying your grout, and your grout is never really curing. The other possibility along the same lines is that you're not allowing your grout to dry/cure thoroughly before getting it wet.

As far as you thinking water could be getting to it. That is ABSOLUTELY a possibility. Water can get anywhere. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to trace where the water is coming from. What you'd have to do is use dye tablets, and run water from different sources in your house. If the water IS getting to it from some other way, you'll see the discoloration.

I hope I was helpful.

Answer 4

Your shower drain has several weep holes at the flange where the pan is attached to the drain. These weep holes may be plugged, preventing water from draining out of the pan. The water level will rise in the pan to the rim of the drain and stay there. This prolonged exposure to water may be causing the grout to fail.

I suggest you run down to Home Depot or Lowe's and look at a drain fitting to see what I'm talking about. When you get back home, you may be able to clean out the weep holes from inside the drain. If not, then you'll have to remove the tiles from around the drain and chip away the mortar bed. There should be pea gravel over the weep holes to keep the mortar from plugging the holes.

By the way, siliconized acrylic tile caulk should be used instead of grout in places where you can have movement between surfaces. For example, if cement backer board is used, you have a discontinuity in the backing at the corners of the shower wall, and one wall can move or separate from the other over time. Caulk is elastic and will tend to prevent a crack from opening. You may have the same problem at the bottom of the wall, between the wall and the floor.

Answer 5

Assuming you are letting the just applied grout plenty of time to dry and cure, do not use your shower for at least 2 days. During this period, keep the room with shower low in humidity. Leave on the heat lamp and use a portable electric heater on low. Temperature around the shower should be no lower than 70' F. After the grout feels completely dry, press on it and there should be no give and the surface should feel like a hard cement. Lastly apply few coats of grout sealer. This should prevent any steam or moisture from penetrating the grout.
If this fails, completely remove the affected grout and apply about 1/16 inch thick genuine GE pure silicone clear caulk where the grout would be applied and after about 6 hours (semi-dry), apply the grout and also use the grout sealer. The grout will stick to the semi-dry silicone and with the sealer, your grout should be impervious to moisture and water.

Answer 6

Check with the grout manufacturer, they may have a clue. Also, I would not eliminate the possibility of moisture. Do you have an exhaust fan? Is there anyother signs of leaking, like the sound of water constantly running (be sure to check for noise close to the meter, if you hear the tick of the meter when all the water in the house is turned off then you have a leak somewhere)

A leak in the shower may show up at the perimeter of the tile if it happens to coincide with the edge of the water proof board used to line the shower for tiling. Water will run to that edge and along it, because it will not soak through the material, softening the materials adjacent (usually sheet rock). Just as a guess, I would point to the elbow (sometimes referred to as the periscope) at the top of the shower where pipe turns to come out of the wall. to check, remove the trim piece and shower heat, cap the shower head, turn on the water and try to see between the pipe and wall with a light (flashlight). You MIGHT be able to see the leak or get an indication that there is one, by listening closely. If you have a basement underneath, check down there for evidence of leaking.

Another possibility is that the pan and liner were not installed properly for whatever reason. This is an area requiring tear out to check and I'm sure that the contractor is very reluctant to do that. But the fact is you will have to live with it until it is fixed and it is better to push for a fix now than to have to pay for it later. I'm sure that the courts will find in your favor. It may be wise to consult a lawyer to determine your options.

Answer 7

The person who said grout has to cure is right. Grout not only needs to cure, but has to be sealed. It isn't waterproof. And that is a home owner issue not a contractor issue. But it is their resposibility to inform you of these things.
Go to Home Depot, or Lowe's, or the tile distributor where your tile was purchased and get the grout, also get some color matched caulking and some sealer. After the grout has cured, seal it. And the reapply the sealer about every six months. Use the caulking around the corners when and if the grout cracks from settling.

Answer 8

After the grout has been put on it should be allowed to dry an cure at least two days then it should be sealed and the sealing compound should dry it will dry fast so a second coat is always a good idea after that the grout should hold up OK for grout to stay nice it needs resealed at least once a year.

Answer 9

Grout has to cure or it will do that. Could a cleaning chemical do this, don't know. Make sure to read the instruction and cleaners.

Answer 10

I would call them back again and tell them you want it fixed and fixed right this time. Don't let them use the same stuff as before. Keep after them or your floor under the shower will get ruined and need replaced. Good luck.

Answer 11

That sounds really weird.
I have no idea what could be happening.
Never happened to my parents before, I watch them use grout and caulk (caulk for caulking jobs, of course) all the time