After living in our new house for 7 years, we have now noticed fine hairline cracks in the grout lines between the tiles on the back wall of our shower (not in the silicone). This affects 3-4 grout lines stacked vertically below the fixtures.
Behind the tiles is drywall enclosing the vertical shaft to the ground floor.
The tiler who worked on this initially is currently very busy and has been slow to come by and take a look.
Whether he can identify any issues without removing the tiles is another question.
In principle, everything under the tiles should be waterproofed. This was thoroughly checked by our building surveyor at the time.
Now there are two options:
1.)
If the waterproofing is not damaged, the hairline cracks should not be a problem.
If I expose the grout and regrout, there is a risk of damaging the waterproofing.
2.)
If the waterproofing is damaged (e.g., by the shower fitting above) or something is leaking, the drywall could swell or move, which would cause the hairline cracks.
I am uncertain about the best course of action going forward.
What would be a reasonable approach, especially considering the possibility that this could be an insurance claim?
Should I have our original building surveyor (also a construction expert) take another look, just have a tiler repair it, or involve the insurance company, which might send their own expert?
Behind the tiles is drywall enclosing the vertical shaft to the ground floor.
The tiler who worked on this initially is currently very busy and has been slow to come by and take a look.
Whether he can identify any issues without removing the tiles is another question.
In principle, everything under the tiles should be waterproofed. This was thoroughly checked by our building surveyor at the time.
Now there are two options:
1.)
If the waterproofing is not damaged, the hairline cracks should not be a problem.
If I expose the grout and regrout, there is a risk of damaging the waterproofing.
2.)
If the waterproofing is damaged (e.g., by the shower fitting above) or something is leaking, the drywall could swell or move, which would cause the hairline cracks.
I am uncertain about the best course of action going forward.
What would be a reasonable approach, especially considering the possibility that this could be an insurance claim?
Should I have our original building surveyor (also a construction expert) take another look, just have a tiler repair it, or involve the insurance company, which might send their own expert?
Winniefred11 Oct 2020 09:52I can share a firsthand experience related to this. We had our bathroom tiled by a professional tiler, with properly waterproofed drywall behind the shower. The floor had a multi-layer, vibration-free subfloor (older building). The shower installation was done by a plumbing specialist. After three years, I went to take a shower, left the house briefly, and when I returned, I found water on the stair landing one floor below, directly under the shower. The plumbing company came and was puzzled, saying the drain was clear. They waterproofed the area again as thoroughly as possible, just to be safe. The problem reoccurred with shower use and moisture, leaving the plumbing company confused. On their second visit, the technician crawled into the shower and found a hairline crack in a tile on the wall, originating from a drilled hole for the shower enclosure. A small fissure had formed, and over time, due to the movement of the sliding shower door, the hairline crack allowed water to seep behind the wall for an unknown duration, eventually causing the drywall to become saturated. The water then traveled through multiple floor layers to the level below and dripped through the ceiling.
Solution: We removed the shower wall, the tiler came back, removed the damaged tile, renewed the waterproofing and drywall behind it after allowing the area to dry, and then installed a new tile. The tiler had to come a total of three times for this issue. Ultimately, we did not drill into the shower wall again at that spot but glued the enclosure instead. One floor below, we opened the ceiling as much as possible, let it dry for three weeks, and then closed it up again. Thanks to a lot of DIY work, our costs were only around 200-250€.
Conclusion: It was a huge effort, with two ongoing construction sites in the house for a long time and the constant worry about mold (wood beam ceilings). Costs that we naturally had to cover ourselves. So: Even small damages are not to be taken lightly when water is involved.
Solution: We removed the shower wall, the tiler came back, removed the damaged tile, renewed the waterproofing and drywall behind it after allowing the area to dry, and then installed a new tile. The tiler had to come a total of three times for this issue. Ultimately, we did not drill into the shower wall again at that spot but glued the enclosure instead. One floor below, we opened the ceiling as much as possible, let it dry for three weeks, and then closed it up again. Thanks to a lot of DIY work, our costs were only around 200-250€.
Conclusion: It was a huge effort, with two ongoing construction sites in the house for a long time and the constant worry about mold (wood beam ceilings). Costs that we naturally had to cover ourselves. So: Even small damages are not to be taken lightly when water is involved.
I just had the tiler here. The issue seems to be that the grout expands and contracts due to moisture and the drying process. He laid the tiles closely together, leaving little room for movement. Nowadays, he would leave a wider gap. Allegedly, the drywall and waterproofing behind cannot be damaged, since the tile adhesive is still behind them.
We had the same problem with the floor. The grout material was coming loose.
I reported it to Schwörerhaus since it is within the 5-year warranty period. In the meantime, I repaired it myself because we use the shower daily. The response from Schwörerhaus came after 3-4 days, stating that the grout is exposed to soap and cleaning agents and will naturally deteriorate, so it is not a warranty case. However, as long as the waterproofing underneath is not damaged, there is no risk.
Well, we’ll see.
I reported it to Schwörerhaus since it is within the 5-year warranty period. In the meantime, I repaired it myself because we use the shower daily. The response from Schwörerhaus came after 3-4 days, stating that the grout is exposed to soap and cleaning agents and will naturally deteriorate, so it is not a warranty case. However, as long as the waterproofing underneath is not damaged, there is no risk.
Well, we’ll see.
Winniefred11 Oct 2020 18:18Musketier schrieb:
I recently had the tile installer here. The issue seems to be that the grout moves due to moisture and the drying process. He installed the tiles very close together, leaving little room for movement. Nowadays, he would space them slightly wider.
Apparently, the drywall and waterproofing can’t be damaged, since the tile adhesive is still backing the tile. I can’t confirm that. I was present when the tile installer removed the tile, and there was definitely enough adhesive applied evenly across the surface. The damage still occurred over the course of three years.
It wasn’t about the adhesive, but about the narrowness of the joints. In tile showrooms, tiles are always placed very close together. Of course, it looks cool—tiles laid tightly with very narrow joints. However, in everyday use, this has the disadvantage that there isn’t enough material to properly bond the joint.
I’m supposed to remove the material with a utility knife, and someone will come by to redo the joint. My concern was that when removing the material, I might damage the substrate. But that wouldn’t be a problem with the adhesive, since you can’t cut all the way through the adhesive with the utility knife.
I’m supposed to remove the material with a utility knife, and someone will come by to redo the joint. My concern was that when removing the material, I might damage the substrate. But that wouldn’t be a problem with the adhesive, since you can’t cut all the way through the adhesive with the utility knife.
Winniefred11 Oct 2020 19:02That's right! Good luck! Better to act now.
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