ᐅ Construction defect related to tile installation

Hello everyone,

Our tiler was here recently. At the transition between the shower tray and the tiles, there is a large gap—so big that you can even see the support of the shower tray, which is made of polystyrene. Shouldn't the tiles be installed to extend slightly underneath the edge of the shower tray? Basically, right up to the edge of the polystyrene support?

If the tiler fills this gap with silicone now, it will create a large joint which probably won’t last long. Because of getting in and out and the movements while showering, the whole construction moves slightly on the shower tray support, and very quickly the silicone will crack. Then water will run behind and underneath it, against the polystyrene, causing it to rot, and so on.

Wouldn't it make more sense to tile right up to the shower tray support (polystyrene) underneath the tray edge, and then seal the edge with silicone as is being done now? If the silicone joint cracks, the water would remain on the tile surface rather than running underneath. Of course, the water could still touch the polystyrene, but at least it wouldn’t run underneath and cause damage there.

In one photo, you can see that on the left side, the tiles have been installed a little underneath the shower tray.

What do you think?

Hello,

I noticed larger gaps between the shower and the wall. You can be glad to have such small ones. Silicone will be applied afterward anyway.

Hello sauerpeter,

That doesn’t look too large to me. Your concern about a crack in the silicone joint is understandable, but that joint is specifically designed to absorb small movements without cracking.

Your approach of continuing with tiles to prevent potential water ingress to the styrofoam in case of a crack is not more effective. Think capillary action—water can travel horizontally through a fine crack almost as easily as vertically.

In my personal opinion, a properly done silicone joint should be sufficient as it stands.