Good info on current food concerns
Gman
Peace,
Gman
"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask"
Maya
Never, ever underestimate the power of I'd Like that.
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Gman
It just so happens that my last job (lasting over 5 years) was
installing flooring (plus). That included all sorts of tiling work
including numerous backsplashes (and complete showers, tub surrounds,
countertops, fireplace hearths & surrounds, etc.). If you need suggestions
or run into any questions, don't hesitate to ask. :O)
Peace,
Gman
"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask"
Tech Rose - LoveBytes
Just the man I need to talk to... as always... ha ha!
I had a lot of work done on my house about 2-3 yrs ago.
One of the things that was done..was removing most of the carpeting and
replacing it with ceramic tile.
I had my bathroom showers also done. The tile in the showers matches the
floors. (I also had the tile put in the bottom of all the cabinets in the
bathrooms and the kitchen too! This sure makes it easy to clean/wash.
Another thing I did, not realizing it would cost that much more...was have
the tile replace the woodwork/trim used as the baseboards along the walls at
the floor. I had complained forever about the woodwork in this house. The
builders used just crappy wood and it was painted when the house was
painted. It was not smooth nice wood. It was rough and I was NOT a happy
camper about it. Now generally, a person does NOT look at the woodwork a
lot in the house. But, in the restroom, where I have been known to spend a
bit of time (with constipation problems) I would see it and just get annoyed
all over again.
Jerry said he could take it out and replace it with oak, but that would cost
a bit of money. We did not have it at the time.
Then, I got a disability settlement (8 years in the waiting) and got the
work done in the house.
Back to my question. When the showers were done, the guys used grout and
did not seal it. They said it did NOT need to be sealed. They did not seal
any of the floors either.
Well, I noticed the grout seeming to have disappeared in one corner of the
shower in the master bathroom. I am concerned as to whether or not there is
any water that could get INTO the wall itself (behind the tiles). We
immediately stopped using that shower and only use the one in the hallway.
I was looking for someone to come in and look at it and give me a price.
(The original company who did it are no longer in business. Their store and
there installers are no where to be found.
Since Jerry & I know next to nothing to getting this repaired, I was
wondering if there are any specific questions we should ask or information
we should tell someone to get this fixed.
Should both showers in the house be sealed?
What kind of sealant should be used?
Is this something it takes a professional to do?
Are there a lot of fumes associated with sealants? (Both Jerry & I have
COPD and cannot handle fumes even while we are using our oxygen)
Are you and Baby Doll taking a vacation to Las Vegas and need a place to
stay.... (work for your lodgings? ha ha~!) We do have cable & internet
access in the guest room too!
Any info you can give us will be most helpful.
Thanks bunches,
Rose
Gman
Sealing of grout depends completely on the group used as well as the
abilities of the person mixing the stuff. With most things cementious,
water is added to initiate the chemical reaction. The trick is to only use
enough to allow the grout some flowability without oversoaking it (think
'thick cake batter'). If the grout is too wet, it will not harden properly
and will easily crumble or wash out over time. You can tell by waiting a
few days after it's installed and then running your fingernail across it.
If any of it separates or turns back to powder, too much water was used and
it should definitely be sealed before hit with an actual shower.
Now, onto the problem you mentioned. You're talking about a corner
which is where two separate walls (or where a wall and a floor or ceiling)
meet. The tile is cemented to a backing (usually cement board) that was
nailed to wooden studs (the wall framing). Given the stress of the weight
on these wall studs, they will experience slight movement over time as they
'settle' into their new support roles. This movement will almost always
cause the space between walls & floors/ceilings to shift a bit. As a
result, I NEVER use grout in these areas. Instead, I use unsanded caulk
made by the grout manufacturer to precisely match the color of the grout.
Most grout makers also have sanded caulk to better match the rough look of
the grout, but I've found that it doesn't adhere as well as the unsanded
stuff.
Yes, water is getting behind the tiles, but that's not the issue (water
does penetrate grout a little, but it just rides down the back of the tile
to the floor/drain). The real issue is that water is also getting behind
the backing behind the tile and that's no good for the framing or your
subfloors. Both of your showers need to have all of the 'corner' grout
removed and replaced with color matched caulk. If I lived near you, I would
likely charge about $100 - 150 to take care of both of them with you
covering the cost of the caulk (1 tube would do 2 standard 3 X 3 showers).
Of course, prices out there may be drastically different than they are here
due to cost of living.
Below is a picture of a tool similar to what I would use to remove the
grout in those corners. The tool would be worthless by the time I was done.
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/923/60016072.JPG
OR
http://tinyurl.com/45tj9j
Peace,
Gman
"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask"
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tech Rose - LoveBytes" <Tech...@Lovebytes.info>
To: <pctab...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:27 PM
Subject: -=PCTableTalk=- Re: Good info on current food concerns
>