tiled shower stall— circa 1941
I have spent parts of 2 days tracking down a leak–including exploratory surgery through the ceiling downstairs
what I was afraid was a leak in the drain pipe—– turns out to be a leak in a void in the grout at the wall/floor juncture in the back corner of the stall
At the very least– I am gonna saw/grind out the grout in this joint—
question is— should that joint be grout— or caulk.
i am REALLY hoping to avoid tearing out the floor– especially for a shower that will soon rarely be used.
stephen
Replies
See if you can pack some good thinset in first shy enough to let you caulk after it dries.. Let it dry then use a good grouted caulk in all your inside corners while yer at it.
Get the good grouted caulk not the five dollar a tube stuff.
Inside corners..especially on the floors in shower stalls should always be caulked with grouted caulk.
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so andy-- what's the procedure---- cut out the existing grout as deep as I can---- pack thinset in there with a trowell--and then rake a groove back out---- let it harden---and then caulk with "grouted caulk"?
stephen
Stephen...yep..what you said and eric was right...I meant sanded caulk. some places they only sell sanded. My supplier doesn't even carry non sanded. I think b/c the sanded is stronger and you don't really see the sand.I'm assuming it's just for you and when you go to sell the house one day you'll point out to the new owners that the corner you fixed might leak one day cause you need a whole new shower pan..LOL.
If it were just for me aqnd it was a bath I never used I'd probably do what you're doing or turn it into a closet...lolView Image
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So what would you grout polished stone with? You have to use non sanded right?
So what would you grout polished stone with? You have to use non sanded right?<<Right..as long as the grout line was under about an 1/8" which most (but not all) usually is the case. For polished marble or granite etc I leave next to no grout line and non sanded grout.It's not so much about the tile as the width of the grout line that tells you if ou should use sanded or non sanded.View Image
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So the water is getting past the shower pan as well?
I'm with Toolfreak.
If the corner only is leaking............it "should" run down into the pan.
As Andy stated; 'grouted caulk" (I think he meant to say sanded caulk) from a TEC or Mapie, or maybe Custom is the way to go.
Me personally, I would cut out as much of the exisitng grout as possible, vacuum super duper and make sure it is completely dry, before packing in a good grout.
Guessing from the age of your shower, I'm gonna guess that there is not any sanded grout, that it is all non sanded, so I would not worry about the "sanded, or grouted caulk; whatever that is.
As you tool the new grout in, cut it low to leave room for a nice bead of caulk. Make sure you have cleanned any grout haze from the tile first.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Erick----- shower stall in 1941------ did they use pans then? this floor apears to be laid in about a 4 inch bed of mortar-that tapers to the center drain I can run a garden hose into the drain-run it full force--drain runs fine-- because the hose comes off a 1/2" line--- but the shower head comes off a 3/4" line---and the water comes out of the shower head like a fire hose- like something you could wash elephants with--- it's quite old school luxurious---- but the floor floods with an inch or so of water so- my second order of business--is to install a more "miserly" shower head in that stall 3rd order of business is to install the fire hose shower head in the shower I use!
stephen
Haz,
Likely they used lead for the pan. Sometimes they coated it with asphalt. Seen a few copper ones. I'd say at that age it may well be shot, but who knows. A lot has to do with the make up of your water and how much it leaches what out of your mortar base and into the pan itself.
Go the grout and caulk route, turn down the volume on that spray for sure and see what happens.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Anyting you do less than tearing out the shower pan and redoing is just going to
s l o w down the leak.
Bing