Shower Stalls

[daniel@procarpet]

I am not real confident cleaning white shower tiles with white grout. Even when I get them clean, the grout is usually chipped in areas and it just doesn't look right. What is the best method for repairing the areas where the grout has been slightly chipped, and would color sealing the joints be the best way to give stellar results?

 

[Mikey P]

Colo seal wont last in a shower situation

too much water.

Dig out the stained or rotted areas and replace with a acrylic fortified grout.

 

[David Gelinas]

Color sealing will look great in a shower – for about a day. As Mike said - - - way to much water - - -.

Sort of unrelated; I once read somewhere about the approximate “Rainfall” per year in a shower. The study likened the amount of water that runs through the average shower over the course of the year and compared it to “typical rain fall”. Has anyone here seen anything in print like that before?

Back to the question, I don’t recommend color sealing a shower or any other very wet setting, I think it will fail in a fairly short time. (But I have heard of some doing it.) Your best bet is to cut out either just the offending grout or all of the grout so the whole shower will match. You could go the way that many “Redo” contractors do and just barely scrape the surface of the grout and then regrout it. Again, it’s not going to last long if you do that. You really need to make it a point to scrape out at least 50% of the depth (the thickness) of the tile and then regrout. This will give you the best results. One more point; okay, two more points.

1 – In your transitional grout line; i.e. where one all meets another or where the walls meet the floor or where any one plain meets another (bench) there will always be movement in the and the grout WILL crack. The way to overcome that is by caulking those areas. Run a bead of color matched siliconized caulk in those transition grout joints. If you can find siliconized caulk in the right color get a latex caulk the correct color and then go over it with a clear silicone.

2 – I would really encourage you to seal the shower when you’re done with the regrout with a very good quality penetrating sealer. You will need to wait 72 hours before you seal it so the grout can cure properly.

I hope this helps a little.

David Gelinas
Marbleguy

 

[clean image]

144 times

that's hohow much more the average shower recieves than the average roof. this was done by don havelston(sp?), a shower forensic. of course it varies by region

i took a seminar from him at a covering show, i believe,

all he did was go do court on behalf of HO

he would bring a large ball bearing with him, and 80% of the time it would roll the wrong way

we do alot of showers


carl

 

[David Gelinas]

Hi Carl

As it stands now we’ll be in your neighborhood this Tues evening on E Colonial, it’d be great t5o get together. Shoot me a PM when you can.

David Gelinas
Marbleguy

 

[Tile Nerd]

Moisture is only a problem with color seal if it gets under it. Walls are almost never a problem, the floor can be questionable depending on how well it's built. We just color sealed our shower; floor walls and ceiling. We also did the tub surround in my sons bathroom. We shall see how it holds up.

Two weeks and counting...

 

[Tile Nerd]

So far it's holding up great. 15 to 20 showers a week since coloring.

Moisture is only a problem with color seal if it gets under it. Walls are almost never a problem, the floor can be questionable depending on how well it's built. We just color sealed our shower; floor walls and ceiling. We also did the tub surround in my sons bathroom. We shall see how it holds up.

Two weeks and counting...

 

[safeclean]

I always color seal shower floors and walls I did my own shower and some rentals that I own 3 years ago and they still look great, YES the sealer is still there when a customer asks us to clean and seal there shower we do but the sealer is a color sealer we do not tell them this only if they ask what the sealer is. I also do not give a warranty in showers only the grout and if you are just cleaning a shower than your customers will not be happy unless you do a regrout. I understand that there are many who are against it but hey it is better than nothing as I have found clear seals are a waist of time in a shower.

Preparation is the key and do not let the customer use it for a least 5 days.

Craig

 

[Mikey P]

Could you please explain your preparation and how you get a woman out of here Master BR shower for 5 days?

 

[safeclean]

Its easy charge them a lot off money.

The grout has to be good condition, the prep work is the most important step strong alk, scrub than rinse than strong acid mix to etch the grout scrub with small grout brush than rinse with mini turbo high pressure 1000 psi than dry with towels and a mini blower for say 30 minutes it does not have to be 100% dry either than I color seal two to three coates from the waist down and on the floor aswell it is hard for them not to use it for 5 days but I tell them we will know because you will call us to come and fix it seems to work for me I have had some use it the next day with no problems and as I do not give a warranty in wet areas they do not call if they do I charge extra.

I also offer two services clean & re grout or clean and color seal which is chaeper than a re grout if the grout is in bad shape or has been skim coated than re grout is the only option.

Craig

 

[Mikey P]

Very cool, thanks mate.

 

[Tile Nerd]

They just tiled the top part of the pool we are building. I'm gonna color seal it (This Old Grout of coarse) as well. It's one row of 6 x 6 tile and half the tile will be under water all the time. Can't wait to see how it does. I've already told the pool builder, the sealant won't fail unless moisture gets behind it. He assured me that moisture won't get behind the grout. We'll see!

 

[TimP]

I color sealed and caulked a shower back in November for a customer. A picky one at that. And she hasn't called back after the initial first couple of weeks. I did have to touch it up a couple times due to pickyness. But I think it's gonna hold up well enough and she's the kind that cleans it frequently too.....


I plan to do my own shower eventually. I've done all the floor tile in my home and it looks great.

 

[tmdry]

I charge a buck extra for any CS in showers, just for the PITA factor of working in such a small enclosure.