Expert Answers in Showers
How thick should the Mortar Be for a Shower Pan Floor in a Shower?
ANSWER - First of all, the way you construct a shower pan is to first apply a pre-sloped mortar bed to establish a slope to the drain of 1/4" per foot. You can float over…
Read MoreHow do we determine what caused our Tile Shower to Fail?
ANSWER - You are asking a lot that can't be answered without performing a forensic inspection to determine what is causing the failures. I can make some general statements that may or may not apply…
Read MoreIs it a problem if Schluter Ditra is installed on the walls of a Steam Shower?
ANSWER - Based on the Schluter literature, although they only show floor applications, they don't say it is only for floors. The Ditra is waterproof if installed correctly for waterproofing. It does have a key…
Read MoreWhy able I getting Hairline Cracks in my Carrara Marble Shower?
ANSWER - Generally speaking cracks are either reflective cracking where the underlying substrate has a crack or separation and it telegraphs through the marble or there is structural cracking where the structure has excessive deflection…
Read MoreWhy is water coming out of the grout on the side of our Shower?
ANSWER - From your photo the bottom edge of the wall tile where it is adjacent to the transition joint from the wall to the floor has efflorescence staining. That suggests water is traveling from…
Read MoreCan I install Onyx mosaics in my Shower that don't have grout joints?
ANSWER - First of all what happen to the the 3rd wall in the shower? I will assume it has a different substrate or you aren't tiling it. Not sure why you are using Schluter…
Read MoreIs it alright to use Silicone Sealant to fix a Shower Leak?
Answer: First of all, all of the transition joints in the shower both horizontal and vertical should not have been grouted with a cementitious grout. They should have been filled with an ASTM C920 resilient sealant…
Read MoreCan excessive Steam and Condensation in a Shower caused damage to the Ceramic tiles?
ANSWER - If the ceramic tile was installed correctly over a suitable substrate for a shower application then it will not be harmed from being subjected to prolong hot water, steam, and condensation. Ceramic tile…
Read MoreIs it recommended to install Carrara Marble in Steam Showers?
ANSWER - I have seen Carrara Marble installed in showers and steam shower successfully, but I have also seen where there were staining problems. Many marbles contain pyrite (iron sulfide) minerals which is a natural…
Read MoreShould we replace the discolored Tile and concrete base in the Shower?
ANSWER - Normally installing tile over damp mortar doesn't cause staining. We call that a wet set method if the mortar is installed at the same time as the tile is installed. A thin-set adhesive…
Read MoreAre my tiles bonded properly in my Steam Shower?
ANSWER - First of all there is nothing wrong with using sanded grout as long as the grout joint width is 1/8" or wider. There are some benefits to using an epoxy grout in terms…
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