Common Problems with Grout

No one can dispute the beauty of a nice looking tile shower – the issues with tile shower bases and tile shower and tub surround have to do with the grout used with those tiles.  Grout is notorious for being problematic.  The installation of grout takes countless steps over many days before it can be completed and ready to use. It requires systematic, time-consuming, and costly maintenance to seal it and keep it sealed.  By far, the biggest issue of grout is that it is porous and prone to cracking, leaking, and causing untold damage.  Most homeowners don’t even realize what is going on behind their tile until it’s too late.  Small cracks often go unnoticed and the water used during bathing seeps through those cracks and gets behind the tile.  That water can get under shower bases and travel down the walls to the subfloor.  With the repetitive use of showers, those areas seldom have time to dry out, exacerbating the damage.

Mold is the number one problem that is uncovered after an existing tile shower has been removed.  Not only is mold harmful to the homeowner’s health but it can be costly to treat and remove before a new shower can be installed.  Structural damage is another dangerous issue caused by water leaking through cracks in the grout.  That moisture will cause the materials behind the shower, such as the drywall, studs, and subfloor to soften and deteriorate.  Rotting structural support material can be extremely unsafe if that decay causes them to fail.  Another problem, although less commonly seen, is termites.  Leaky tile showers provide a moist environment where termites thrive and have plenty of wood or other cellulose material to eat.