Shower Question
 

Before I call home warranty, I thought I would ask here. We’ve owned our courtyard villa for about a year and a half which was bought new. We split our time between RI and The Villages. Just last week I noticed numerous black spots on the master shower floor. Upon closer inspection they appear to be crevices in the mortar where dirt is accumulating. I’m hoping that this may still be covered under warranty. Any thoughts?

I would call the warranty department, but I don't think it will be covered by the one year warranty. It is probably mold or mildew.

Buy Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover. Don’t inhale the fumes. Spray on and leave for a few hours, then rinse.

Go to Home Depot and get a grout caulk to closely match the grout color. Get those filled, if they are deep enough water can get under the tile and you will have a bigger problem

Steve

As this picture illustrates there is a crevice in the mortar where dirt is collecting. It’s not as simple as wiping it with a cleaner. The breach in the mortar need to be fixed.

See post #4

Steve

Just called home warranty and they gave me Great Lakes phone number. Not covered by warranty and they will not even send anyone out to look at it. I offered to pay for the repair but they said they are too busy right now.

I just feel I shouldn’t have to be repairing this myself for what is clearly poor workmanship. But I guess I have no choice.

Were they there during your 1 year home inspection?

I’m sure they were but it’s not something you readily see. Frank‘s sons, the inspectors, never saw it. I’m not sure this is something they would even check. We are down here for, at most, half a year. I think it’s just an accumulation of showers where grime settles into the crevices and it only became readily apparent recently.

Here is what I think. They gave you" Great Lakes "number? Then that is possibly the people who installed it. They have sub contractors. And you asked a lot of questions when you really should have just done what they said. Most times if a sub comes and fixes it there is no charge but home warranty isn't going to say that. And most people who have had similar small issues have never gone away hungry. They are decent people. Wait and see.

I did call Great Lakes. They did install it. They said I am on my own. They could repair it at a price but they are too busy right now.

Go to Home Depot, get a grout that matches your grout color, dig out the existing hole a little, mix up some grout and patch it yourself

If this isn't anything that you feel like you can handle, just call a 'handy man'

And always turn the fan on in the shower during and after for a bit to prevent mold.

What is the humidity in the home? If 60%+ probably mold for the discoloration.

Even easier, get some grout of the same color that is pre-mixed in something like a toothpaste tube. Probably the unsanded kind. Cut off the tip with a knife. Squeeze some into the hole. Wipe it smooth with your finger tip. Wipe your fingertip on a Kleenex. It’s very easy, and it’s cheap. There are little brochures with colors that you can bring home so you can get a good match. Guessing doesn’t work too well. I know this from experience. For a few little holes like this, you definitely don’t need to hire someone if you are mobile enough to kneel down for a minute.

A partial bag of grout with a few pieces of tile was left in my HVAC closet after purchase.

Hi Bruce...Yes, we do check for this in EVERY shower, but it is not uncommon to have very small bubbles in the grout if it was not pushed into the grout properly. Often there can be small "bubbles" in the grout that in time, from perhaps use or settling or cleaning, these few bubbles can break open and cause this. if there is a bubble in the grout and it is covered by a thin layer of grout, it cannot be found as it is "inside" that area of grout.

I know that The Villages advises folks NOT to seal grout, but if I was buying a new home, sealing the grout is the first thing I would do. You can easily buy a small amount of grout and push it into the grout hole.

We do write this issue up all the time when we find it. And we do find it often. I suppose there is a chance we could miss one small "hole" or "bubble" but when we do find this we often find many more than one, which leads me to believe that this hole was once a "Bubble" that would not have been found.

It should be noted that those are two inch by two inch tiles, so the picture makes this "hole" look huge, it is actually very tiny. If everyone reading this went in their showers a good portion of you would find one or more tiny holes like this. Do not get me wrong...I do recommend filling that tiny hole, just as I recommend sealing grout and all grout cracks and tiny holes when they develop....and they often do over time.

Lately the tile companies have been fixing this issue with matching "Grout caulk" that is flexible, matches well, and solves the issue. It can also be bought at many big box stores and is like a 30 second fix.

Hope this helps! Frank D'Angelo

After 1 year home warranty won't touch your home. Sorry to hear about your problem.

Thanks Frank. I wasn’t disappointed in your sons work as they did a great inspection and actually had dents in my fence replaced when I was turned down previously on this repair when I called warranty.
Your explanation of the shower problem makes sense. There are actually 10-12 of these small holes/crevices in the grout that collect dirt and therefore stand out with dark spots. When I called Great Lakes they said it was an easy fix (if I paid them) for their guys but they were booked up and wouldn’t even take my name - nothing like standing behind your work. Our villa is only a year and a half old and we are part-time residents so, to me and I guess I’m in the minority, it doesn’t seem fair that I have to start repairing my shower floor. I’m going to find someone to do the repairs and will have it sealed at the same time. Thanks for responding.

There are two possible reasons for holes in grout. One is movement in the substrate. The function of grout is to act as a shock absorber so the tile won't crack. This movement could have caused the hole but more frequently you would see a crack. The other possibility was that the installer used too much water in his mix. As the grout cures the water evaporates, grout shrinks and pop...there's a hole. No way to determine what caused it. You should be able to find the grout color & mfg. listed in the paperwork given to you at closing. You may have to contact Great Lakes to determine if product used was sanded or unwanted grout. It does make a difference. If you can't find locally try Amazon. Mix at 1:4, water to grout ratio. Mix well until consistency of dough. Spritz surrounding area with water to prevent existing grout from pulling water from your patch. I would recommend not using shower for at least a week to allow for some curing time. Chances are you will have to do this again. Store grout powder in dry place for future. Mr D'Angelo's suggestion of premixed caulk might also work and be easier.
Good luck.

Agree with the writer that said"seal the grout" do after the grout has set properly and is dry
. Also make sure all the items dirt ,mold etc are removed to regretting the joints. An oslating tool with a diamond encrusted blade cleans out the joints quickly and easily. vacuum up the dust wipe down the tiles, install new grout, let set and seal. Easy DIY project.

Thanks ckbenjamin.

Unfortunately, even if you repair it, issues are likely to come back. Ceramic tile and grout inherently has mold/mildew, and cracking problems. If you want a permanent fix, install Onyx shower surround. It won't be cheap, but you won't have those problems. Onyx sheets are solid man made material, look great, and the only seams are at the corners with silicone caulk. We've had our three years and it's trouble free.

That is common in Florida, it’s Mold
 

In WalMart there is a product called Kaboom mold and mildew foam, spray directly into the black mold it will cling and leave it, after setting for one hour, rinse it. Mold will be gone or if not apply again. This product is the best that I have used it will do the job.
:bigbow: :bigbow: :bigbow:

Call the warranty department, it’s probably not covered but they should be able to tell you the exact color grout you need to buy for an exact match ,good luck

If you are leaving for several months at a time, you may want to use a grout sealer before you leave as a preventative measure. You should make a list of all the things that should be addressed in preparation for leaving and for returning.

Sealing
 

Great info Frank. We were very pleased with your work when you inspected our home years ago. But pls tell me how soon after the repair can the grout be sealed? We are replacing some. Thanks!

Before leaving for a long time, I would make sure every shower is bone dry (even if that means spot cleaning with face cloth only before leaving). And of course you have to make sure to keep a decent temp through AC to prevent mold which I'm sure you already know.

Not officially.......but you would be surprised how nice people are when approached without rancor.

I have called home warranty TWICE to just say good morning and to tell them how much I enjoy our home and what a good job people did building it. They have been amazing to us with some small issues over time and I often think that those folks, mostly women, who take the calls often do not get good and happy calls.

So. Someone will make fun of me. I'm not afraid to say things like this on here when certain people are out in the bad chair.

Glad to read about grout caulk. I'd like to fill in the spaces between tiles in my kitchen so the rollers on the chairs do not catch there.

mold.

All tile and grout needs to be sealed at completion and yearly to prevent that from happening

Thanks for all the helpful responses and even the one or two non-helpful ones. This is not a mold problem.It’s small holes in the grout where dirt gets trapped. We also have one of those solar tubes in the shower so it gets plenty of sunlight. Any recommendations on a repair guy who could also seal it?

Welcome to theVillages
 

In my 2nd home in the villages. Have yet to have a home where the tiled shower floor was adequate. My first house was a total nightmare of a job. My 2nd home has your problem. Great lakes did my repair, twice. Still bad, and out of warranty. If you have ever walked in a home when they were doing the tile you would then understand why it is so bad. It’s all about quanity, not quality.

Anyone know why the builder recommends not to seal?

My guess is either your slab has settled or, not enough or uneven mastic under section of floor. There had to be some flex for the grout to separate

I think that grouted tile is one of the worst materials to use in a wet area. Solid panels or even plastic are much better.

Yes you should buy some thing to fill in the crevice but when that is finished I suggest you buy a spray bottle of Bang for $1 at Dollar tree. It's amazing for cleaning anything and does wonders on grout cleaning in showers or countertops. The most incredible cleaner for almost anything and the best Bang for your buck!

You may have a groundwater problem with water seeping up through a cracked shower pan. That should be covered in a new home. Next heavy rain, lay toilet paper across dry shower floor. If it gets wet, the problem is under the tile.