Tile Grout And Mould

[sleepyjohn]

Hi

I have three parter.

I'm going to retile my shower room floor.

I was thinking of using hand made 6x6s. They have a very shiny finish, being high fired glaze, actually slightly crackle glazed....know the ones?

I am concerned about slipperiness. My first question is....is that a problem?

Going from there I have thought of making a border of these tiles and putting unglazed terracotta tiles in a panel in the middle where one stands.

So second question is.....Will terracotta get grotty......limescale/mould?.....if they do presumably an acid cleaner would not damage the terracotta?

Third and main question by far:

I am rather bored scrubbing mould from the existing white (at least it WAS white) grout. Has anyone any experience with the microbicide thinline grouts available here?

Alternatively I thought perhaps a high quality cement grout with a wide grout line, perhaps 6mm, would fit the bill. At Wawee the other day however I saw this also gets mouldy. Is there a suitable additive for that stuff or a really good brand that does the job....either inhibits mould or is very hard/nonporous/scrubbable?

Thanx

Edited October 9, 2007 by sleepyjohn

[LeungKen]

Now here is a very concerned query - but does sleepyjohn get an answer after nearly an hour. Or is cleaning the shower such a boring subject that it doesn't require the vast knowledgeable resources of TV.......

I'm madly looking for a emoticon for tongue in cheek

but I would also welcome advice as I too will be putting in new shower room soon.

Cheers

Ken

[ProThaiExpat]

Fungus or mold forms on any surface, including plastic shower curtains, so I doubt there is any grout that will defeat its formation. Clearly, ventilation, or the lack thereof, is a major factor in the formation of mold or fungus in a shower.

Whatever tile you choose, the narrower the grout line the less opportunity for fungus to form. I doubt rough finished tiles are any more prone for fungus formation than smooth ones, but since the fungus will be forming in the grout line, the surface tile can be attacked by your cleaning crew or you at the same time as the grout.

I have full 2.9 meter tiled ceilings in my showers and so steam does not form and fungus formation is minimal. It does form in corners of the pan where drainage is not as good. The ceiling height does markedly improve ventilation during the shower use.

Also, those who take long showers with much steam are inviting fungus formation.

I have always used laundry bleach poured liberally over my shower floors and allowed to stay for a half hour or more. The bleach permeates the grout, as all grout is porous and once you clean the grout, the chlorine impregnated grout tends to inhibit fungus re-growth.

Make sure your work area is well ventilated, even to the point of getting a fan going, as the fumes from chlorine bleach is not health. You will have to scrub the grout lines with a brush or other appropriate tool to dislodge the fungus that the chlorine bleach has "lifted". If the grout is white, it will look like new when your finished.

[LeungKen]

Yeah, I knew we had the resources. Top advice, and thanks ProThaiExpat.

[quiksilva]

Good advice, but perhaps should have been in the DIY forum

[sbk]

Good advice, but perhaps should have been in the DIY forum

///MOVED////

[sleepyjohn]

Good advice, but perhaps should have been in the DIY forum

///MOVED////

Moved where?

I've looked through three times and can't see a DIY forum.......

[sbk]

here

[sleepyjohn]

Fungus or mold forms on any surface, including plastic shower curtains, so I doubt there is any grout that will defeat its formation.

There are additives that inhibit mould (rather like a boat's antifouling).....I just don't know about their effectiveness/longevity

Clearly, ventilation, or the lack thereof, is a major factor in the formation of mold or fungus in a shower.

That would be true although I get a bit of grout mould even in my constantly ventilated bathroom

Whatever tile you choose, the narrower the grout line the less opportunity for fungus to form.

Don't see that....

I doubt rough finished tiles are any more prone for fungus formation than smooth ones

I would have thougt they might be more prone and certainly less cleanable

, but since the fungus will be forming in the grout line, the surface tile can be attacked by your cleaning crew or you at the same time as the grout

I have full 2.9 meter tiled ceilings in my showers and so steam does not form and fungus formation is minimal. It does form in corners of the pan where drainage is not as good. The ceiling height does markedly improve ventilation during the shower use.

Also, those who take long showers with much steam are inviting fungus formation.

I have always used laundry bleach poured liberally over my shower floors and allowed to stay for a half hour or more. The bleach permeates the grout, as all grout is porous and once you clean the grout, the chlorine impregnated grout tends to inhibit fungus re-growth.

Make sure your work area is well ventilated, even to the point of getting a fan going, as the fumes from chlorine bleach is not health. You will have to scrub the grout lines with a brush or other appropriate tool to dislodge the fungus that the chlorine bleach has "lifted". If the grout is white, it will look like new when your finished.

I have tried bleach but it seems once the grout is truly discoloured it doesn't work. I'll bear in mind the thing about it soaking in though....thanks for your input

STILL VERY INTERESTED IN ANYONE'S EXPERIENCE AND SPECIFIC ADVICE PLEASE KEEP IT COMING!!

Edited October 9, 2007 by sleepyjohn

[chownah]

Don't know if this would work but what if you used silicone instead of grout?

[sleepyjohn]

Don't know if this would work but what if you used silicone instead of grout?

I have heard before of someone running a skin of silicone over the grout Chownah....don't know, seems a bit soft to scrub regularly??

I would have thought this was a topic that affects a lot of folk and am surprised at modest response. Perhpas you lot don't do any cleaning yourself!

If I do get more input I have a fourth question to add. Does anyone think there's a problem simply placing new wall tiles over old? Why?

I'd still love some more advice about cement grout and microbicides particularly

Edited October 11, 2007 by sleepyjohn

[sbk]

I've siliconed the edges of the bathroom where the wall meets the floor as we seem to have had some leakage there over the years (we really need to just tear down the old bathroom and build a new one but I can't seem to talk the husband into it ) and the silicone molds-- turns black. I fill a spray bottle with bleach and water and spray it every couple of days to try to keep the blackish stuff down. So no, silicone isn't the answer either.

[cdnvic]

If I do get more input I have a fourth question to add. Does anyone think there's a problem simply placing new wall tiles over old? Why?

In that case you have not only one, but two layers of grout that could potentially fail and cause you trouble.

[cmsally]

I've siliconed the edges of the bathroom where the wall meets the floor as we seem to have had some leakage there over the years (we really need to just tear down the old bathroom and build a new one but I can't seem to talk the husband into it ) and the silicone molds-- turns black. I fill a spray bottle with bleach and water and spray it every couple of days to try to keep the blackish stuff down. So no, silicone isn't the answer either.

Too true, the silicone definitely does turn black, depending on the brand/type more black or less black.

As for putting tiles over others, definitely don't recommend it, easy to trap water underneath (2 layers), and that in turn will build up humidity and well .. more mould. A second layer of tiles is far more susceptible to loosening.

[chownah]

Yeah, black....isn't the grout supposed to be black?....hahahah....hahaha

Chownah

[cmsally]

You can have just about any colour grout - white, cream, brown , green, brown, red , black. They probably have colour charts to go with them.

Silicone is either white or clear, sometimes yellowish but doesn't stay that way for long.

[lannarebirth]

If one likes terracotta tiles, one can buy "siliconized" terracotta tiles. Silicone is impregnated in the material through an emulsion process and water just beads up on it's surface. As for grout, cement works fine, but you would nead to apply a clear grout sealer over it. Grout sealers need a good brushing and reapplication every year or two. A little bit of slope in the shower deck to the drain is also good to clear wetness. I do not recommend using silicone caulking in place of grout. It will collect mold and mildew.

Edited October 12, 2007 by lannarebirth

[xerostar]

I've found the best shower floor is the fibreglass variety.

They are seamless so there is no grout.

The shower base has no corners.

They are curved so there is nowhere for mould to grow.

The complete fibreglass shower cabinet is the best but they cost a lot more.

Fibreglass is very easy to keep clean and looks great.

[Naam]

I have always used laundry bleach poured liberally over my shower floors and allowed to stay for a half hour or more. The bleach permeates the grout, as all grout is porous and once you clean the grout, the chlorine impregnated grout tends to inhibit fungus re-growth.

definitely not advisable if your waste water goes into septic tanks killing the bacteria and render the tanks useless for biological purification.

[Beachbunny]

Hi

I have three parter.

I'm going to retile my shower room floor.

I was thinking of using hand made 6x6s. They have a very shiny finish, being high fired glaze, actually slightly crackle glazed....know the ones?

I am concerned about slipperiness. My first question is....is that a problem?If you use this type of tile in a constantly wet area it

will get black mold growing not on it, but in it. every place you see those crackles is a place for water to get in and mold to grow. How do I know? I have it in my

outdoor kitchen. Although I like it, I would never use it again. I would use the uncrackled ones. ALSO, think twice about putting tile on ANY floor with

a shiny surface. The slightest bit of moisture and you could be on your backside. Besides being slippery, shiny tiles, even if thoroughly clean, tend to have a s

omewhat sticky or filmy feeling when walking barefoot over them.

Going from there I have thought of making a border of these tiles and putting unglazed terracotta tiles in a panel in the middle where one stands.

So second question is.....Will terracotta get grotty......limescale/mould?.....if they do presumably an acid cleaner would not damage the terracotta?

Unless you want to be replacing tiles frequently, I wouldn't use unglazed terra cotta. In the states terra cotta tiles either come with

a sealant already on them or they are sealed after installation. Most people opt for an after installation sealant as if there is any heavy traffic it is easy

to reseal it. However, again, the glazed ones, if you must, would be far better in a shower. Also, Home Pro now carries the colored grouts with sand just

like they normally use in the states for tiled floors. Still need a sealant as mentioned before.

Third and main question by far:

I am rather bored scrubbing mould from the existing white (at least it WAS white) grout. Has anyone any experience with the microbicide thinline grouts available here?

Alternatively I thought perhaps a high quality cement grout with a wide grout line, perhaps 6mm, would fit the bill. At Wawee the other day however I saw this also gets mouldy. Is there a suitable additive for that stuff or a really good brand that does the job....either inhibits mould or is very hard/nonporous/scrubbable?

I re-caulked all our showers with anti-fungal/anti bacterial silicone grout after we finished our house and still got mold. We had a problem with one of

our shower doors, so the guy from the company we bought it from came to check it out. He also said, even if you use the best anti-fungal/anti-bacterial silocone caulk, you

will still get mold in Thailand. However, after reading some of the building forums on mold and caulking, I tend to agree with them, that there is not a good seal, and water is getting in. I saw that the guy from the shower company didn't get a really good bead of caulking down. I have to take it all out again, and I'm just don't want to do it...not yet anyway.

According to installers this is supposed to be one of the best caulking products out there.....but according to what I've read you still need to clean everything with denatured alcohol first. I used ethyl alcohol. This is supposed to be one of the best caulks you can get.....I haven't used it, so can't say. caulk

So now my routine, squeegee shower and wipe down with terry towel after showers......any mold that pops up, cotton ball with bleach stuck to it overnight. I don't want bleach in my septic, plus I use car wax on my tiles and bleach makes it go all white, same for vinegar.This is not a solution, just a bandaid for now.

Thanx

One thing that does help on the grout is a sealant....on both the floor and wall grout joints. The problem with that is if you have white grout you need to find one that doesn't dry yellow. Then you need to reapply it every two or three years.

When we build our guesthouse, we will think long and hard about how the shower will be built. Right now we are certain it will be a walk in shower (the type you do yourself, as

I'm sure the units aren't available here.) but beyond that I'm not sure.......maybe put the exhaust fan right over the shower instead of the toilet....or both. I've seen one walk in shower done in Rayong with glass blocks that was very nice, but still the grout to contend with. You never know though, there is always some new product coming into thailand every year.

Beachbunny

Edited October 16, 2007 by Beachbunny