2Nd Floor Bathroom Tile Leaks Through To 1St Floor Ceiling

[tangcoral]

In our newly remodeled house, our 2nd floor bathroom leak water to below floor.

The water manages to permeate through the tile floor via the grout seams when heavy water usage during floor mopping/cleaning.

Hired another contractor only to say that whoever installed our tile didn't use a proper cement or underlayment that seals or waterproofs the concrete floor beneath the tile thus leaking down into the livingroom ceiling.

They want to rip out the floor tile to redo the "cement filler underlayment"

Can I somehow seal the grout instead of removing the newly installed tiles?

If not what steps do I need to take since were gonna redo the whole floor.

Sorry for the lack of terminology as I am not familiar with construction work.

[bbradsby]

COncealed leak conditions under tile are tough to ID without destructive testing. But usually it is one of the following for tile floor/shower leaks.

Your tile setting bed is not a waterproof system;

OR it has cracked due to shrinkage from too much water mixed in, lack of steel mesh reinforcement or by telegraphing cracks up from a cracked substrate;

OR it is not sitting on top of a waterproof membrane,

OR the membrane is not lapped properly at a penetration such as floor drain or pipe;

OR the floor-wall joint is not flashed & sealed under the tile.

Real fix: rip it up and do it right, with a professional detail & spec & installer.

Cheap, possible fix, so I'd try this first: remove grout at entire floor AND perimeter where it meets ALL vertical surfaces, and replace with an epoxy grout. Then seal the entire floor with several coats of a good tile sealer.

Let us know what it turns out to be, and how you fixed it!

[tangcoral]

UPDATE: when the removing the fiberglass shower water containment tub to repair the drain as some leaking occured After removing a small portion of the tile they noticed that the concrete subfloor is not even thus small pockets of space beneath the tile exist in sporadic locations. In there words, the water can pool up in these small pockets.

I thought a good sealant on the grout would suffice. I know it will not water proof it completely but do its job 99% of the time so as long as we do not shower on top of the tile or do a water spray down while cleaning the floor. Only normal mopping should be done.

Any thoughts?

REPLYING to bbradsby: thank you for the detailed list of potential issues. I might just have it redone correctly. Referring to the "waterproof membrane" what does this consist of? Plastic sheeting? Paint like coating or sealant that goes on top of the entire concrete subfloor?

Edited March 7, 2012 by tangcoral

[tangcoral]

Just came back from Homepro, they are suggesting I use "TOA waterbloc" which is coated on top of the concrete. Is this a gimmick or actually works?

Are there other steps I should include. The bathroom is small at 2mx2.2m

This is the layer that I am planning to do from top to bottom:

Tile

mortar mix

TOA water bloc

concrete

Should I be using cement back boards (probably used on for wooden subfloor?)

Plastic waterproof membrane or what other type of waterproof membrane can I use?

Also what does it mean and how is it done properly -> "the floor-wall joint is not flashed & sealed under the tile"

Edited March 7, 2012 by tangcoral

[canopy]

Tile floors leak and this is normal and understood by developed countries. That is why in developed countries, such showers always have 2 drains: one inlet above the tile and one inlet below the tile. If you want to build a water tight shower it is just a matter of following the design that has been worked out to perfection by our ancestors. See diagram. You could also go the Thai way and just make up something with typically dubious results.

[bbradsby]

Sure you want to rip it all up? As its not in the shower, id do the "Cheap, possible fix" I first mentioned above: remove grout [easy, just the visible stuff between the tiles] at entire floor AND perimeter where it meets ALL vertical surfaces, and replace with an epoxy grout. Then seal the entire floor with several coats of a good tile sealer."

For a full demolition, don't use cement board for a concrete and/or masonry substrate at floor & walls. Let me know which way you want to go.