Flooring Tile - Waterproofing Exterior Grout on Ceramic Tile
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MissFortune
02-22-09, 12:24 PM
Greetings DIY guru's,
This is my first post, so I will do my best to get it right:thumbup:
Every year, we get 1-2 months of rain season (tropical - hurricane season, where it rains hard out every day, rest of the year is hot hot hot!)
Our problem : Our roof is a 2000sqft flat sundeck. It is tiled (ceramic) with grout spacing of less than 1/8.
The layering ( is that what you call it :o ?) is from top to bottom, tile, adhesive, concrete, styrofoam blocks, wood and rebar and finally plaster. It probably sounds weird, but we live in Mexico and thats the materials they use here.
Last rain season, we got a leak in one area and after examining, we found a hairline crack that spread from one end of the roof to the other (horizontally). We tried to re-grout it ourselves to no avail. We then got a grout sealer and applied it to the whole roof. Crack reappeared a few weeks later. We then bought this "special" sealant that claimed to be like silicone and concrete mixed together (we thought it would give the floor some flexibility aswell as sealing the crack and keeping the water out). Didn't work. Leak continued.
Rain season is a few months away and we would like to fix the leak problem before its too late again. What would you all suggest? A local handyman is offering to re-grout the whole roof. We are keen to find out what type of grout he should be using for exterior ceramic tiles, with spacing of less than 1/8. Should it be sanded or unsanded? Should it have a seallant included, or is seallant applied after the grout has cured, or both?
I hope Im not sounding to strange, I kinda make terms up as I go, since I dont know the proper ones... appreciate any advise. Thank you.
This is my first post, so I will do my best to get it right:thumbup:
Every year, we get 1-2 months of rain season (tropical - hurricane season, where it rains hard out every day, rest of the year is hot hot hot!)
Our problem : Our roof is a 2000sqft flat sundeck. It is tiled (ceramic) with grout spacing of less than 1/8.
The layering ( is that what you call it :o ?) is from top to bottom, tile, adhesive, concrete, styrofoam blocks, wood and rebar and finally plaster. It probably sounds weird, but we live in Mexico and thats the materials they use here.
Last rain season, we got a leak in one area and after examining, we found a hairline crack that spread from one end of the roof to the other (horizontally). We tried to re-grout it ourselves to no avail. We then got a grout sealer and applied it to the whole roof. Crack reappeared a few weeks later. We then bought this "special" sealant that claimed to be like silicone and concrete mixed together (we thought it would give the floor some flexibility aswell as sealing the crack and keeping the water out). Didn't work. Leak continued.
Rain season is a few months away and we would like to fix the leak problem before its too late again. What would you all suggest? A local handyman is offering to re-grout the whole roof. We are keen to find out what type of grout he should be using for exterior ceramic tiles, with spacing of less than 1/8. Should it be sanded or unsanded? Should it have a seallant included, or is seallant applied after the grout has cured, or both?
I hope Im not sounding to strange, I kinda make terms up as I go, since I dont know the proper ones... appreciate any advise. Thank you.
JazMan
02-22-09, 12:56 PM
Ceramic tile is NOT waterproof. Grout is NOT waterproof. There is NO way to apply a sealer to either that will make the installation waterproof.
Reviewing the layers of your installation, I do not see a waterproofing membrane atall. Maybe there is one in there somewhere and it failed, but you didn't mention one.
The are many methods to build roofs and balconies with tile. You might start by visiting the Schluter website for their methods. Schluter Systems - Homepage - Schluter-Systems (http://www.schluter.com) also go to; Sheet Membranes & Shower Installation Products for Tile & Stone (http://www.noblecompany.com)
Jaz
Reviewing the layers of your installation, I do not see a waterproofing membrane atall. Maybe there is one in there somewhere and it failed, but you didn't mention one.
The are many methods to build roofs and balconies with tile. You might start by visiting the Schluter website for their methods. Schluter Systems - Homepage - Schluter-Systems (http://www.schluter.com) also go to; Sheet Membranes & Shower Installation Products for Tile & Stone (http://www.noblecompany.com)
Jaz
MissFortune
02-22-09, 02:49 PM
Thank you for your response.
Ummmm....membrane.... :eek: don't recall seeing any type of membrane applied. We were here every day watching the whole process.
I did mention our home was in Mexico, right? Often, things are done here quite different than back up North (or anywhere in the world to be honest!)
Is there a simple solution to this problem? Lets say there is no membrane, can we find a solution that does not require re-doing the whole roof? :eek:
Thanks again for your quick response.
Ummmm....membrane.... :eek: don't recall seeing any type of membrane applied. We were here every day watching the whole process.
I did mention our home was in Mexico, right? Often, things are done here quite different than back up North (or anywhere in the world to be honest!)
Is there a simple solution to this problem? Lets say there is no membrane, can we find a solution that does not require re-doing the whole roof? :eek:
Thanks again for your quick response.