Hi all,
Keen to hear from anyone who may be able to help with my situation involving exterior tile efflorescence.
About 12 months ago we had a tiled exterior balcony renovated to address efflorescence and water penetrating under the tiles.
We contracted a builder to rip up the old tiles, lay a new sub floor, new waterproofing (using Ardex fabric), re-tile and install a new balustrade.
Not long after the works, we started getting pretty bad efflorescence any time it rained (the heavier the rain, the worse the efflorescence). In summer or a hot enough/sunny day, you can actually see the water coming up through the grout lines before it dries and hardens and becomes the white efflorescence.
It obvious water is getting in somehow as I understand this is how efflorescence occurs (water mixing with the compounds in the grout or glue).
Originally I thought water might be getting in around the posts of the new balustrade. For context, originally the balustrade posts were attached (screwed) into the sub floor after the Ardex waterproofing was laid but prior to the tiles being laid. You can see in one of the photos.
The builder and tiler then decided to facilitate an easier/quicker laying of the tiles and and give a neater look, to remove the balustrade, lay the tiles and grout and then reattach the balustrade on top of the new tiles (also in photos).
My first question is, could this install and removal of the balustrade jeopardised any 'seal' between the balustrade post and the tile, allowing water in?
I have also been trying to isolated where/how water might be getting under the tiles and am leaning towards it getting in through the grout lines themselves. Is this possible? I don't think water is getting in from overflowing gutters/eaves and running down inside the wall and then under the tile.
Admittedly things didn't end particularly well with our builder so my ability to resolve this with them, now that the works are 'complete' is limited.
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Pre tiles, ArdexBalustrade attached tho subfloor after waterproofing. Glue base used to lay tiles.Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅
All things considered, what are my options here? Our tiler said at the time, once the grout goes in, the tiles are 'sealed' but I know there are tile sealant products available. If water is getting in through the grout lines, would sealing the tiles with such a product stop it?
Should we re-grout?
I've spoken to a building inspector who said that efflorescence isn't grounds for a 'defect' so even if I was still on good terms with my builder, I might not have any grounds to claim poor workmanship anyway.
After a lot of money, its pretty disappointing to still have an ugly looking product every time it rains and a bit of sun hits the tiles.
D
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Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement  22 Feb 2019 571 Gold Member Exterior tile efflorescence 2Jul 19, 2023 12:12 am hard to fix, water definitely goes through cement grout because it is porous. The salts are coming from the tile glue or a mortar bed if one was used. There is a project called efflock that can be added to the mortar bed. best option now is epoxy grout, which is not porous. Fall is the other issue, not enough and the water has too much time to soak in. 18 Jul 2023 3 NSW New Poster Re: Exterior tile efflorescence 3Jul 19, 2023 7:19 am Thanks Pulse - appreciate the reply! A glue bed was used and there was no additional material (efflock) used at the time. I'm curious now, what's to stop all tiled surfaces suffering from efflorescence if grout is porous? Because any time grout gets wet, the water goes through the grout and reacts to the mortar/glue bed right? Expoxy grout is something I've had someone use in my shower but is it common to use it outside in a large area? What should have been done in the first place to avoid this problem? A steeper fall? (the builders did spend a fair amount of time trying to get the required fall) 22 Feb 2019 571 Gold Member Re: Exterior tile efflorescence 4Jul 20, 2023 10:53 pm Epoxy can be used anywhere, like pools etc. I imagine the efflorescence appearance is worse with some darker tile colours or some glues might have more free salts. I’d get expert advice from the glue manufacturer, it is the only source of efflorescence, therefore it’s on them to fix or at least advise you. I’d not accept this if it was redone for efflorescence. 18 Jul 2023 3 NSW New Poster Re: Exterior tile efflorescence 5Jul 21, 2023 9:40 am Thanks again mate. That is the ultimate question - whether I have any grounds with the builder/the tiler to have the works redone using xpoxy (likely by a specialist installer, rather than the original tiler). Whether its worth doing that, I'm yet to really decide (stress, time, no guarantee we can claim anyway etc), given how poorly the relationship ended up at the end. Thinking it might just be better to absorb the cost to have it redone (I've had a quote for about $1,700). 22 Feb 2019 571 Gold Member Re: Exterior tile efflorescence 6Jul 21, 2023 7:15 pm not sure about best path forward, epoxy will be waterproof except external tiles will have hairline cracks at the joint due to large temperature variations and large format tiles with only few joints to allow for these movements. If possible I would still pursue the glue manufacturer for advice if nothing else. You might have a claim against the tiler but it depends on if they guaranteed to you there would be no efflorescence. 1. Roof cleaning and paint - which colour do you recommend? I often see black/ dark grey in use these days but I would prefer… 0 15027 Hi all, I am currently building through Simmonds and stuck deciding on my exterior cement roof titles and brick colours. The front and fascade of the house is a pretty… 0 10487 This house has potentional, but what would you do to the exterior of the house to give it more street appeal? 0 10716 |
