Q: I have a situation I would like to resolve in my all-tile shower. There is fungus/mildew growing in most of the joints on the wall-to-floor tile interface. I think the reason is that the outer edges of the tile floor do not slope to the center drain. Water just stands at the edges continuously.
I have tried to remove the mildew, but nothing works. I would like to remove all the mildew grout, clean the surfaces and re-apply grout. I understand that I need to use caulk at the bottom edge. My other option is to take up the outer two tiles around the shower and slope it to the drain as it should be. Can you make a recommendation? -- S.E.
A: The mildew will not go away but can be controlled with regular doses of household bleach. If you want to remove the grout, talk to someone at a local tile store or home store about a grout saw. Dremel makes a wonderful tool with separate attachments for removing grout.
If you replace the grout, the new grout will eventually mildew again. You can prolong the onset of mildew by coating the new grout with silicone sealer. Removing and replacing the tiles to make them drain may be next to impossible. The chances are the tile will break if you try to remove it.
Tiles that come loose easily were not installed properly in the first place, which might lead you to bigger problems. If the tiles are loose, you might want to check the underside of the shower from the basement or crawl space.
Tile floors that do not drain may be rotting the wood structure that supports them. If you discover decay damage, contact a tile installer for help.
(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home-improvement questions at PO Box 268, Evansville, IN 47702 or send him e-mail at d.barnett@insightbb.com.)
Resources American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
To locate an American Society of Home Inspectors inspector near you, call or visit the website of ASHI.
American Society of Home Inspectors
Website:
www.ashi.org
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