Decorative tile has become a popular decorating item in many homes. While tile adds to the home’s appeal, it is not without its weakness. Water can extensively damage tile and cause mold to grow in a person’s home.

A common place to find tile in a home is in the bathroom, specifically in a shower. These tiles are most often placed over drywall, as in homes built between 1965 to 1990, or cement walling, as found in newer homes. While tiles make for a sturdy shower space, they remain susceptible to damage from water left after a person bathes.

If a shower has a drywall backing, the remaining water will travel to the drywall, causing it to expand and swell. This expansion then causes the tile to become loose and perhaps even crack. The damage from cracked and loose tiles can be so significant as to warrant a shower’s needing to be entirely replaced. Cement walls do not absorb water; however, the water, instead of being absorbed into the walls, will travel to the showers floor. The water will then seep onto any surrounding floor tiling or carpeting and cause mold. Again, the damage can be so great that the homeowner may need to replace the flooring.

Home restoration professionals commonly recommend that a homeowner using grout to seal the cracks in between tiles to prevent the water from seeping into drywall. Grout is a cement-based product that, while not waterproof, prevents for some time the seeping of water into the drywall. Even more so, a homeowner should use inspect a shower’s grout and routinely replace it to ensure that the tiles will not be damaged. The grout should then be sealed with caulking. For newer showers that have cement walls, it is recommended that a weephole be placed in the shower. A weephole allows the water to travel back into the shower without damaging outside flooring or tiling. A weephole should never be filled with grout or caulk. Without an adequate weephole, a cement-backed tile shower stands to suffer damage to the shower pan and surrounding flooring.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.comIn your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059