Home » Categories » Natural Stone Q & A’s

1x1 polished marble shower floor

Recently had a polished bianca carrara shower installed. We have 1x1 polished carrara on the shower floor. After a few uses, the tiles and grout around the drain has darkened. Tile guy said this is normal. He says water will always get through the tile and the grout. I think he is blowing smoke up my you no what! If this is the case, how come the rest of the shower dries normal. Because of this, I have stopped using the shower to negate further issues. Builder not offering much help. Apparently underneath there is a waterproof membrane then cement on top. Then the thinset and tile was applied. Shower has not been sealed. The rest of the shower floors dries fine. We have hired a stone restoration person to restore the bathroom floor because of scratches after install and he recommended the we seal the shower which of course goes against your viewpoint. He did want someone to investigate the darkening around the drain beforehand. Even though surface is polished, he does take up water if left to sit. Further, there does not appear to be any crack grout. Your thoughts please! Thank you. Carla
 

Dear Carla:

 

Tile guy said this is normal. He says water will always get through the tile and the grout. I think he is blowing smoke up my you no what!

 

You think right. Water will not go through the marble, and if the grouting was done right, it will not go through the grout, either.

 

If this is the case, how come the rest of the shower dries normal.

 

One the mysteries of the faith: believe, don't ask questions and give me money, of course!... J

 

Because of this, I have stopped using the shower to negate further issues.

 

Good deal!

 

Builder not offering much help.

 

What a shocker!...

 

Apparently underneath there is a waterproof membrane then cement on top.

 

I sure hope so!

 

Shower has not been sealed.

 

Good deal!

 

We have hired a stone restoration person to restore the bathroom floor because of scratches after install and he recommended the we seal the shower which of course goes against your viewpoint.

 

True. It does go against my viewpoint. However, it is not really a viewpoint. A viewpoint is someone's opinion, and I always try not to base my postings on my opinion. I'd rather go by science whenever possible. And science tells me (and anybody else who can or care to listen to it) that the possible problems that could arise from applying an impregnator to a stone installed in a wet environment (even my outstanding MB-4) outstrip the (dubious and unproven) benefits.

 

Further, there does not appear to be any crack grout. Your thoughts please!

 

First, you remove all the grout from the floor, Second you let the marble squares dry completely. Third you make sure that they all have the proper slant toward the drain, and, if not, have them removed and then re-placed properly. Forth you will re-grout using color-matching (white in this case) latex-based siliconized caulking material, making sure that's pushed deep in between the squares. Water-proof, stain-less, mildew-resistant. What more can you ask from grout?! J

Do all that, and I can assure that your stone will never darken again.

 

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm .  

And remember, every single penny of the cost of the literature will be used to support this site and its cause: your cause.

While you are in the “Helpful Hints” section, do spend some time reading all of the interesting FREE articles you'll find in there!

Finally, keep in mind that we need your support to help us helping you!

Will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?    

By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with, you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!

Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

www.marblecleaning.org – The only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!
Attachments Attachments
There are no attachments for this article.
Comments Comments
There are no comments for this article. Be the first to post a comment.
Related Articles RSS Feed
Contractor created cloudy surface on uba tuba countertop.
Viewed 0 times since Sat, Feb 9, 2008
calacatta marble
Viewed 0 times since Thu, Jul 24, 2008
Granite quality
Viewed 0 times since Wed, Oct 24, 2007
Shelf life for Granite Sealer for Kitchen
Viewed 0 times since Sat, Apr 5, 2008
granite & marble floors
Viewed 0 times since Fri, Jun 15, 2007
Granite Countertop
Viewed 0 times since Sat, Nov 24, 2007
Marble Cleaning - Dull table tops
Viewed 0 times since Sun, Jan 11, 2009
Crystalization of Marble
Viewed 0 times since Wed, Feb 13, 2008
slate
Viewed 0 times since Wed, Jan 2, 2008
Bluestone Patio Stains
Viewed 0 times since Fri, Oct 5, 2007