Wetroom fail... Advice

[Apdxb]

Hi,

As part of renovations, we had a wet room with microcement walls.

I don't think the builder had done this before. When the shower was first tested, a water stain around the bottom edge came up immediately. It was left to dry out for two/three weeks, but the stain did not go away. (Faded a bit..) Builder attempted to fix by putting silicone like sealant round edges as he thought it was being sucked in by capillary action.(can't remember exactly as it had to be something that wouldn't perish the waterproof membrane for the drain).

It didn't work and has unsurprisingly gotten a lot worse. The wet area has bubbled up and is fried and crumbling off.

After repeated.requests to fix it have given up. At this point would rather botch it myself! at least I may learn something in the process..

It was done with Topicement.

Can it be salvaged? If so, how and roughly at what cost? or would it be cheaper/easier to rip out and tile instead?

Many thanks.

 

[raggles]

Best thing you could do is get someone who knows exactly what they are doing to have a look at it because, I would be just as worried about the tiling tbh.

 

[plas1]

Hi There,

Where are you based?Happy to discuss to get rectified.It would need stripping off but I would need some info/area sizes and measure.

Please feel free to contact me on 07719330726 to discuss.Yoir more than welcome to visit my showroom to see various finishes I offer and tbh that looks shocking all over.

Kind regards

Rich

 

[ChrispyUK]

Hi,

As part of renovations, we had a wet room with microcement walls.

I don't think the builder had done this before. When the shower was first tested, a water stain around the bottom edge came up immediately. It was left to dry out for two/three weeks, but the stain did not go away. (Faded a bit..) Builder attempted to fix by putting silicone like sealant round edges as he thought it was being sucked in by capillary action.(can't remember exactly as it had to be something that wouldn't perish the waterproof membrane for the drain).

It didn't work and has unsurprisingly gotten a lot worse. The wet area has bubbled up and is fried and crumbling off.

After repeated.requests to fix it have given up. At this point would rather botch it myself! at least I may learn something in the process..

It was done with Topicement.

Can it be salvaged? If so, how and roughly at what cost? or would it be cheaper/easier to rip out and tile instead?

Many thanks.View attachment 58287

What prep was done prior to tiling/plastering?

 

[BobbyJack]

Looks like it has failed where the micro cement meets the tile. This is the weakest spot and most likely to fail area. The water by now is behind the micro cement depending what the sub strate is that the micro cement is on too. It's a waste of time trying to dry it out as you would be waiting months for it to dry thoroughly. It could also cause the micro cement to lose its key and come away from the sub strate. It can be taken back and repaired but I wouldn't let the original person do it as I dont think they know enough about it. Treat it like any water wall with different material on adjacent sides. If you tile a wall onto a shower tray or bath you would have to use silicone as the bath or tray will move microscopically and water would get through. If I put a finish onto a wall with a shower tray i would silicone the corner join. The only time using micro cement where you wouldn't need silicone is if the floor is done in it as well.
I have used topciment before but I wasnt very keen on the product. It's quite gooey when applying it. I dont think the sealer has failed but again these can be a minefield. Different companies that make sealers all get applied in different ways. The mixing ratios for 2 part sealers have to be exact or break down can occur. Hope this helps