Bad shower tiling

[dirtydog]

If the tiles in your shower look like this...

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x241/dirtydog88/19834b35.jpg

Then ffs stop using the shower!

This was a job I got called out to this morning, landlord said "it just needs re-grouting."
The crack was about 12mm wide in some places, the plasterboard behind the tiles was soaking and mouldy, all the tiles on the bottom row were loose and the carpet the other side of the shower was wet!

Conversation with the landlord was like this
Me: at least the bottom 2 rows of tiles need to come off, plasterboard replaced and then re-tiled
Landlord: how much will that cost?
Me: gives the price
Ll: no, I'm not paying that. Can't you just re-grout it?
Me: yeah I could but it'll be cracked by the end of the week.
Ll: just grout and re-seal it so it looks ok then.
Me: ok I'll do that if that's what you want but the guarantee on my works ends when I walk out the front door.
Ll: yeah that's fine.

What a nob!

[Bibio]

yup typical landlord. i used to do maintenance work for a few but got fed up with their attitude and always complaining about my invoices which took longer and longer to pay so in the end i vowed never to do work for those sort of people again and if i did then it was double the price with half up front.

[dirtydog]

The "just patch it up" attitude drives me nuts. Why can't they just accept they need to do a job properly?
If something like that gets sorted properly and in a decent time then the tenant will be happy and will stop hassling them about getting stuff repaired etc

[Bibio]

because the don't care as they don't stay there but they also don't realise that if not taken care off properly then it can lead to rotten joists and all sorts but again they don't care as then they can claim off the insurance.

[Specialone]

I've seen this in quite a few houses, it's shocking how many showers are fitted incorrectly, even new builds the showers are more often than not fitted crap.

Unless the tray is stable and solid, it will move and crack the silicone and sometimes cause what you see in the op.

Landlords are mostly the same, fecking tight and short sighted idiots.

I don't like working for them tbh, I don't wanna put my name to shoddy work even if they are approving it.

I met a landlord the other week who had the right idea, he was still tight but he said that if the property is maintained, warm and quiet, you'll keep your tenants long term.
He keeps his properties long term so wasn't short sighted on sub standard materials or repairs.

[dirtydog]

We've got a slightly iffy shower in our house due to how its been fitted and badly tiled but our landlord isnt too interested in sorting it properly as that would pretty much mean the whole bathroom needs re-tiling. Even offered her a very large discount on my labour costs to do it.
I find the plastic trays are the worst for it, which is why I always recommend the stone resin ones

[timwilky]

This is why I always line showers with aquapanel before tiling them.

[metalangel]

When I was a scumbag student, our landlord decided to deal with the damp and mould on the shower tiles by buying an enormous piece of PVC and caulking it in place OVER the tiles.

He also dealt with the damp and mould in the downstairs front bedroom (which was mine for a year before I wisely moved upstairs) by just painting over the wallpaper each year to conceal the greenish black that was spreading.

[Specialone]

If the shower tray has been fitted properly and sealed them aqua panels aren't required, they won't make any difference if the tray is moving due to poor installation.

I use the green moisture resistant board mostly, it's perfect for bathrooms.

[timwilky]

To seat trays I tend to use a stiff mortar. But always resin trays. cheap nasty plastic don't cut it when the fatties want shower sex.

[Specialone]

I used to bed them on mortar but now use dabs of building silicone about 4 inch apart (approx 3-4 tubes in total), this actually glues it in place along with glueing it to wall, works much better and is quicker and easier to level.

[tactcom7]

Did someone mention badly fitted showers in rented accommodation?

Check out our beauty...

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd319/tactcom7/20120725_142314.jpg

[missyburd]

Urgh, how stupid. The old "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" motto comes to mind. Makes so much more sense to spend more time getting a job done properly in the first place than continue bodging in a truly poor manner.


He also dealt with the damp and mould in the downstairs front bedroom (which was mine for a year before I wisely moved upstairs) by just painting over the wallpaper each year to conceal the greenish black that was spreading.
Ha, my old uni landlord was the same! The poor lad whose room it was used to stink of damp and developed bad skin and a horrid cough because of it. But being a lad he didn't want to "hassle" her too much until we pulled him to one side and told him his health was compromised :rolleyes:

[dirtydog]

Did someone mention badly fitted showers in rented accommodation?

Check out our beauty...

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd319/tactcom7/20120725_142314.jpg



Looking at that I'd say the original shower bar has been replaced with the one in the picture which is why it's bodged on like that. Saves taking tiles off and adjusting the pipework and therefore saves money, which is what most landlords want

[tigersaw]

But bodging to that quality takes time and skill

[dirtydog]

Yep it certainly does, note the use of silicone sealant around the fittings

[maviczap]

I think there's a need for a worst bodge thread!

[tactcom7]

the whole thing is loose, the reason for the silicone is that the threaded portion should be behind the wall, not sticking out, and the silver washers are oversize for the smaller diameter threaded pipe, so what did the genius do? Yep, loads of white gunk.

Every time i see it it just makes me want a wetroom more and more.

[Vergey]

Is this in guildford in southway by any chance? Just looks remarkably like one of my old student houses that the landlord bodged due to a similar problem. The first picture that is.

[tactcom7]

No mate it's up norf West Yorks, oddly it is one of the things that was pointed out when we were shown the property as somethig they were proud of. 'Oooohh and this is our nice new shower isn't it great'. Must have been taking the ****!

[metalangel]

Ha, my old uni landlord was the same! The poor lad whose room it was used to stink of damp and developed bad skin and a horrid cough because of it. But being a lad he didn't want to "hassle" her too much until we pulled him to one side and told him his health was compromised :rolleyes:

I made a point of moving to a different room for the second year I was in there. Whenever I would go and see the girl who was now in there I could feel the moisture in the room, everything was just slightly, slightly damp.

Given 50 Shades of Grey hadn't been invented yet, etc etc.

[widepants]

After 29 years in the job , nothing shocks me anymore