All perimeters should be caulked with an ASTM C920 sealant e.g. Then a secondary waterproof membrane should be installed over the properly slopped mortar bed and then the tile should be bonded to it. Then a non-bonded wire reinforced mortar bed should be installed. It should have a primary waterproof membrane that is either a hot mop application of tar or a sheet material properly applied over the slopped subfloor. Best regards, Bobbyīalconies over occupied space should be properly pitched/slopped to a drain or to a perimeter gutter. I’m starting to think a sand filled epoxy might be worth trying. I would love to find a coating that could be applied to the grout, or even a pour over the entire floor (providing it’s not slippery when wet) coating. We have tried squeegee the walls, and floor to get it to dry faster, and the walkin door is always left open after use. Which of course restarted the scrubbing, that removes even more. I applied a similar paint like sealer (slightly elastometric ) product which lasted 5 or 6 months, then began to flake off too. I tried pressure washing to remove the rest and get the grout as clean as possible. There had been some kind of sealing paint over the grout lines that was flaking off. We end up scrubbing with bleach about every two weeks when we can’t stand the staining anymore. As you might expect the growth is worse closer to the drain which dries last. We live in central Florida, so the house has A/C running most of the year. There is a lot of grout with this floor, the grout grows mold or mildew constantly. We have a walk-in shower (vintage 2003) with 2″ square tile white ceramic tiles (& white grout) on the floor. You have to make sure that the joints are clean and dry before applying the sealant. Or you can use an exterior polyurethane sealant (caulking) to fill those joints that in effect will waterproof the joint. You could add a latex liquid in lieu of water to a cementitious grout and fill those joints so the grout is not porous and freeze thaw stable. The joints between the tiles had a cementitious grout that came loose because the grout is porous and in freeze-thaw weather when it becomes saturated in water then freezes it causes the grout to break up.
Although lets assume you have flat roof tiles that are adequately attached to the roof but you have a leak. If you have a flat roof tile that is adhered to the roof it too should have a waterproof membrane under it. So I assume you don’t have that type if you are using a grout to fill in. They use two layers of a roof asphalt paper weather lapped and staggered over each layer. If you have traditional interlocking barrel roof tiles, the waterproofing is done under the tiles. One product is called PROSOCO Conservare® H100. It allegedly penetrates into the pores of the stone and grows a crystallized matrix in the voids to block further moisture. There are certain types of sealers that use silicate based materials that claim they consolidate and stabilize deteriorated stone. Minerals in the stone, in the underlying mortar and concrete, and the water to which it is subjected to dissolve in the water (like salt does) and the water migrates to the stone surface where the moisture evaporates and precipitates the minerals that expand and cause the spalling. The salt water might be a contributing factor, but generally speaking the spalling is due to improper waterproofing the stone during the installation to prevent it from being subjected to excessive moisture. After all, the salt is converted through electrolysis into hydrogen gas and hypochlorous acid making chlorine. I have investigated many such cases by taking water samples and performing petrographic analysis on the damaged stones and we find that the percent of salt is very minimal in the water.
Often people like to blame stone spalling (surface deterioration) on salt water pools. If the tile is impervious and all the joints are filled with this type of sealant, you might end up with it being waterproof, depending on how good of a job you do. Be sure to also caulk the perimeter of the tile where it runs into walls and tubs with this same sealant.
#Sealing tiled floors full
This type of caulking is either a full strength silicone or a urethane sealant. Clean the joints out thoroughly and fill them with an ASTM C920 sealant (caulking). The only thing you could try on, on an experimental basis and if you deem it practical, is to remove the grout joints by cutting them out with a dustless diamond cutting wheel on a grinder. Some people will try to put a sealer on the grout joints, but that doesn't waterproof it.
#Sealing tiled floors install
ANSWER ANSWER - If the ceramic tile is already installed there is no way to fully waterproof the floor after the fact, unless you replace the tile and install a legitimate waterproof membrane during the replacement process.