Shower – Does the travertine-tiled shower have thin set leaking out the bottom

showertile

I have shower tiled with travertine and along the entire bottom a thick almost rubber-like substance is slowly leaking out. It is a grey / black color. I'm assuming it is thin set that wasn't mixed properly and never completely set up. Should I be concerned, and if so what should I do about it?

Best Answer

I suspect that's butyl sealant that a lazy installer used to prevent moisture from wicking up behind the tile, avoiding a trip to the hardware store. You might carefully trim it off with a razor blade and cover it with what should have been used in the first place: "tub & tile caulk".

Thinset has only two consistencies: powdery when dry and concrete-like after exposure to moisture.