The tile installers didn't shut off the shower valve when they left after installing tile work in our shower. We turned on the main water supply and 15 minutes later, we went to the bathroom to check the tile work. The bathroom was soaked and water overflowed in our master bedroom. Do we need to re-install the tiles? Also, we're wondering if it is necessary to remove the backer board to check for water seeping behind the walls. We've placed a dehumidifier the entire night to remove all the moisture and to keep the bathroom dry.
Tile – Do we need to re-install tiles if it was exposed to water for 20 minutes after installation
bathroomtile
Related Solutions
Wire lath has been used as a base for plaster walls and stucco for decades.
It is made from an expanded mesh of metal. You should be able to:
- cut a piece that is the size of your mosaic
- check to make sure that the lath + thinset + mosaic will be flush with the remainder of your tiles
- attach it to your backerboard (or whatever the substrate is for the rest of the tile) with screws or staples
- cover the mesh completely with thinset, making sure it fills the gaps under the mesh and adheres to the backing material
- place your mosaic on the thinset.
The wire lath should be available at tile stores and possibly home centers. See, e.g. this
When I used to do a lot of these for a building/renovation company, the approach our foreman recommended was to assume the drywall will need replacing anyway and just rip it out. That would let you remove that entire panel in 45 minutes, and then you can just pop a new piece of drywall in, which is another 15 minutes.
As you can see from your 45 minutes, the drywall is going to be ruined, so just bite the bullet - get in behind it and pull it all off. The use of a crow bar and hammer may help here.
If you are wanting to keep the tiles on the adjacent wall, make sure you have cut a gap in at the corner so you don't rip it out as well.
Also, make sure you have something over the drain, to avoid it becoming clogged (I know - sounds obvious, but people do forget)
Updated to incorporate comments
- Cement board and a vapour barrier are the only suitable backing for your tiles here. Drywall shouldn't have been in there to begin with.
- Watch out when hammering around plumbing, to avoid water leaks adding to your worries!
Best Answer
There are two problems I can think of. The first is exposing the thinset to excess moisture, this will impact the chemical reaction that's part of the curing process, which may lead to a weaker bond and loose tiles. It's easy enough to wait at least 24 hours and then check the tiles to see if they are firmly in place. If a bunch are easily dislodged, then I'd remove everything to inspect for damage behind the walls. You'll want a new backer board for a flat tile install anyway.
The bigger problem is if water got behind the tiles into the wall. A proper install will have a waterproof barrier behind the tiles since grout, thin set, and often the tiles themselves are not waterproof. If this barrier (e.g. Ditra) isn't the case in your install, the materials behind the tile and possible paths water could take are important. If water is getting into drywall, even green board, wood (studs, plywood, or OSB), or on metal (non-galvanized nails/screws, electrical lines, communications lines) you will see damage. The damage will likely take time to detect, e.g. rusting, corrosion, and mold won't be noticeable immediately.
On the flip side, it's also possible that any damage that has resulted will not be noticed until after you sell the home or perform another renovation. Because of this, it's difficult for anyone to give a definitive answer. You may be exposing yourself to significant health hazards from mold, or you may not have any issues at all.