Finish the demo all the way. "wish we could afford a total gut job but it's not possible."

You can't afford not to. There is nothing in your photo's that appears savable. Sorry

Whatever you save by not gutting those problems walls will cost you many times more when your replacement tile job fails in a few years and you have to re-do it correctly. Do it once and do it right. It will be the cheapest option in the long run.

We opened the wall, it was just the tile and grout that had mould due to bad group job. it was only in certain places. the waybl this shower was build the protective membrane went from the inside out towards the shower. those walls are cement, base is cement. rock solid! but now that we removed the tile, we need to find a way to make this look pretty again.

darn auto correct....*mold and * bad grout job.

flipflopping with going matte white (but base will remain the same), going a light gray as seen on the floor and painting the walls gray, trims in the bathroom would change to silver or find a cream like tile that is matte rather than glossy ...any other options???

my dream would be to go with a teal or turquoise tile...but that is only in my head and every time i pass by the $9 per tile i change my mind LOL

I am not a pro but based on what I researched for my remodel, neither concrete nor cement is waterproof so a waterproof system is applied over the concrete or cement. Neither grout nor tiles are waterproof so there needs to be waterproofing as layers between the walls and floors of the shower. The tile is installed over the waterproofing system.

Again, it’s not clear what you are trying to save because the expensive portion is installing waterproofing as well as the labor and materials. Although nice tiles can be expensive, my costs for actually constructing the showers was a more significant expense.

FWIW, I live in a high rise which has steel and concrete structure and the concrete columns are water permeable and the building needs to be waterproofed periodically to prevent strictural damage.

Moisture trapped in your shower causes mold. Bad grout job, not the cause (grout isn't waterproof). Not sure what kind of professional advice your getting but this is a clear case for a real professional on-sight to do an evaluation. We don't have enough information but what we see is troublesome. That's why you aren't getting answers to your question. The most important aspect of any shower is what's underneath the "pretty stuff" and it's hard to go beyond when there are obvious concerns with the most important aspect of your project. How did you know there was a problem behind the tiles on the walls? How do you know that the floor does not have the same problems? Again, I hope you have a qualified, professional tile contractor onsite and evaluating what needs to be done before you start selecting tile. Good luck.

well, by bad grout job...let me calrify, the previous owner did not remove and regrout. they gouted over exisiting grout...there was 2 tones only in some parts, near the bottle of the shower base it looks like there was not enough or the right grout ...

what do you pros recommend...dragonfly, CET? the guy i have has been a contractor for 20+ years. how could i challenge his judgement? ideas?

Your grout theory is making zero sense, i fear you are grasping to convince yourself of a salvage here.

If you have a 20 yr "tile pro" the first thing they would say is NO i will not touch this long term liability as I TAKE your money because I know better after 20 yrs of tearing apart failing showers. (Id rethink your chosen hiree).

Just an effort to actually help you make the smart choice.. I work all the time with old goats that are unwilling to grow their knowledge of the tile industry..."Ive been doin it this way for 20 yrs" an age old statement

Grout does not cause mold unless their regrout job breached the waterproofing. What is your contractor's plan for waterproofing? Ask which system he uses (redguard? Kerdi?) then google a video or two on how it's supposed to be done.

jslazart adds

"Grout does not cause mold unless their regrout job breached the waterproofing. "

"Then google a video or two."

classic houzz and right on time

thank- you for the honesty. i was merely looking for tile advice but got an important eye opener, which is 2x as much appreciated. i will ask and i will research more.

and the waterproof i am looking for is between the tile and cement wall and then in the grout (which he told me to buy keri or kera poxy)

"he told me to buy " Another warning sign!

I'll give you the color samples to choose from. After that I will purchase grout and matching 100% silicone sealant. He mentioned purchasing matching sealant to you also correct? You should not be doing any shopping. Grout is not waterproof. Not sure if that is what you are being told but your statement read that way. Post the contractors proposed plan.

I probably just should have pointed you to the John Bridge forums. They can walk you through how to talk to your contractor and when and why it's time to hire someone else. Several thousand times more informative and interactive than a youtube video that may or may not be accurate. (They may also try to convince you that tiling a shower is an easy DIY project--but on that point I think they may be crazy!)

Homerren2012: A 20 year contractor of what? But is this a dedicated Tile Contractor? Regardless, you asked how to question and resolve the problem. I would continue with your research (not youtube videos for answers but of course educate yourself as much as possible). I would tell the "contractor" that you would like to move forward when you have a full documented professional assessment of the "problem" and a full proposal of the "fix" that conforms to industry standards and applicable warranties upon completion. I would be clear that I was not looking for a cosmetic fix but a properly constructed shower, (walls, floor etc), again that meet industry standards. And has been pointed out by CTE and TFW, there are some questionable practices and advice so far. Back to our original advice: I'd get a REAL Tile Pro on site. And hopefully after that, you can move on to selections and design (which is much more fun).

Dragonfly, thank you!!! His main work is bathroom renos...then everything else in the house except electrical. Perhpas the language barrier is a just that a barrier. He is mainly french and perhpas not translating things properly. I will look over all the materal he buys or asks me to buy. He is not a designer but has given me some guidance as to which way to sway. Only, I am so stuck on this...
He has worked in our home before and has been great. However, i feel a need to proceed with caution lately...especially around mold!

once again, thank you all for the advice. I will update this thread once I have answers...and hopefully get to the fun part...