@Stonetech/Avanti Tile, I was concerned because our grout doesn't look dry around the outside edges of the shower floor even after not using the shower for 72+ hours. Does that sound like a problem with the Schluter/Kerdi installation?

It sounds like it might not have a proper slope to the drain.

@catbuilder, that's what I was thinking. My husband says the slope should be .25" per foot. Is that correct? He's going to get a level and tape measure to check it in just a bit.

@catbuilder, that's what I was thinking. My husband says the slope should be .25" per foot. Is that correct? He's going to get a level and tape measure to check it in just a bit.

Yes, a minimum of 1/4" per foot, with no bird baths underneath.

@catbuilder, if he finds the slope to be less than what it should be, is it a tear out and do over?

Because of the large gaps between the penny tile it's probably best to use sanded grout. So you might see some cracking of the grout if you used un-sanded. If you have a well installed Schluter system it might just be cosmetic. Pictures would help.

The thing with sealed membrane waterproofing systems is that the water can only escape from contact with the tile/grout by flowing into the drain over the tile, anything under the tile might migrate, probably more a capillary action aided by the slope, but things will dry by evaporation. With the old "water in water out" systems the water could also drain away from the tile through the setting bed. So if there are any small hollows in your setting surface they can keep water close to the tile for a long time until it evaporates. You might see an overall 1/4" per ft slope, but on a smaller scale any hollows would hold water and keep the grout damp. There might also be some staining happening. So I would let the shower really dry out for maybe a week or two and see if the stains lessen. If they don't you probably just have some staining.

as long as the installation methods and materials were selected and installed properly you should be fine. Plus you would have found leaks during the flood test :).

as an aside....Hoping you dont have pennys over a schluter pan as there is a minimum size requirement for their shower tray..

Here are pics of the floor during construction and the slope check we just did. There is more than 1/4" per foot slope to the drain. 

@Mint Tile LLC, we have a Schluter membrane over the mud bed.

Maybe the grout is just discolored for some other reason. I hope all is okay. I have a call into the Schluter rep to see what he thinks.

One more

Here is the floor now with the discoloration around the edges.

Is it normal to have hairline cracks in the grout?

Is it sloped at the perimeter, or does it level out as it gets to the wall? How big are the grout joints? Unsanded will crack in joints that are too large. Why is there so much mud on the kerdi? I can't tell, but it looks like there's no kerdi band at the wall/floor joint.

@catbuilder, do you see a Kerdi band in this photo?

The gross slope looks good, but you could still have flat spots at the edge.

The cracking is probably because you don't have sanded grout, the gaps are too big for unsanded grout. I also worry that I don't see a 2" band of membrane running around the wall.

The curve in your shower must have made the overlapping of the band very challenging. Maybe a paint on waterproofing would have been more appropriate?

@Jeff Meeks, I suspect you might be right about the Kerdi band. Here's one more photo. I don't see a Kerdi band going 2" up the wall. If there is, in fact, no Kerdi Band, what should be done to remedy this, if anything?

Okay, so my husband just verified that they used RedGard between the wall and floor, going up the wall. I will check to see if I have any photos of that. If they did use Redgard in that manner, would that be sufficient in place of a Kerdi Band?

Kerdiband is much better. To use Redgard, it is recommended that you first use a dilute solution on the areas...let it dry, then full strength and then a second full strength coat. See why KerdiBand is better and easier?

Thank you for all the input. I'll share all of this with our contractor and the Schluter rep to see what next steps we need to take.

UPDATE: The Schluter rep just left. The shower is golden. In fact, he told me kudos to the contractor for the nice shower construction. After he held a flashlight over the tile and grout, he said what looked like darker tiles around the edges is only an optical illusion. He also said the grout in the niche is perfectly fine since his system is underneath it. I'm relieved!