New Shower Tiles are Discoloring

last year

We have a 3 month old house and our shower was tiled with plain white porcelain tiles and marble floor tiles. After only a few weeks, we noticed the edges of the wall tiles were turning reddish brown. It started in the corners of the tiles and is more visible the higher up you go in the shower. Now the white tiles have completely turned a different color (beige) with the exception of a few tiles scattered throughout the shower, which are still bright white. What is causing this? The tile manufacturer blames the installer and the installer is at a loss for what the cause is. They feel they did everything correctly. Any thoughts?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Kendrah
last year
You might benefit from this old thread with the same problem.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3579390/why-are-my-shower-tiles-becoming-discolored
millworkman
last year
What is behind the tile in the way of substrate and waterproofing system? What was the setting material the tile installer used?
Related Professionals
Martinsburg Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Gadsden Window Treatments · University City Bathroom Remodelers · Hopewell Bathroom Remodelers · Gilbert Bathroom Remodelers · Westminster Bathroom Remodelers · Citrus Heights General Contractors · ‘Ewa Beach General Contractors · Kilgore General Contractors · Mountlake Terrace General Contractors · Wolf Trap General Contractors · Moorpark Painters · Pleasant Hill Painters · Rockledge Painters · Martha Lake Painters
Monica Harmon
Original Author
last year
This is the only info we have regarding construction of the shower.
dani_m08
last year
Do you know the manufacturer and specific name of the white tiles?

I had some Bedrosian Cloe White 2.5 x 8 tiles installed on the walls around my tub/shower combo. They are glazed ceramic tiles - not porcelain. I noticed a few tiles on the bottom row of the wall looked discolored (partially - some more than others).

I am having a doggie shower built in my laundry room - but currently use this tub to wash my small dogs. This discoloration happened after I used my handheld shower head to rinse out the tub + walls after cleaning them. Apparently, too much water hit the wall tiles/grout lines in a certain area - and the tiles retained water. It took awhile for the discoloration to go away (= the tiles to dry out).

Are you certain that your tiles are porcelain - not ceramic? Porcelain tiles absorb much less water than ceramic tiles. If they are porcelain, what type of porcelain tiles are they? Glazed or unglazed? Are they through body porcelain tiles (= the same color on the face and through the body of the tile?

Do you know if your tiles had 95% mortar coverage or if your installer used spot bonding method? Spot bonding allows water to run and sit behind tile (it should be 95% coverage). Do you know what mortar was used to install the tiles to the wall? Was it a premixed bucket or did the installer mix it up when using it? Premixed = mastic - while a bucket may allow it to be used on a shower wall, best practice is not to use on shower walls. Also, manufacturers prohibit it from being used on shower walls if a surface waterproof membrane was used.

The reason I'm asking all of the above is to figure out if water absorption is responsible for the color change.
HU-323517698
last year
Your tiles are porous and absorbing water.
chispa
last year
Where the tiles rated for wet/shower use?