Joined
·
690 Posts
I am a carpenter that occasionally does some tile installs. Before going into business for myself I worked for several general contractors that did as much work as they could "in house". This included tile work. While by no means a master, I am a competent tile setter and limit the jobs I take to more simple installations. I am a stickler for details and follow manufacturers install instructions to the "t" in order to achieve consistent results and to cover my assets so to speak.
The last floor I did, about 63 square feet of porcelain 13x13's, all went well until the day after I grouted the floor in. (This was a house with 3/4 OSB subfloor, a secondary layer of plywood, sheet vinyl which I installed 1/4 hardiebacker and tile over.) I went back over to the HO"s house to reinstall the toilet and baseboards and lo and behold, instead of looking beautiful as I had left it the day before all the grout lines were covered in a thick white film/haze. Not good.... I had heard of efflorescence before but had never had any problems with it to date. I talked to the homeowner, told her what the problem was, told her that we would have to wait a week to ten days to wash the floor with sulfamic acid and everything should be hunky dory. The homeowner is a little perturbed but otherwise cool...
Fast forward nine days.... This past Friday.... I follow the grout manufacters reccomendations on the removal of efflorescence (the first time I have had to acid wash a floor) and after it is all done and dried it still has some white "haze" on the grout lines. Now this is where you the CT flooring gurus come in... if you have actually perservered through the reading of this lengthly post
Any suggestions on what course of action I should take??? I have a solution that I have already discussed with the HO but I am open to your collective knowledge and advice....
Thanks,
Shane
The last floor I did, about 63 square feet of porcelain 13x13's, all went well until the day after I grouted the floor in. (This was a house with 3/4 OSB subfloor, a secondary layer of plywood, sheet vinyl which I installed 1/4 hardiebacker and tile over.) I went back over to the HO"s house to reinstall the toilet and baseboards and lo and behold, instead of looking beautiful as I had left it the day before all the grout lines were covered in a thick white film/haze. Not good.... I had heard of efflorescence before but had never had any problems with it to date. I talked to the homeowner, told her what the problem was, told her that we would have to wait a week to ten days to wash the floor with sulfamic acid and everything should be hunky dory. The homeowner is a little perturbed but otherwise cool...
Fast forward nine days.... This past Friday.... I follow the grout manufacters reccomendations on the removal of efflorescence (the first time I have had to acid wash a floor) and after it is all done and dried it still has some white "haze" on the grout lines. Now this is where you the CT flooring gurus come in... if you have actually perservered through the reading of this lengthly post
Thanks,
Shane