Recently, I had some major renovations done on the first floor of my old house, which uncovered a lot of code violations. The contractor added some significant structural supports and wood beams after removing walls. Now, I've noticed that the grout in my second-floor shower is cracking, and it's even leading to leaks. Do you think these renovations caused the grout issues, and what options do I have for repair? Also, how should I approach this with my contractor? Has anyone experienced something similar?
3 Answers
When you do big renovations, it's pretty common to see some cracks and movement in places like grout. It can happen due to the vibrations from the work. So, while it might be frustrating, it usually isn't the contractor's fault. I've had similar things happen after jacking up my house, and ended up with cracked drywall. Just part of the process, really.
Grout isn't waterproof, and neither are tiles, which is probably contributing to your leaking issue. If some movement has caused this, it's likely that your shower wasn't set up with proper waterproofing. You'll probably need to tear out the shower and redo it, which can cost anywhere from $4K to $10K depending on where you live. As for the contractor's responsibility, they generally won't be liable unless they did something like puncture the shower pan, which is hard to pinpoint without a full demo.
You're definitely right to be concerned about the grout cracking. Just keep in mind that grout isn't waterproof, so it could lead to issues if the shower wasn't properly installed. I’d suggest talking to your contractor about this; they might be more understanding than you think. They could also recommend a tile specialist to help fix the problem.