Not long since I finally finished tiling bathroom, floor and walls. New suite installed, what a job that wall mounted toilet was... but hey, finally finished and looking pretty neat, even if i do say so...Now I've started to notice an unpleasant, possibly damp smell coming from the bedroom adjoining the bathroom. The party wall is not a 'wet wall' no shower, bath, sink or toilet etc and has only a radiator mounted on it. I've checked everwhere for leaks and there's no sign of any. However, there is masses of condensation whenever the shower is used... cheap tiles... DOH!! Can this moisture be penetrating the grout, tiles etc and contaminating the render or block wall of the adjoining bedroom?
Tiling - is that smell damp behind the tiles???
- Thread starter asidiver
- Start date
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Cheap tiles won’t cause condensation any more than the most expensive ones. Condensation occurs when warm moisture laden air condenses on a cold surface so background heating is important. Air circulation is also important & is why Building Regs now require forced ventilation in new or refurbished bathrooms & kitchens. The aim is to extract the moisture laden air as it is being generated, that way it won’t condense on the walls; do you have an extractor fan fitted?
Waterproof adhesive & grout is only waterproof in the sense that it won’t disintegrate if it gets wet, it’s hygroscopic & will still absorb moisture & this can develop mould in any voids behind the tiles & even the grout itself if “cheapo” materials have been used; BAL Microflex http://www.bal-adhesives.co.uk/products/microflex is an example of a high quality anti-bacterial grout. Did you install new pipe work for the sanitary fittings? If this isn't done correctly it’s possible that water is being siphoned from one of the traps so it could be the drains causing the smell!
Edit:
Has plasterboard has been use on the walls in the bathroom?
Waterproof adhesive & grout is only waterproof in the sense that it won’t disintegrate if it gets wet, it’s hygroscopic & will still absorb moisture & this can develop mould in any voids behind the tiles & even the grout itself if “cheapo” materials have been used; BAL Microflex http://www.bal-adhesives.co.uk/products/microflex is an example of a high quality anti-bacterial grout. Did you install new pipe work for the sanitary fittings? If this isn't done correctly it’s possible that water is being siphoned from one of the traps so it could be the drains causing the smell!
Edit:
Has plasterboard has been use on the walls in the bathroom?
Richard, thanks for the reply. Thinking about your reply it's all common sense really. May need to look at a decent extractor. The cheap tiles I mentioned are much colder to touch than the old ones I took off. That's all I meant, the glaze is much more glossy and seems colder, creating more condensation, or so it seems.
Adhesive and grout were Bal, and the wall is rendered block all round with two walls being outside walls. Underfloor heating was installed and works fine.
Pipe work wasn't really changed, apart from slight shortening of basin supply and waste, which after the trap runs under the floor and directly to main stack.
Adhesive and grout were Bal, and the wall is rendered block all round with two walls being outside walls. Underfloor heating was installed and works fine.
Pipe work wasn't really changed, apart from slight shortening of basin supply and waste, which after the trap runs under the floor and directly to main stack.
Should be no problem with the BAL products, they are one of the best on the market & are all I ever use. If the walls are block with conventional render/plaster then there should be no problem there either. Under floor heating & a radiator so you should have adequate ambient temperature; providing you have them switched on of course! 
Doesn’t seem to be anything obvious but it sounds as though you don’t have an extractor fan which is a rquirement! Get a decent one fitted & in the meantime open the window when showering. Be aware that a bathroom is a special location as far as electrical work is concerned; you can DIY with inspection but the easiest (& probably cheapest) solution would be to get one fitted by a Part P registered spark; but you can fit it if you wish as long as he does the wiring/test; make sure you get the necessary compliance documentation which you could be asked to produce in the future.
Regarding the sanitary ware; do all the waste runs have their own connection to the soil stack, e.g. the bath, shower (if separate), w/c & sink or are one or more of them tee'd into the same pipe, i.e. the sink into the bath, shower or w/c run etc?
Doesn’t seem to be anything obvious but it sounds as though you don’t have an extractor fan which is a rquirement! Get a decent one fitted & in the meantime open the window when showering. Be aware that a bathroom is a special location as far as electrical work is concerned; you can DIY with inspection but the easiest (& probably cheapest) solution would be to get one fitted by a Part P registered spark; but you can fit it if you wish as long as he does the wiring/test; make sure you get the necessary compliance documentation which you could be asked to produce in the future.
Regarding the sanitary ware; do all the waste runs have their own connection to the soil stack, e.g. the bath, shower (if separate), w/c & sink or are one or more of them tee'd into the same pipe, i.e. the sink into the bath, shower or w/c run etc?
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Thanks, again Richard, am looking at a silent extractor from Greenwood on Amazon for £50, with a three year warranty. Electrics are fine as that's what I do!
Not too sure about the waste now. All the sanitaryware has its own waste direct to the main drop from the w/c which then joins the soil stack at a 'T'.
It's as it was from original build as I haven't changed any route/layout of waste too much.
Not too sure about the waste now. All the sanitaryware has its own waste direct to the main drop from the w/c which then joins the soil stack at a 'T'.
It's as it was from original build as I haven't changed any route/layout of waste too much.
If you saying the wastes for the sink & bath tee into a horizontal w/c pipe run which in turn is connected to the stack that may be your problem. If the main w/c branch is unvented the effect of the water travelling down the pipe could be siphoning the water from the other traps; no water seal = smells. The fact that it’s always been like that doesn’t mean that it may not now be causing problems; if you’ve changed the traps, there may have been anti-siphon traps fitted previously or, perhaps, the new traps are more susceptible to siphoning. If the wastes are teed into the top of the w/c run you can sometimes get away with it but not always & it's not ideal.
Richard, from the pan, the wc waste drops through the floor and after about a 30cm vertical drop the other side of the floor, it runs horizontally for about 60cm to the main stack pipe. It is this horizontal run that has the two tees from the bath/shower and basin. Is that going to be causing the siphoning you suggest.
Sounds like I'll need to look at anti-siphoning traps!!!
Thanks for the help, greatly appreciated.
Sounds like I'll need to look at anti-siphoning traps!!!
Thanks for the help, greatly appreciated.
Entirely possible.
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