Glossary: shower leaks, grout and membranes

What is cement grout?

Cement grout is the sand-and-cement filler in tile joints. It is porous. In a shower it darkens, holds moisture and eventually breaks down, which is a common leak path.

What is epoxy grout?

Epoxy grout is a resin joint filler. It is impervious, so it is used when a shower is regrouted to stop water passing through the joints. See the regrout service.

What is a shower membrane?

The membrane is the waterproof layer under the tiles. If it has failed, surface regrout does not stop water that is already behind the tiles. The floor is rebuilt. See shower floor retile.

What does fall to the waste mean?

The shower floor should slope to the drain. Insufficient fall leaves water sitting on the floor, which is a reason to retile rather than only regrout. The original site shows a bathroom floor repair done for this reason.

What is a non-invasive shower repair?

A repair that leaves the tiles in place, usually an epoxy regrout and junction reseal. It is only non-invasive if the inspection says the membrane is not the problem.