It is still trendy to have tiles on walls and floor tiles primarily in bathrooms. How has it come to this, when we are trying in every way as environmentally conscious individuals to save energy, yet we lay floors that must be heated year-round to be comfortable? Have we been influenced by those who profit from this type of building material?
And! Does anyone know why the grout is not waterproof and allows moisture through? It seems like the best would be for the waterproof layer to be on the outermost part of the wall and floor, as there would be absolutely no risk of moisture damage and mold as long as it is intact.
And! Does anyone know why the grout is not waterproof and allows moisture through? It seems like the best would be for the waterproof layer to be on the outermost part of the wall and floor, as there would be absolutely no risk of moisture damage and mold as long as it is intact.
If you really think they need to be heated year-round, it is, of course, a foolish environmental choice. We have tiles in several places but still had the heating turned off from May until a week ago. I think it's fine. In the basement, which is poorly insulated, they obviously get extremely cold, but it doesn't matter there. In the hallway and the new kitchen (on a wooden frame on the ground floor), the tiles don't get cold enough to bother me. But I wouldn't have tiles on floors where you might expect to lie down, such as the living room or children's rooms.
Why not seal the joints? Hmm, I suspect it would be difficult to ensure they're truly sealed and stay sealed everywhere, as there are quite a few meters of joints in a bathroom... The joint not only needs to be sealed itself but also tightly fit against the tiles. It might be enough for one tile to be dirty on the edge during grouting to make it unsealed. Moreover, if the sealing material is hard, it will crack if there is movement in the building. If, on the other hand, it is soft, it will suffer mechanical damage (from cleaning, etc.). No, I don't think the idea sounds very promising.
Why not seal the joints? Hmm, I suspect it would be difficult to ensure they're truly sealed and stay sealed everywhere, as there are quite a few meters of joints in a bathroom... The joint not only needs to be sealed itself but also tightly fit against the tiles. It might be enough for one tile to be dirty on the edge during grouting to make it unsealed. Moreover, if the sealing material is hard, it will crack if there is movement in the building. If, on the other hand, it is soft, it will suffer mechanical damage (from cleaning, etc.). No, I don't think the idea sounds very promising.
