# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  Bottom row of shower tiles turning blue.

## Fr_303

I have white tiles in my shower but the bottom row of tiles have started changing color they are turning blue, 
The home is 2 years old and that shower gets a bit of use. 
The Shower has 3 wall of tiles and 1 side is the shower screen. 
The bottom row of tiles on all 3 walls are changing color, once it hit the grout line it has stoped rising - but now the grout in the corner is turing a darker blue as well. 
Even when you touch the tiles they feel different to the other ones now.. it's hard to explain (Tried taking photo of it but you can't really tell in the pics) 
The plaster on the other side of the wall seems ok. 
Has anyone seen or heard of this happening before. 
I need some help cause the bulider I am dealing with is giving me the sh**s :Mad: .

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## Gooner

What's the ventilation in the room like? What type of shower screen (curtain or glass)? Is the shower totally enclosed when the door is closed? Is the screen open or closed when the shower is not in use? 
What kind of tiles? Glazed ceramic I would assume? When you say "blue" is it quite prominent or a very slight shade of blue? 
Could be mould growing behind the tiles or some colour leaching from somewhere and travelling with the water via capillary action through the adhesive. Perhaps the adhesive is failing? If you tap the tiles with something solid do they sound different?  
Images always help.

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## Bleedin Thumb

Are you or your partner dying their hair with blue rinse? 
Are you using the wrong cleaning agent...the harpic belongs in the loo... 
Have you had any previous bouts of visual hallucinations? :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:   
Sorry I can't help.

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## Gooner

If the biscuit of a pale tile becomes water logged, it can also turn a shade of blue. Can happen due to the buscuit being exposed due to bad grouting or defective glazing. 
However, the fact that the grout is also turning blue makes it sound like something else.

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## autogenous

Is the wall brick or stud frame?

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## Fr_303

> What's the ventilation in the room like? What type of shower screen (curtain or glass)? Is the shower totally enclosed when the door is closed? Is the screen open or closed when the shower is not in use? 
> What kind of tiles? Glazed ceramic I would assume? When you say "blue" is it quite prominent or a very slight shade of blue? 
> Could be mould growing behind the tiles or some colour leaching from somewhere and travelling with the water via capillary action through the adhesive. Perhaps the adhesive is failing? If you tap the tiles with something solid do they sound different?  
> Images always help.

  
The shower is in the ensuite there is no door in the ensuite it's open leads straight in the bedroom, has a big window in the ensuite and also a window in the bedroom and an IXL Fan is always on.  
It's a glass Shower screen- when the screen is closed you stil have a big opening on the top of the screen but the other 3 walls are to the celing. 
They are ceramic tiles and it's a light shade of blue but now the grout in the corner is turing a darker blue. 
It doesn't really sound different if I tap them   

> Is the wall brick or stud frame?

  
It a Stud Frame   

> Are you or your partner dying their hair with blue rinse? 
> Are you using the wrong cleaning agent...the harpic belongs in the loo... 
> Have you had any previous bouts of visual hallucinations?  
> Sorry I can't help.

  Acutally you know I was reading some of your last posts Bleedin Thumbs and I thought it was good advise -- damm I must have been Hallucinating

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## Vernonv

Do you have gold (coloured) fittings by any chance? 
We have the same problem in our en-suite, but we get it in the acrylic spa bath (with shower over) and some in the sink. Never had the problem in the main bathroom (which is currently being renovated - hence why we are using the en-suite) or in the kitchen. We are running solely off rainwater.

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## Fr_303

> Do you have gold (coloured) fittings by any chance? 
> We have the same problem in our en-suite, but we get it in the acrylic spa bath (with shower over) and some in the sink. Never had the problem in the main bathroom (which is currently being renovated - hence why we are using the en-suite) or in the kitchen. We are running solely off rainwater.

  I got stainless fittings.

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## Fr_303

I don't think it's a cleaning product or anything like that because it has stopped changing color as soon as it hit the first grout line. 
 If it was something like a cleaning product it would be happening to the whole wall wouldn't it??

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## Vernonv

> I got stainless fittings.

  Well there goes my theory. 
Have you been using the bathroom for a long time and this blue stain has only just started, or has it been happening from the start?

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## Fr_303

> Well there goes my theory. 
> Have you been using the bathroom for a long time and this blue stain has only just started, or has it been happening from the start?

  The house is 2 years old - noticed it about 12 months ago could have been longer

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## Gooner

Perhaps you should try a tilers forum such as http://www.tilersforums.co.uk/ or http://www.tileforums.com/. Many professional tilers willing to help on the UK site I have found.

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## Bleedin Thumb

> Acutally you know I was reading some of your last posts Bleedin Thumbs and I thought it was good advise -- damm I must have been Hallucinating

   
What? aren't I allowed to express humour around here. :Biggrin:

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## intertd6

Sounds like a copper sulphate leaching from some where & reacting , either pipes or water supply , I believe vinegar will remove it
inter

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## Make it work

If the house is 2 years old, is it not covered by the 7 year builders warranty? 
If so, write a letter detailing the issue and follow it up with a phone call to ask them when to expect a response. Do everything in writing because they may stall you for as long as they can so keep noted of who you speak to and copies of all correspondence. 
Good luck.

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## mt mellum

yea I agree, if there is no joy from the builder then use the magic word with him. QBSA. this will move him along especially if he has been less than diligent with his workmanship. two years old and the thing should still look like new!

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## Marc

> I have white tiles in my shower but the bottom row of tiles  have started changing color they are turning blue, 
> The bottom row of tiles  on all 3 walls are changing colour, once it hit the grout line it has stopped  rising - but now the grout in the corner is Turing a darker blue as  well. 
> Even when you touch the tiles they feel different to the other ones  now.. it's hard to explain (Tried taking photo of it but you can't really tell  in the pics)

  I am no tile expert but from what you are saying  this are my thoughts:
The only variable in a shower recess is water.
So  you have a water problem.
What you say that the affected tiles feel different  makes me think they are water logged.
Could it be that the water membrane was  done to the floor and first row of tiles only and the colour has some relation  with this? Only a guess.
The only thing to do is comply to contact the  builder in writing as suggested before, set a timeframe for reply and continue  by saying that your next step if no answer is Fair Trading or equivalent  authority in your state. 
I had a "builder" supplied by RE agent, quoting  and then invoicing me to replace damaged studs, villabord, waterproofing and  re-tailing a shower recess in a rented property. What he really did was tile  over the existing not waterproofed villabard and water damaged studs.
4 years  later the floor of the bathroom almost gave way under the considerable weight of  the tenant.
Called the builder who told me "I only give 2 years  warranty"
With that response I asked FT to inspect the damage. They did  within a reasonable time frame and ordered the builder to do all repairs at his  cost. This included substantial structural repairs to floor and walls, new  villaborad waterproofing and tiles and almost one week of work. I paid nothing.   
The wall tiles in the same bathroom started to come off this year (30 years  old), this after 2 years of the free repairs. My Tiler quoted me to re-tile the  whole bathroom including the shower recess for aesthetic reasons.
I agreed  and when it came to the sower recess, the tiles were ALREADYcoming off  very  easily  :Doh:

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## Caity01

> Has anyone seen or heard of this happening before.

  Yes! I recently started renting a newly built house and some of my white shower tiles turned blue as well. My shower has two sides that have white tiles on them, and then three sides that are glass. I wanted to clean the shower before I used it, and while I was doing that, the bottom tiles on one of the tiled sides turned blue. I have absolutely no idea why only some of the white tiles turned blue when the others didn't. This is my first time renting, so naturally I am very worried that I am going to get bad rent history because of this. I was cleaning the shower with bath and shower cleaner, so I don't think it's the product's fault. I think it's something that the builders did. The tiles that turned blue felt really rough (before and after they turned blue), whereas the other white tiles felt smooth. Were you able to turn your blue tiles white again?

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## Master Splinter

The OP hasn't been back to the site for a year or so, so I wouldn't hold my breath for a reply from him.  Pics are always good!

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## Ozcar

I did not notice this thread before... 
Like intertd6, my immediate thought was copper. I was actually sort-of wondering if copper is ever used for shower trays. 
A quick consultation with Mr G turned up several suppliers of copper shower trays.  
A metal detector could confirm if there was metal there, but would not prove that it was copper.

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