| Missing shower grout can lead to
water damage behind the tile. The water damage can ruin the wood framing
in the walls and floors. People seem to get a false illusion of security
when using building or roofing paper that is water resistant behind the
tile backing, while thinking it is waterproof and won't become damaged.
Building paper over time will dissenigrate if exposed to elements like
the weather and water.
I've torn showers apart that were missing less grout than the picture
above and needed to replace the wood floor and walls. You are probably
thinking that I'm talking about the walls next in the shower and the
floor directly underneath the shower but I'm talking about a large
section of the floor and part of the exterior framing.
The more often the bath tub or shower is used, the longer the wood
framing will stay wet. Moisture attracts termites, ants and will rot the
wood eventually.
How does the grout fallout? Through expansion and contraction as
temperatures change, long periods of moisture can cause the grout to
deteriorate and poor construction methods. I'm sure there are plenty of
other ways for this to happen but these are the most common.
Missing grout can be replaced but I would recommend that you keep an eye
on the bath tub enclosure in the future and the surrounding areas,
behind the shower or bath tub. If you can't reach a conclusion, to how
the grout fell out in the first place, make it a point to regularly
check for small cracks or missing grout and repair if needed.
If the grout continues to fall out, I would recommend replacing the
damaged area or the entire shower or bath tub enclosure.
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