How To Remove River Rock Shower Floor

10-x-2009, 12:47 PM

Hullo everyone! Did a google search of our trouble and found your very helpful forum. Some of the problems we are having were touched in in a thread from 2007, only rather than clutter up an old thread, I thought it might be best to create a new one.

Nosotros are in the procedure of having our bathrooms redone, and switched from a tub to a shower in the master bath. We loved the look of a river rock floor, merely afterwards it was installed, we realized how very painful it was to stand up on.

I've attached pictures of the floor. You lot volition discover blue painters tape marking the stones that are MUCH higher than the rest, or areas of grout that seem to dip too low and I suspect will trap h2o.

We would profoundly appreciate whatever tips, advice, or solutions to the painful river rock trouble.

Thanks!!!

Brett.

Pictures:

10-10-2009, 01:09 PM

Can't tell if there'due south too little grout, if some rocks are installed higher than they could have been, or if it'south a combination of the two.

I don't call up adding grout will help you considering it'due south going to exist difficult for the grout to stick in such a sparse layer. Maybe information technology's possible to apply epoxy grout over the superlative...just that may end up being a mess. At this bespeak, I would focus on replacing the rocks or perchance grinding them down. While grinding river rocks in a shower isn't common and not all installers would have the tools or skills to do information technology, you may become lucky. Tell us where you're at and maybe nosotros tin detect someone for you.

x-x-2009, 01:19 PM

Thanks Tool Guy!

We are located in Virginia, but I'm actually looking for solutions we tin pass on to the contractors. They do good piece of work, but I'1000 non certain they accept done these types of showers in the past, and then its a bit of a learning process.

The thread that originally attracted us to this forum mentioned using a dremel to remove some stones and replace them. I think that will solve the problem with those stones, but obviously not with the areas where the grout seems likewise low.

10-ten-2009, 02:32 PM

Is there there any chance you could give us the specifics on grinding the stones down?

In that location are possibly 30 stones that would need to exist replaced or smoothed down.

The grout is spectralock, so I don't know what difference that makes in deciding which process is the best.

Also, what solution would y'all suggest for the low areas where the grout does not fill in enough?

10-10-2009, 02:48 PM

The Spectralock grout changes everything. Epoxy grout will stick to itself and so I would replace, or lower, the offending stones and and then regrout. Although, it may be easier to grind down the loftier stones and then regrout because Epoxy grout is very difficult. I've never tried to scrape it out before simply I assume it would be very difficult to do. Perhaps try to remove one stone and see how hard it is and then decide.

I don't think I helped very much did I?

10-10-2009, 03:32 PM

It is my experience with this stone you have to brand sure the floor is flat during install, both mud bed and the actual stones themselves. It is going to be easier to remove the offending rock, put in a new one that is thinner and and then re-grout the entire floor. As Tom pointed out, the epoxy should bond with itself. When grouting, the installers will need to be careful not to rub the grout too much. I call back that will be counter productive with the epoxy though. It has to exist rubbed a little more aggressively than regular grout due to the nature of the epoxy.

After looking at the pics, it appears you have a good slope on the floor and the drain looks lower than any tile or grout effectually it. It might take a little time, but it looks like the water should eventually find its way to the drain. Accept you tried running water on the floor. Pour a bucket , or more than, of water on the floor and run into what the water does. If you observe any low spots, permit it ready for an hour and two and check to see if the spot is draining downwards. Get a small spray bottle and keep the floor moisture.

It will be difficult to grind one rock and accept information technology match the finish of the stones around it. I would cut out the offending ones and replace. Dry examination the new stones and see how they look. If the new stones are too thick, they tin can exist thinned down on a wet saw by shaving off the back side.

As for the over all texture, the floor tin can be ground down. Muddied and time consuming. Try with a chugalug sander and the most ambitious paper, 36 dust is the lowest I tin find around me. Once you go the smoothness y'all want, start moving to numerically higher sanding paper to accept out the previous grind marks. At a dust of 120 and college, a dual orbital palm sander will first to take out the sanding marks faster. The 220 grit volition be about the highest you will detect for a sander. You have a couple of options at this point. Switch to some moisture or dry polishing pads. The palm sander will exist ok to do this with for somebody with no feel polishing. It will also be slower going than an angle grinder. Another option is to check some local auto parts supply houses for torso work. You can find wet paper that goes up to 3000 grit. Most of it is for a 6" DA tool, but the paper can exist cut down to lucifer the v" pad of the palm sander.

Been there done that.

10-10-2009, 01:09 PM	#ii
Moderator -- Wisconsin Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeler Join Appointment: February 2005 Location: Oak Creek, WI Posts: 23,272	How-do-you-do Brett, welcome to the forum Can't tell if there'due south too little grout, if some rocks are installed higher than they could have been, or if it'south a combination of the two. I don't call up adding grout will help you considering it'due south going to exist difficult for the grout to stick in such a sparse layer. Maybe information technology's possible to apply epoxy grout over the superlative...just that may end up being a mess. At this bespeak, I would focus on replacing the rocks or perchance grinding them down. While grinding river rocks in a shower isn't common and not all installers would have the tools or skills to do information technology, you may become lucky. Tell us where you're at and maybe nosotros tin detect someone for you.

x-x-2009, 01:19 PM	#three
Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: three	Thanks Tool Guy! We are located in Virginia, but I'm actually looking for solutions we tin pass on to the contractors. They do good piece of work, but I'1000 non certain they accept done these types of showers in the past, and then its a bit of a learning process. The thread that originally attracted us to this forum mentioned using a dremel to remove some stones and replace them. I think that will solve the problem with those stones, but obviously not with the areas where the grout seems likewise low. __________________ Brett

10-ten-2009, 02:32 PM	#five
Registered User Bring together Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 3	Is there there any chance you could give us the specifics on grinding the stones down? In that location are possibly 30 stones that would need to exist replaced or smoothed down. The grout is spectralock, so I don't know what difference that makes in deciding which process is the best. Also, what solution would y'all suggest for the low areas where the grout does not fill in enough? __________________ Brett

10-10-2009, 02:48 PM	#six
Registered User Join Appointment: Nov 2007 Location: Harford Co. Maryland Posts: 214	The Spectralock grout changes everything. Epoxy grout will stick to itself and so I would replace, or lower, the offending stones and and then regrout. Although, it may be easier to grind down the loftier stones and then regrout because Epoxy grout is very difficult. I've never tried to scrape it out before simply I assume it would be very difficult to do. Perhaps try to remove one stone and see how hard it is and then decide. I don't think I helped very much did I? __________________ Tom

ten-10-2009, 04:53 PM	#8
Florida Tile & Stone Human Join Appointment: Apr 2004 Location: Naples Fl. Posts: 22,690	I agree with Greg for the most part.And those stones to me look about as proficient as you tin go them and grouting them is an art,too much grout and it swallows them, non plenty and they await proud.As far equally grinding individual stones,by golly i do a lot of polishing and i wouldn't want the job,myself, i mean how are you gonna make the tops round again,they will wait too flat i remember.I would replace the worst ones myself, only bluntly i wouldn't touch it, i would slightly grind away some grout so it drained and leave it at that.

How To Remove River Rock Shower Floor

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10-10-2009, 03:32 PM	#7
Tile Contractor Primal Ky Area Bring together Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,840	It is my experience with this stone you have to brand sure the floor is flat during install, both mud bed and the actual stones themselves. It is going to be easier to remove the offending rock, put in a new one that is thinner and and then re-grout the entire floor. As Tom pointed out, the epoxy should bond with itself. When grouting, the installers will need to be careful not to rub the grout too much. I call back that will be counter productive with the epoxy though. It has to exist rubbed a little more aggressively than regular grout due to the nature of the epoxy. After looking at the pics, it appears you have a good slope on the floor and the drain looks lower than any tile or grout effectually it. It might take a little time, but it looks like the water should eventually find its way to the drain. Accept you tried running water on the floor. Pour a bucket , or more than, of water on the floor and run into what the water does. If you observe any low spots, permit it ready for an hour and two and check to see if the spot is draining downwards. Get a small spray bottle and keep the floor moisture. It will be difficult to grind one rock and accept information technology match the finish of the stones around it. I would cut out the offending ones and replace. Dry examination the new stones and see how they look. If the new stones are too thick, they tin can exist thinned down on a wet saw by shaving off the back side. As for the over all texture, the floor tin can be ground down. Muddied and time consuming. Try with a chugalug sander and the most ambitious paper, 36 dust is the lowest I tin find around me. Once you go the smoothness y'all want, start moving to numerically higher sanding paper to accept out the previous grind marks. At a dust of 120 and college, a dual orbital palm sander will first to take out the sanding marks faster. The 220 grit volition be about the highest you will detect for a sander. You have a couple of options at this point. Switch to some moisture or dry polishing pads. The palm sander will exist ok to do this with for somebody with no feel polishing. It will also be slower going than an angle grinder. Another option is to check some local auto parts supply houses for torso work. You can find wet paper that goes up to 3000 grit. Most of it is for a 6" DA tool, but the paper can exist cut down to lucifer the v" pad of the palm sander. Been there done that.

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