Question about grout and toxicity

Not likely. If the grout is a problem however, you would probably be causing additional damage to the steam room. Moisture may be getting behind the tiles and that could damage the wall surfaces that the tiles are mounted on.

Of course if they catch you they may come after you for any additional repair costs that you cause.

Jeez, just wait for the steam room to be fixed. Otherwise, even if you don't poison yourself, you're liable to cause further damage and delay renovation further.

Thanks for both of your responses. I won't turn on the steam room after what you've both said, further damage etc. but let me tell you-- I really really really want to. But I won't. I will not.

I just did a repair job on two steam rooms...perhaps a month ago.

The guys are right, there should be nothing toxic in the grout, or the glue either....mastic, thinset, or even epoxy are safe after they have cured out.

2packs, once you mix up the grout and slap it on, apply the tiles, how long does it take for it to dry?

I went into greater detail in the other post, but figured since it was in General it would get buried quickly, so I backed it up quite a bit.


Any cement based product will usually dry to the touch within a few hours. If thinset is used as the glue, you are normally able to walk on it {floors of course} the next day, but 72 hours is the industry standard curing time...3 days.

Mastic is most commonly used on walls, and is more like a true glue...it looks like Philadelphia cream cheese, but does not taste like it....don't ask. When mastic is used, you can grout the tiles the next day, as it also dries in a few hours...but it's also better to give it a few days to cure.

"Grout" is used to fill the joints, and the same terms apply...if it's a cement based grout {sand & cement} it will set up overnight, but takes a few days to truly dry out.

Technically all cement products, take 28 days to fully cure...basically all the chemical reactions that take place are done after that, but unless you're in the business...that's not important. We used to use 21 days as the standard, but this was extended a few years ago due to better analysing techniques....the lab guys are always tinkering with those of us out in the field.

In steam rooms, epoxy grout is used quite often. Epoxy contains no cement, and no water is used in mixing it, it's purely synthetic. It can be used for installing tile on floors or walls, as well as a grout. It is either a two part or three part mixture, containing a resin, a hardener, and a filler {silica sand}. It also will dry overnight, but takes 5-10 days...sometimes 15 to fully cure.

Honestly the stuff is really nasty, but the end result is a very strong, durable, chemical resistant plastic-like finished product.

Thanks for the response 2Packs-- I have a feeling they used the super inexpensive bargain basement variety of adhesive and that's why the tiles are dropping off the walls.

It could be something in the steam. Is the steam acidic?

Dunno, Miller. I know the water here has a high mineral content it leaves a film of a variety of different hues and shades if not tended to-- ie, the bathtub drain, the glasses not being washed well enough.

It takes a very high acidic count to have a noticeable effect on most ceramic products, but I have seen it happen. There is a Pepsi plant in Marion Ill. that I have worked on a few times over the years. The line where they bottle the Mt. Dew is always the most in need of repair, by far...the citric acid in the formula actually eats away the grout...tile..glue...concrete. It's not the Dew alone of course that does this...the constant running water does a lot on it's own. But still it's a bit discouraging, Mt. Dew is my drink of choice...I'd hate to see what my stomach looks like after a 20+ year hard core Dew addiction.

The steam rooms I had to repair were a routine thing...they used wood to make the door frame, the actual hole that the aluminum frame and aluminum/glass doors are hung in. They were not properly sealed...holes in the grout..loose tiles etc...and the water of course found it's way to the wood...wood swells when wet, the doors became immobile.

In the case of your steam room...if the walls were concrete block, and mastic was used as the adhesive {your use of "foamy" makes me draw that conclusion}...that's a bad combo for a moisture rich environment.

Chances are there were pinholes in the grout, which allowed the steam to creep in and find it's way to the back of the tile. Or the corners were not completely filled or caulked properly, corners are always a trouble spot...a little bit of silicone goes a long way.

But it could be anything.

2Packs, I lived in the Midwest for a few years and the beverage of choice was Mountain Dew. Mountain Dww is to the Midwest what Starbucks is to the West coast.

Update: The manager of the club has returned and they've turned the steam room on without repairing the tiles. The tiles are still on the floor-- so much for further damage to the tiles.