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View Full Version : Noise, hollow, movement on cultured marble floor


handfix2008
Nov 3, 2008, 11:32 AM
New cultured marble floor in shower makes noise, what is a correct adequate way to fix this?

What are the pros and cons of drilling a hole and injecting foam underneath to keep from making noise and prevent movement? Or Is the best way to have no long term problems to remove the floor and redo the surface underneath the right way? The noise sounds like standing on a wooden floor, it sounds hollow, and you hear it when you are standing or walking from one side of the shower to the next.:confused:

ballengerb1
Nov 3, 2008, 06:31 PM
Sounds to me is that you have a faulty installation, who did the work? If it was a pro call him and say you have a call back. He needs to pop those tile if he can and mud them in correctly. Do not under any circumstance consider injecting any foam as a sub floor filler, it will not last long at all.

handfix2008
Nov 4, 2008, 06:11 AM
Additional info re. cultured marble flooring to shower... I appreciate the response. I would like to add additional information based on the response. The shower floor is raised. A professional contractor was hired to remodel the masterbathroom/shower, the contractor mentioned the floor needed to be raised a few inches from the original platform/step, due to the drain/or type of drain the cultured marble floor would have in order for it to drain properly. (The contractor said this style is now customary to almost all new walking cultured marble showers).Cement/Morter was used and mixed in the masterbath. Then a fiberglass shower pan was installed on top of this. Then the cultured marble flooring. Shortly after the work was done. From one week to the next, started using the new shower and noticed the sound, and movement when stepping on two different corners diagonally apart. The noise sounds like a hollow noise, especially when the shower is turned on and the water is spraying/it echoes. The cultured marble is a custom made piece that was fabricated by a local cultured marble company. The contractors that laid the cement/morter are not employed by the cultured marble company. These are all subcontractors working together. So directly underneath the cultured marble flooring is shower pan, then a morter/cement platform/step. There are no ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles involves. This is replacing a previous cultured marble shower that we had for years, originally built with brand new home. Never have had this problem before, or heard of this happening. If this needs to be totally redone, can the contractors use the same pieces? How can the glue, silicone, etc. be safely removed? One more question again---Is an adequate fix to the situation to still drill holes into the cultured marble floor and inject foam as a filler? Please give suggestions. Thank You! :confused:

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ShowerGuru
Nov 4, 2008, 06:37 AM
I'm afraid there is no easy fix. I have dealt with the same issues in the past with cultured marble. It is a faulty install. To do it right, it needs to be removed & replaced. It is possible to drill & inject "Gorilla Glue". It is a very strong expanding adhesive. I would shy against that though, there is no guarantee that you've filled it completely and it could come back & haunt you in the future.

ballengerb1
Nov 4, 2008, 05:00 PM
The installer skipped an important step. When we set a pan floor we always butter the bottom side to create a firmly adhered base contact with the floor below. When I set pans I make baseball sized globs of modified thinset and stick them under the pan about 4" apart in all directions. This sets in a few days with no sqeaking, movement or hollow sounds.

ShowerGuru
Nov 5, 2008, 06:31 AM
Any chance that you purchased a Swanstone or Royal Stone Product to do this?