Grout before or after installing plumbing fixtures?

[lobo]

Just curious about what others may think of this. Our general contractor was supposed to have finished grouting the bathroom floor along with all of the shower area last night. He didn't get around to doing it as he was running late and this morning we're supposed to have the plumber come in to hook up all of the fixtures we bought (shower, toilet, sinks, faucets). I spoke with our designer saying that maybe we should reschedule the plumber as I didn't see how he could do his work without the areas being completed. She contacted the GC and he told her that it was ok for the plumber to install all the items as he'd probably end up damaging the grout while putting in the fixtures anyways. :confused: He would put the grout on afterwards along with sealing it.

I'm no expert when it comes to renovating or construction but does this make sense to any of you out there? How can you possibly get close enough with the grout to get right up to a) the toilet rim on the floor and b) the shower fixtures without it leaving some kind of little gap? I also forgot to mention that the floor of the shower is not completed either...he still has to lay down the tiles there. So how can you fully test the shower rain head without the chances of water getting into any cracks?

Thanks for an opinions on this.

Lobo

[sunnybono]

Just curious about what others may think of this. Our general contractor was supposed to have finished grouting the bathroom floor along with all of the shower area last night. He didn't get around to doing it as he was running late and this morning we're supposed to have the plumber come in to hook up all of the fixtures we bought (shower, toilet, sinks, faucets). I spoke with our designer saying that maybe we should reschedule the plumber as I didn't see how he could do his work without the areas being completed. She contacted the GC and he told her that it was ok for the plumber to install all the items as he'd probably end up damaging the grout while putting in the fixtures anyways. :confused: He would put the grout on afterwards along with sealing it.

I'm no expert when it comes to renovating or construction but does this make sense to any of you out there? How can you possibly get close enough with the grout to get right up to a) the toilet rim on the floor and b) the shower fixtures without it leaving some kind of little gap? I also forgot to mention that the floor of the shower is not completed either...he still has to lay down the tiles there. So how can you fully test the shower rain head without the chances of water getting into any cracks?

Thanks for an opinions on this.

Lobo

the fixture and the floor drain in the shower is okay as you can easily remove them b4 you grout. As for the tiolet, NO!!! I would wait for the grout to be installed first then install the toilet. P.S. make sure the plumber uses a wax gasket for the toilet and then caulk around the floor and the toilet once installed for good!!!!

sk

[jonnyb]

As a plumber myself, if I walked into a bathroom that wasn't grouted I'd turn around and walk right back out. There's no way I would install fixtures until the bathroom was at the point in which it required me to do so.

[lobo]

Thanks for your comments guys. Plumber ended up installing everything but it does looks like the GC is going to have to remove the face plates for all the shower fixtures in order to grout properly. The toilet area I have no idea how he's going to end up getting close enough to it but all I know is it better come out nice considering that I voiced my concerns about it. <grumble>Even the tile around the gasket area was cut too wide and now shows just slightly on the one edge of the toilet.</grumble> :(

Lobo

[Drthorne]

last month I had to install the toilet and tub fixtures on a bathroom without grouting it first because the home owners were coming back from holidays. later when I got to the grout stage I removed the toilet and tub faucet trim. not a big deal to re-install a toilet, just a new $2 wax gasket and 1/2hour labour. I wouldn't even think about not grouting under the fixtures. If you have to replace the toilet in the future, good chance that the toilet base will be a different size than what you have now and the ungrouted tiles may show

so he didn't tile up to the edge of the toilet flange? hmmm, doesn't take much to do that. makes me wonder how many other shortcuts he's taken that you can't see