Hi all, hopefully you can help me with this one. When we moved into our house a little over a year ago we noticed that a lot of water was leaking into the kitchen when we took a shower. It was clear after looking at it that water was running down the side of the shower tray between the wall as the sealant was all but gone. Unlike most dodgy sealant work, the tiles are on top of the tray but stop about ½ inch short of the tray which is where the water leaks by. So I invested in some curves plastic trim to fill the gap and silicones the top and bottom. This worked well for a couple of months and then started to leak again, this time a lot less water. So back to square one, removed all sealant and redid it. Again it last for a few months and started letting water in. It appears that the sealant was starting to get holes, probably from stretching with the weight of people (I sealed while in shower and dried sealant with buckets of water left in tray for weight). It may also be algae eating away at sealent but we did buy the expensive stuff. The last time I just bought some sealant that can go on top of existing sealant as a quick fix this time and it held up just as well for a few months. We are also worried about the damage the water could do but as this stages it’s very little and the wall behind seems dry and no tiles are moving. We tested this by wedging out a small bit of base board. It’s got to the stage where I think we need a professional to fix it. What are my options folks and how much do you think it roughly would cost? My worry is if somebody comes in and does exactly what I did, it looks good, we pay them and 2 months down the line we are back to square one and out of pocket. We don’t really have much to spend on this but willing to pay someone a couple of hundred if its definitely going to work and they can stand over their work with reassurance. I’ve included a few pics which I hope makes it cleaer :S Please help lol! Thanks! S
Can you get underneath the tray, is there a skirt you can pull off the front? What flooring do you have, floor boards, chipboard, ply?
The first thing you need to do it to make sure the tray is adquately supported and is secure, if not most all the things you try will not last. Adding support while the tray is in place can be very difficult to do, however if the floor is sound expanding foam can help support the tray. Applying mastic over existing sealant is never going to work because it is impossible to totally clean the existing seal, removing the old seal and allowing the substrate to dry is the best way to proceed. Next inspect the tile grout for cracks, this can best be done with a torch because this will show up very fine cracks, if damage to the grout is found then scrape out and replace with a good quality product allow to dry well before proceeding. Finally remove all the sealing to the shower door on the inside and outside, most enclosures do not want sealing on the inside, this traps water in the profile which may leak though screw holes hidden from view. Replace the seals. If the bottom seal is bigger than the maximum allowed by the grout instructions than I would use upvc quadrant fixed with good quality mould resistant neutral curing mastic and then sealed with a small outer seal to the tile and tray. Don't forget to check the seals of your shower at any place they penatrate the tile. The above is the best method I have found when removing the tray, door and tiles and starting a fresh. As you can tell from my spelling and grammar I am dyslexic so please forgive any mistakes. Paul M.
I'd take the bottom row of tiles off and give it every seal properly and tile down to tray and seal again. Have a look at this, may be worth looking at https://www.showersealsdirect.co.uk/blog/Repairing_a_Leak_without_Removing_Tiles/
Thanks very much for the replies folks. There is no way I can get under the tray as its all one unit. The floors are chipboard too. I have used the quadrat upvc before which has failed on several occasions, but i was using bathroom silicone. Would mastic make a big difference? Thanks
Well, if floor is chipboard & it's been getting wet from leak for some time, then it ain't going to be much good.
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