So, you’ve identified that your shower is leaking – what can you do to solve it?
Well that really depends on how deep the damage has penetrated.
Read here for how to detect water leaks early: https://www.bathroomgenie.co.nz/post/protect-you-home-by-detecting-bathroom-water-leaks-early
The Stages and The Solutions
There’s no visible wall or ceiling damage and no water has been found outside the shower area
This is the best possible situation as there is a high chance that the waterproofing membrane underneath your tiles has not yet been compromised. You may have mould in the shower grout or silicone, or even signs of efflorescence but the waterproofing membrane underneath your tiles is currently stopping the water from going any further 😊. This is the easiest situation to fix by sealing and replacing the sand-based grout with Epoxy grout and refreshing the silicone seals, restoring your shower to as-good-as-new and protecting against future damage.
There’s water appearing outside the shower in the bathroom, but there’s no visible damage in adjacent rooms
In this situation the main waterproofing membrane of the shower may be stopping water from penetrating beyond the room, but the volume of water trapped under the tile is being forced outside the shower base and onto the bathroom floor. If left unresolved for too long the waterproofing membrane will fail so before that happens, fix it by sealing and replacing the sand-based grout with Epoxy grout and refreshing the silicone seals.
There’s water damage occurring in adjacent rooms
Unfortunately, when this happens it means that the waterproofing membrane has failed and needs to be replaced. Any surface treatment as described above will be just like putting a band-aid over the problem. The shower will need to be removed back to the timber stud/floor joist, any water-damaged timbers replaced, new Aqualine GIB or equivalent product installed, and new waterproofing membranes applied before re-tiling.
But it’s not only tiled showers that can leak acrylic showers can as well!
Acrylic showers are often a popular choice and are expected to be low maintenance and problem free, but the reality is that they can often fail as well.
If not installed with sufficient supports underneath, movement can happen in the base causing separation from the wall lining and frame, and potentially the base can crack.
These showers are manufactured en-mass to standard sizes and are meant to be a one-size-fits-all solution, but the frame sometimes experiences movement creating gaps and allowing water to escape.
If your shower is leaking or there are early warning signs, get in touch with us to work out what the best solution is for you!
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