Shower Leaking into the kitchen

[Sarah Wykes]

It's your call, that's fine.

From your pic https://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/attachments/current-shower-and-tray-jpg.34738/ it looks like the trap can be unscrewed from the top, often there is a special tool that comes with the trap. You may be able to unscrew it by hand.

As mentioned the seal to the cubicle will have to be cut, at the wall and at the tray. Dismantle the cubicle in as few pieces as practicable. Cut out the bottom row of tiles and remove grout / sealant where the tiles abut the tray.

Thanks, do you think many plumbers would do the whole job, or would want us to retile etc, if so we can sort this? Any ideas of what a plumber would charge? I am based in Coventry West Midlands.

 

[Jim Goodenough]

Thanks, do you think many plumbers would do the whole job

Some will some won't, find a good bathroom fitter and they'll do both, best that one competent person does the whole job.

I estimate it's about 2 days work in total, as to rates phone around in your area.

 

[Sarah Wykes]

Some will some won't, find a good bathroom fitter and they'll do both, best that one competent person does the whole job.

I estimate it's about 2 days work in total, as to rates phone around in your area.

Thanks

 

[Welder]

Sarah,

The resealing every 6 months is incorrect advice, may be every few years.

If you employ a competent person and they use a good quality sanitary silicone you really won't have any further issues. Your suggestion as to removing the tray and bottom row of tiles, however it's a big job. It involves removing and re-fitting/sealing the cubicle and will affect your flooring to a certain degree (what flooring do you have.

ATB

Apologies Jim but what you have not mentioned is the potential damage to the substrate (plasterboard or whatever). If the shower has not been watertight for a while then the bond between the tiles above and the substrate will be compromised. In my experience this can be up to 1.2m above the tray. If that is the case, and the only way to know that is to take a few off, then they all need redoing as will the substrate. Anything else will be a form of temp fix so it WILL start again.

BEFORE doing anything else Sarah, might I suggest you take a good read through your insurance documents. However, DO NOT, talk to your insurers UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

What you are looking to see, is if you have a claim for 'consequential damage' i.e. damage as a consequence of a slow leak. Many insurers now actively exclude these from their policies which is why you must check first before contacting them.

IF you decide you can, and wish to, go down that route then get a pro in to write you a report on the whole thing and detail what needs to be done to put you back to the position you were in prior to the event.

Have fun.

 

[rpm]

Have seen cases where the last row of tiles are angled out towards the shower tray. Never thought much of it until now, maybe they had the same problem?

 

[Welder]

Have seen cases where the last row of tiles are angled out towards the shower tray. Never thought much of it until now, maybe they had the same problem?

It's called a bodge

 

[rpm]

Only said I'd seen it a few times, struck me as odd, now there might be a reason why it was done, so the tiles reach the tray rather than move the tray.

 

[Vicdiy]

Vicdiy, your user name says a lot, just about every point in your reply is diy.
ie Check and reseal every six months? Are you for real?

Thanks for the patronising reply when I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe I should have called myself something else rather than Vicdiy to avoid such an unfair comment. I may not be a professional but I have done loads of jobs at my own house and relatives ( for no charge) and they have all been done to a high standard. Tell me what is wrong with checking and replacing sealant every six months when it can leak and cause all sorts of damage. One of my daughter's recently moved into a new house and had a wet patch in the hallway, although the sealant around the shower looked fine this turned out to be the problem,it took me about an hour to rake it out and reseal what is unreal about that!

 

[Welder]

Thanks for the patronising reply when I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe I should have called myself something else rather than Vicdiy to avoid such an unfair comment. I may not be a professional but I have done loads of jobs at my own house and relatives ( for no charge) and they have all been done to a high standard. Tell me what is wrong with checking and replacing sealant every six months when it can leak and cause all sorts of damage. One of my daughter's recently moved into a new house and had a wet patch in the hallway, although the sealant around the shower looked fine this turned out to be the problem,it took me about an hour to rake it out and reseal what is unreal about that!

Please read my comment Vic.

We do this as a profession. We take full responsibility. We can be taken to court if it is not correct. How many more reasons do you need? They, among others, are some of the reasons we do it correctly and to formal standards where they exist and industry best practice where they don't. Please don't go there.

 

[Vicdiy]

Please read my comment Vic.

We do this as a profession. We take full responsibility. We can be taken to court if it is not correct. How many more reasons do you need? They, among others, are some of the reasons we do it correctly and to formal standards where they exist and industry best practice where they don't. Please don't go there.

We are talking about sealing a shower tray aren't we ? I wouldn't dream of commenting on anything requiring professional knowledge.