Recently, I noticed a few drops of water on the ceiling beneath our upstairs shower. A little experimentation proved that spraying water on a particular section of the shower wall would produce this seepage below. If we shower with the water aimed away from this particular area (about 2.5 ft squared) we have no leakage. The tiles in this area appear solid and well attached. I can detect no movement or looseness in them. The shower was rebuilt about 10 years ago, and was done with marine plywood (I watched).
I don’t think there is much, if any water damage or weakening behind the tiles, and am wondering if there is a way to effect a quick fix with some sort of sealant on this area. I’ve found a product for grout sealing, but this appears designed to protect the longevity of the grout, rather than ensuring it is waterproof.
Does anyone have any ideas for some sort of sealant that could be sprayed or brushed on the shower wall (even if it’s a temporary fix)? Even if it affects aesthetics, it’s OK because the bath is in our bedroom (and unseen by the public).
Any and all ideas welcome. Temporary or permanent fix, I’m open to suggestions.
I’ve been plagued with a wet bathroom floor. Someone had cut a hatch in the wall, and I looked for a leak. Couldn’t find one. I noticed a loose tile, and I went to caulk it. It pushed into the wall. The drywall had deteriorated. So I had a guy in to replace the drywall (with the green kind that resists water) and install an new enclosure. I still had water on the floor. I finally had a plumber in Thursday. He couldn’t find a leak either. He said, ‘There’s no leak. Your shower curtain isn’t very skookum. The water is splashing from there.’ Now, I plaster the shower curtain to the wall to prevent that. Apparently I wasn’t sticking it down well enough, as the floor was still wet yesterday morning. I’m sure I sealed it as well as as it could be. It’s possible that water is flowing from the enclosure seam at the tub. The next step is to buy sliding doors and making sure it’s good and sealed at the bottom. If that doesn’t work, then I’m at a loss. It’s cold up here, and the tub is iron and I take very hot showers. It’s possible there’s condensation under the tub. But I don’t think that would account for the amount of water. If the doors don’t work, then I’m at a loss.
The real waterproofing is beneath the tiles. Usually a show receives a coating of tar (hot mop) as waterproofing before it’s floated and tiled. You can’t depend on the grout to keep the water out. If your shower is leaking, you probably have a bigger problem than just grout.
What you say is almost always true. I must add that there are cases where a leak can develop at the drain that can be observed by removing the cover there. This can be repaired carefully with silicone after intense cleaning. When the poster tests for leaks at the tile, that water is probably running over to the drain and may leak from a broken seal there.
As far as the drain leak, I tried two different scenarios. In one, I plugged the drain and allowed the shower to fill up to a depth of about 2-3 inches. I let this sit for an hour or so and observed no leakage below. In the second test, I arranged a water hose to flow directly into the drain (removed the hair trap) and allowed it to run, at high volume, for about 30 minutes. Again, no leakage below. From these, I gather that the drain is not the source and that the pan is secure. I followed these tests by directing a fairly strong hose spray on various portions of the shower walls, and found only one small area where leaks occurred. When I hit this area with the stream, the downstairs water leakage was immediate and spectacular. But it only occurred in this small region of one wall.
This is why I’m seeking some sort of fix or sealant to hold us temporarily until a more permanent fix can be done. I’ve visited most of the “home depot” type stores around me seeking advice. Unfortunately I haven’t been successful in getting any store’s Bath/Tile experts to shut up and listen to my entire problem. Every single one has cut me off mid-sentence and launched into his version of what’s wrong and how to fix it. As you might expect, no two of them are in agreement as to the solution either. I’m beginning to understand how some women feel when they’re at a car dealer.
I really appreciate everyone’s help here, and I realize it’s almost impossible to diagnose a problem you can’t see. I may try the regrouting, since it’s a small area and not a large investment. If it just holds off the problem for awhile, we can take a little more time searching out a contractor to fix it.
Try using your finger to wipe a layer of clear silicon caulk over all the grout lines in the leaky area. We had this problem in a shower corner once and this worked.
For a really low work solution hang a shower curtain over the bad wall.
Grout is not waterproofing, it is not even water repellent. As mentioned above the waterproofing in tile applications is underneath the tile. The silicone may work as a temporary fix, or you could try a good exterior rated concrete waterproofing sealer. Very stinky while drying - toluene, benzene and other nasties involved. It is used to seal natural stone and slate for shower installations though.
It sounds like the leak is probably a seam or screw hole. If you have identified the area of the leak it is not complicated to remove the tile, re-apply waterproofing membrane, replace tile and grout. If you have spare tile this is a relatively quick fix (the old tile probably will not come out in one piece). I have often replaced broken or bad tile and it is a quick job.
The sealer to use on the tile substrate is called waterproofing / crack prevention membrane. It is usually a water based acrylic product that is painted on and dries in about an hour. You can then mix up a little mortar and replace your tile. You will have to wait a day to grout and mask off the area in the mean time so it does not get wet.
Just to add, there are waterproof grout products. There are some that come premixed and I assume are acrylic latex and are waterproof when dry, I do not know how good they are. Professionals use epoxy grout where required (steam showers for example) but it is very expensive and horrible to work with.