Resealing leaking shower

DIYNoob
Apologies for butting in with more bad news - did not see anyone else highlight this issue (amongst all the others) --
To boost its height the tray leg appears to be standing on plasterboard!Not the best of materials.

Best wishes on getting this sorted.
View attachment 204313

No apology needed - I appreciate you pointing it out and you're right! I have no idea if that was always there or if they added it in...

Another fault to look into...
 
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For my shower I used Hardiebacker board, which does not disintegrate when wet, and repels some water, which was then taped and tanked with a tanking kit. Pretty sure plasterboard should not really be used in a shower? I know there is the green plasterboard, but that is not really suitable for showers.

I also heard plasterboard isn't ideal but acceptable if it's tanked according to BSI recommendations... which again doesn't seem to have been done here.
 
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Yep, as long as it's waterproofed then plasterboard can be used.

Its used all the time without tanking and as long as the installation is rock solid and the tiler has done a good job with corrcet adhesive and grout then the water shouldn't ingress into the plasterboard. Unfortunately these days the trades are hit and miss. Tray's aren't fitted correctly, walls and tiles move, tile adhesive/grout isn't done correctly or wrong stuff used to start with, that then lets the water in, the minute that happens it's game over and just a matter of time before it all fails.

We've been through at least 6 tilers in the last year or two and finally found a good lad, not cheap though.
 
Yep, as long as it's waterproofed then plasterboard can be used.

Its used all the time without tanking and as long as the installation is rock solid and the tiler has done a good job with corrcet adhesive and grout then the water shouldn't ingress into the plasterboard. Unfortunately these days the trades are hit and miss. Tray's aren't fitted correctly, walls and tiles move, tile adhesive/grout isn't done correctly or wrong stuff used to start with, that then lets the water in, the minute that happens it's game over and just a matter of time before it all fails.

We've been through at least 6 tilers in the last year or two and finally found a good lad, not cheap though.

Yes, I wondered if I could force it to be re-done with tanking but probably not since it's not a legal requirement. Interestingly in a different forum someone has said the plasterboard on top of the tray isn't a big issue as he recommends to clients that silicone (presumably he means between the tiles and tray) are replaced every 2 years, but far more have concurred with you and others on this forum that it's a leak waiting to happen. I suppose the difficulty is knowing what I can legally insist on if there's nothing set in stone..
 
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Interestingly in a different forum someone has said the plasterboard on top of the tray isn't a big issue
His installs are probably the ones I've have to repair when the silicone goes and the whole thing gets wrecked ;)

Once it leaks past the seal it only take days to compromise the shower, never to be right again. Thing is it doesn't start to show itself until it's soaked through everything and by that point it's history. I've done 5 of exactly those types of repairs over the last year and it's wasn't the silicone to blame in 3 of them, it was the tiling/grouting that failed because the stud work was terrible and the tray wasn't installed/sealed properly and it all moved.

IMO a properly sealed and waterproofed shower space shouldn't need anything done to it until it's to be ripped out and replaced or the silicone starts to colour, even then that silicone is more superficial and it only seals the tray to the tile, it doesn't seal the tray to the waterproof wall. The seals behind the tiles and between the tray and the wall are the important ones.
 
my shower tray has one of those sealing tapes around the edge, which is then taped onto the wall (hardiebacker) with the tanking tape, and all painted over, with 2-3 coats. So even if water gets past the tiles and adhesive, it will still be directed down to the show tray.

Fingers cross it is all done OK - I did the stud wall and boards, and tanking...
 
Hi all, just a positive update on this. I wrote to the fitter advising I'd take him to the county court if he didn't refund me within 14 days. He responded with a pretty laughable offer, then a higher one before I finally got him to agree to an even higher one which is almost all of my money back. I do get to keep the enclosure which is probably still usable and it avoids the court fees too. So I'm happy.

Thanks for all of your advice - I've made sure the next trader (who is redoing the job from scratch) has better credentials!
 

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