Problems with leak around shower

[shabbaranks]

Hi guys

Firstly I know what you are thinking "what where we thinking" and to be honest with you we weren't thinking straight.

We have a shower which has been sat in place for about 2 years now all was fine. Recently we had a bit of a flood where a flexible pipe burst and flooded the bathroom with some leaking downstairs. We mopped it up and the only real sign was a water stain on the ceiling. Fast forward about 6 months and now we seem to get more evidence of leaking on the downstairs ceiling. I know we need to redesign our shower as this isn't helping but I'm unsure of the best way to go about it. Any suggestions please? Thanks!

 

[Madrab]

Oh dear..... Did a 'professional' do that?

The trouble is finding out where the water's getting through. With that arrangement it could be several places. That could be sorted by moving that cabinet to the right or fitting one that's smaller (is it a basin vanity?), raise that section of floor to the right of the tray, seal and tile it and then seal it all again. Or fit a narrower tray wall to wall, then a new enclosure door to fit the whole space.

 

[shabbaranks]

I was thinking something along the lines of that. And it wasn't the professionals fault misses wanted what she got and there was no arguing

600mm wide shower cubicle of some description (again these low profile shower trays look great) but if you have a bit of a blockage from the odd tidy of the downstairs garden it doesn't take much to block and you only get a few mil before it's over the side. At least with a deeper cubicle you get more time to realise the water isn't draining quick enough.

I've been in there when the misses is showing and washing her hair. Next thing water is coming over the side and she's moaning. Used to having a shower and bath combined where obviously you have the same issues but get the depth of the bath for water to back fill before it becomes a real problem.

 

[Madrab]

but if you have a bit of a blockage from the odd tidy of the downstairs garden it doesn't take much to block

Only reason for that usually and I spotted the fact that the dip tube wasn't fitted, will be the way the waste has been run for the low level trays, typically without a good enough fall on the waste pipe. The tray could probably be raised up on a plinth and that would increase the effective head for better drainage too.

Who was your tiler - bit strange putting the small cut at the bottom like that too.

Tray needs re-worked properly.

 

[shabbaranks]

Not sure a dip tube (just googled) is required for this shower? It came with a waste that has like a cup inside to handle the water. Also unless you can adjust the height of them I don't think it would fit? Or as you referred to raising the tray then obviously it would fit.

Also re the tiling - yeah not sure why he started with a small cut rather than half. Either way that's not the end of the world we just want to sort this water issue out

 

[shabbaranks]

Also are 600mm wide shower trays as rare as rocking horse ?

Everything seems to be 700+

Thanks!

 

[Madrab]

Cant tell from the pic, just saw the cover off of it, usually people do that because the trap doesn't drain properly and lifting the cap/dip tube makes it drain quicker.

Yeah, 600mm trays are harder to find but you can get them. How long is the space? There's a 900x600mm low level tray

https://www.bathroomsuppliesonline.com/bette-900-x-600mm-rectangular-shower-tray/

What is the cabinet to the right edge of the pic, can that not be moved?

 

[shabbaranks]

Haha the cap was off probably because we cleaned the shower and never put it back on

Thanks for the heads up on the link although the length is 1200 so ideally we would like to use as much of the space as possible...

Another quick Google and some people have bedded some of the tray in the wall. Guess if we found a 700mm wide tray with a good size lip that could be an option as long as it's sealed properly or would we find ourselves in the same boat given water "could" find a way (obviously it would need to be done right).

Cabinet could be moved but the right hand side as you look at the picture has a slight return to the main wall so wouldn't achieve much.

It's **** poor planning on our part and I knew innevatibuly we would revisit this so I guess that's where we are at

 

[shabbaranks]

Or another option when we can is just remove that boxed wall making it wider and move the cabinet across. Not a massive job as we have the capacity to attack it, just a shame we didn't get it right first time

 

[Madrab]

Of course, lots of things happen with hindsight. One of the benefits I find being a professional, is the ability to visualise the different scenarios and know what works and what doesn't.

TBH though, whoever the professional was should have said no to that approach, TBH I would have. That arrangement would never work long term.

You also have cuttable trays BTW - they do a 1200x800mm tray and it can be cut 100mm in on both long edges to bring it down to 600mm

Cuttable Shower Trays | Cut To Size Shower Trays | Rubberduck Bathrooms

Cuttable Shower Trays allow you to Cut To size the Shower Tray to fit the space you require. Maybe you have unsqare spaces, or a boxing in the corner to cut out.

www.rubberduckbathrooms.co.uk

 

[shabbaranks]

Thing is like all trades you don't know what they are like until the works done.

Obviously not all are cowboys and some are better at some things than others but when a customer asks them generally they will have a go (again depending on what it is) because it's extra revenue and sometimes it's a success and others not so.

Will have a look at those cuttable trays - but did you have any thoughts on bedding into the wall slightly?

 

[Madrab]

but did you have any thoughts on bedding into the wall slightly

You can yes, I did it with my tray either end, cut into the wall by 15mm. You could also do it to a certain point along the long edge but with a standard tray then trying to make up 100mm (say with a 700mm tray to get 600mm) then it would end up overhanging that edge, not what you want.