Bathroom Fitted Professionally. Leaking Screen and Swelling MDF

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Professionally Installed Bathroom - Shower Leak and Swelling MDF

Hi all, best place I could find to post, sorry if it's wrong.

We had a new bathroom suite professionally installed in November 2020. It has a L-shaped bath with storage units under the wider end. These units are now swelling along with the bath panel. Swelling started less than a month after installation.

The swinging L-shaped shower screen's short end is mounted pretty much flush with the short end of the wide end of the bath, the _ of the L if you like. As such, water has been seeping under the seal and into the storage units, which themselves are jutting out at least 5mm unded the bath's rim. The shower screen adjustment is tight to the wall and cannot be set back anymore. I suspect the bath has been counter sunk slightly behind the tiles for a smart finish.

The water has swollen the MDF, both the storage unit and the side panel. Supplier tells me the units and side panel are splash proof not waterproof. Is this a fair argument?

The hinge end of the shower screen is also leaking, a tiny gap between the screen and the wall mounted component. I could fix this myself with clear silicon I guess but the damage has been done. The gap is enough for drips of water to have damaged the storage unit in another place.

Also, the bath has been mounted with the feet directly onto the floorboards, although these feet are near to but not over the joist, no timber battens have been used, also no timber frame, is this Ok?

In your opinion, do I have a case here for any complaint?

Thank you for reading.
 

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Re bath installation directly onto floorboards, it depends what the instructions are for that bath. I think manufacturers sometimes suggest (but don't stipulate) using wooden battens to sit the bath feet on (in your case running at 90 degrees to the floorboards) however I've seen a few baths sitting directly on floorboards and it'll be pot luck as to where the joists are. I'm pretty sure I've lived in houses with baths installed this way and there were never any issues.

Is the mdf stuff made from moisture resistant material? I don't keep up to date with all the modern install stuff, however I agree with foxhole in that mdf directly under a bath doesn't seem like the best idea.
 
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Hi, thank you for your help.

If I need to, I'll get a new front BUT surely the same will happen again?

I think the bath may have sunk 1mm or less as there's a very slight gap under the sealant which I can fix myself so that's fair enough if he's mounted on the floorboards directly.

Is the MDF stuff made from moisture resistant material? No idea but you'd have thought so wouldn't you. I'd have thought MDF would be fine as long as the wrap is sufficiently designed to stop water getting through to the MDF.

What material would ordinarily have been used?

Also, what are your thoughts on the storage unit jutting out from under the bath AND the screen being flush with the end of it?

Thank you.
 

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