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- 26 Mar 2020
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Hi there. I posted this in plumbing but not sure that’s the right group.
With a few days off this week I decided it was time to be productive and replace the silicone seals around the shower enclosure. No matter how mould resistant the silicone is within a few years it starts to go mouldy.
I’ve done this a few times and the silicone came off quite easily which in hindsight wasn’t a good sign. You can see in the pictures the grout or lack of it between the tray and tiles- I don’t think I’ve ever grouted that area before (just silicone), so it might be years old. I also decided to take the annoying leaks at the side of the shower where I could see a brown residue on the grout between the floor tiles. Bleach didn’t do anything to the stain but when I looked closer I could see the grout was cracked. Easy- I’d just hack out the old grout and re-grout except the tile dropped down once the grout seal was broken.
it took a while of poking around but I got the tile out and can see that the whole area under it and at the corner of the shower is damp and rotten. I can only guess that a combination of cracked grout and shrunken silicone has allowed the shower to leak for years. I cant think of another reason that area would be rotten but it’s possible other areas are affected too. The ceiling below is a false one and impossible to tell the state of the original unless I can use a small periscope camera through a spotlight.
My fear is that most of the plinth and possibly joists have rotted and the area is unsafe. I would only be able to tell by removing the shower cubicle and seeing what’s underneath. I’m not sure my DIY skills are that advanced though with some help I should be able to remove the shower screen and then tray, then get some professional help.
We do have another shower that we can use and let it dry out but I’m guessing a quick fix is impossible eg re-seal the silicone and hope that it was just the small area in the corner that’s rotten. I’m going to call my insurance company tomorrow and see what they advise- if have to hope I’m covered if it is a big job or otherwise it’s down to me to try to fix it.
Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.
With a few days off this week I decided it was time to be productive and replace the silicone seals around the shower enclosure. No matter how mould resistant the silicone is within a few years it starts to go mouldy.
I’ve done this a few times and the silicone came off quite easily which in hindsight wasn’t a good sign. You can see in the pictures the grout or lack of it between the tray and tiles- I don’t think I’ve ever grouted that area before (just silicone), so it might be years old. I also decided to take the annoying leaks at the side of the shower where I could see a brown residue on the grout between the floor tiles. Bleach didn’t do anything to the stain but when I looked closer I could see the grout was cracked. Easy- I’d just hack out the old grout and re-grout except the tile dropped down once the grout seal was broken.
it took a while of poking around but I got the tile out and can see that the whole area under it and at the corner of the shower is damp and rotten. I can only guess that a combination of cracked grout and shrunken silicone has allowed the shower to leak for years. I cant think of another reason that area would be rotten but it’s possible other areas are affected too. The ceiling below is a false one and impossible to tell the state of the original unless I can use a small periscope camera through a spotlight.
My fear is that most of the plinth and possibly joists have rotted and the area is unsafe. I would only be able to tell by removing the shower cubicle and seeing what’s underneath. I’m not sure my DIY skills are that advanced though with some help I should be able to remove the shower screen and then tray, then get some professional help.
We do have another shower that we can use and let it dry out but I’m guessing a quick fix is impossible eg re-seal the silicone and hope that it was just the small area in the corner that’s rotten. I’m going to call my insurance company tomorrow and see what they advise- if have to hope I’m covered if it is a big job or otherwise it’s down to me to try to fix it.
Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.
