How to waterproof under bathtub pls?

[daisy12345]

Hi all, we just noticed that our bathtub can leak water from the edge of the bathtub, if we use it for shower, and the shower screen is not in a proper position (blamed my partner for it). It somehow dripped inside the bath panel, through the wood boards under the tub (red-circled in the photo below), and dripped out from the downlight in the kitchen downstairs!

Just wondering if there is an easy but effective way of waterproofing under the bathtub please? Just in case my partner forgets to properly shut the shower screen again.... Thanks very much!

 

[blup]

You could put lino down or similar, but the water will pool and find another path to dampness and rot.

Blup

 

[daisy12345]

You could put lino down or similar, but the water will pool and find another path to dampness and rot.

Blup

Hmm... then probably should try to make the water run down the outside of the bath panel rather than inside it? at least we can see it, and the floor outside is tiled....

It wasn't a huge amount of water getting leaked but it does get scary when it was dripping from the downlight onto my kitchen hob!

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Hmm... then probably should try to make the water run down the outside of the bath panel rather than inside it? at least we can see it, and the floor outside is tiled....

It wasn't a huge amount of water getting leaked but it does get scary when it was dripping from the downlight onto my kitchen hob!

Yes, you need to stop water getting under the bath by fully sealing around it. If you waterproof under the bath any water that does get in there will never evaporate away.

As well as the risk to the electrics, it will quickly ruin your plasterboard, causing the ceiling to sag.

 

[noseall]

Hmm... then probably should try to make the water run down the outside of the bath panel rather than inside it? at least we can see it, and the floor outside is tiled....

It wasn't a huge amount of water getting leaked but it does get scary when it was dripping from the downlight onto my kitchen hob!

The best advice in this situation is to educate the partner rather than fight the water (almost impossible). I guess you don't have kids? They love doing the 'wave' thing in the bath whereby they slosh the water from one end to the other. My missus and me used to keep shampoo in the kitchen and take a shower.

 

[blup]

Hmm... then probably should try to make the water run down the outside of the bath panel rather than inside it? at least we can see it, and the floor outside is tiled....

It wasn't a huge amount of water getting leaked but it does get scary when it was dripping from the downlight onto my kitchen hob!

Dripping water will, over time, discolour the ceiling below and worse. I have just repaired two inches of wet rot on a joist from a historic leak in the bathroom caused by the shower in the bath leaking over time.

Blup

 

[^woody^]

Better shower screen or better partner

 

[daisy12345]

Thank you all for your kind advice! Unfortunately can't count on the shower screen or the partner to get better, and no, no kids yet so I can't even start to imaging the splashes.... So the way to go is to seal the bath panel. Question now is how? The gap seems quite big at around 1cm (see photo below) so I guess sealant alone is not going to work? Thanks again!

 

[^woody^]

You need to stop the water coming out from the tub/enclosure. Filling that gap won't help or fix anything

 

[daisy12345]

You need to stop the water coming out from the tub/enclosure. Filling that gap won't help or fix anything

Thanks yes agreed. When we put the shower screen properly in place it didn't leak any more. But just in the case of the off chance if someone (say a guest) didn't do the same... Think normally the top side of the bath panel is sealed to the bath tub?

 

[^woody^]

Think normally the top side of the bath panel is sealed to the bath tub?

No it's not, it's an open joint, but normally lipped under the bath tub rim

All that happens is that if water gets out the shower area and you seal that joint, it just runs into and down the panel anyway so you are no better off. So you need to stop water getting out in the first place.

 

[noseall]

Think normally the top side of the bath panel is sealed to the bath tub?

As per Woody, it lips under the tub rim and is removable. Your panel is not a proprietary manu' jobby so it will just butt against the rim.

Chuck a load of absorbent towels on the floor, for those guests or partners that don't understand water and gravity.