Leaking shower enclosure

[LeeDowner]

My girlfriends step dad and I fitted a new shower tray and enclosure to my new house a few months back. It was fitted wrongly however, the tray and enclosure were fitted and then the tiling was done inside the enclosure leading to leaks.

Using a few tubes of silicone and even a length of aluminium with a 90degree angle fitted into one of the corners I'm still getting a leak.

I'm guessing that water is getting into the profile and running directly onto the plaster wall that it is fixed onto (not fixed onto the tiles).

I know the best way to fix it is to have the whole thing ripped out and done again but is there any other way ?

 

[ChrisR]

Normal is to seal the outside, therefore inevitably letting some water get into the profile. Have you sealed inside at tray level - don't! Perhaps the profile is filling up.

 

[LeeDowner]

Normal is to seal the outside, therefore inevitably letting some water get into the profile. Have you sealed inside at tray level - don't! Perhaps the profile is filling up.

I had to seal the inside because the profiles are fitted directly onto the plaster wall and not the tiles, not sealing the inside of the profiles would mean water running around inside them and onto the wall.

So the inside is sealed but water seems to be getting into the profiles anyway and is then leaking onto the wall, I have a damp patch on the wall and a very wet floorboard.

Ideally I would remove the enclosure and put more tiles on the wall, then re-fit the enclosure onto the new tiles so any water in the profiles either runs into the outside seal or into the new tiles, either way it can only flow back into the tray and down the drain.

Anyone have any cheeky tips ? I know it's a long shot but I'm a DIY-er on a tight budget, don't want to have to buy more tiles, they were blummin' expensive.

 

[danplumb]

Can you take pictures of where the damp patches are, A shower enclosure should always be sealed on the outside unless stated otherwise by the instructions, if it was an enclosure with the strips you fix to the wall first then the shower enclosure slides onto them, then those stips must have a seal inside the channel at the bottom to seal it to the tray, or water will pass under and onto your wall, which it sounds like it is doing.

 

[LeeDowner]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/95819399@N02/

There's a few pictures showing how it's fitted. The horizontal profile that sits on the tray is sealed inside and out, I've got a feeling that's not the only issue here though.

Cheers Dan.[/url]

 

[danplumb]

Yes looks like its leaking from where I'm trying to describe, that enclosure needs taking off cleaning up and starting again, no silicone should be inside the shower, watch this video at 1:50 is where I'm explaining that you need to seal, inside the U-channel not inside the shower.

http://www.woodiesdiy.tv/How-to-Install-a-Bath-Screen

 

[LeeDowner]

Yes looks like its leaking from where I'm trying to describe, that enclosure needs taking off cleaning up and starting again, no silicone should be inside the shower, watch this video at 1:50 is where I'm explaining that you need to seal, inside the U-channel not inside the shower.

http://www.woodiesdiy.tv/How-to-Install-a-Bath-Screen[/QUOTE]

Is it OK that the U channel is fixed onto a plaster wall and not onto tiles ? Aslong as the bottom is sealed like in the video ?

 

[danplumb]

It is not ideal, but aslong as it is sealed correctly then the water shouldnt get to the plaster, is it fully tiled upto the shower enclosure on the inside of the shower ?

 

[LeeDowner]

There was roughly a 1cm gap between the end of the tiles and the vertical U channel. I filled that in with silicone and it still leaked, then I fitted a angled aluminium strip which covered that gap. I sealed both sides of the strip and it still leaks. There's no way water can get through the join between the frame and the tiles, it must be going along the horizontal piece of the enclosure frame.

It's become one massive bodge, one bodge after another and now it's a total mess.

 

[danplumb]

Yep the tile should start from the edge of the shower tray and tile into the corner... the water will be leaking from the U channel where i shown you.

 

[LeeDowner]

Any idea how it might be getting inside there ?

I've had two plumbers round to quote me for removing and replacing the enclosure with some fresh tiling being done before it goes back on. They seem reluctant to do it though, they're both suggesting I try other things before ripping it out.

 

[danplumb]

I don`t know, you haven`t posted any pictures, it needs ripping out and doing properly.

 

[LeeDowner]

I've posted pictures of what I can. Can't get into every nook and cranny though.

I'll find someone to re-fit it. Thanks for your help.