Tiles leaking in shower

[kittykat2008]

Hi

We have a leak from our shower into the kitchen below. Firstly new grouting was added between the tiles, and then the bottom half of the shower wall was re-tiled several times. The last time the tiler removed the tiles, the wall was wet, this was allowed to dry out and re-tiled. The tiles did not align snuggly to the shower tray, so the tiler filled this with grout. This has resulted in less of a leak but it is still present. There does not seem to be a leak from the waste pipe. Does anyone know what we need to do, as it feels like this leak has been going on forever?

 

[g20]

I'd bet you have a plastic raised shower tray, rather than a stone resin one that sits on the floor.

With these raised plastic shower trays there is alot of flex in them when someone is standing in it, and grout is not flexible so it may look like ts made a seal but when you stand in shower tray it will prolly be lower than grout.

You can maybe run round the joint between the shower tray and tiles, with silicone (alot more flexible) or a more permanent option is to replace is old shower tray with a stone resin one (however this will require some more tiling to patch up where the old tray will have been!)

 

[Richard C]

We have a leak from our shower into the kitchen below. Firstly new grouting was added between the tiles,

If water has got behind the tiles they will preobably have delaminated; just adding new grout to the front wont cure the problem, it will only provide a very temporary repair.

and then the bottom half of the shower wall was re-tiled several times.

That’s the right way to tackle it but why has it been done several times; has it been done several times by the same person & failed each time?

The last time the tiler removed the tiles, the wall was wet, this was allowed to dry out and re-tiled.

That’s good & it should have fixed the problem if the wall was still sound & the tiller used good quality materials.

The tiles did not align snuggly to the shower tray, so the tiler filled this with grout.

Bad move as grout is not flexible & will always crack; he should have used a sanitary silicone sealer around the tray but why didn’t the tiles fit snugly? If the wall was sound & the tiller is any good, they should have!

This has resulted in less of a leak but it is still present. There does not seem to be a leak from the waste pipe. Does anyone know what we need to do, as it feels like this leak has been going on forever?

You must cure the leak ASAP & that includes establishing exactly what’s causing it or you will ultimately end up doing more damage to the property. It does sound as if whoever is doing the work for you either doesn’t really know what they are doing or is bodging rather than affecting a permanent repair. Without seeing it, it’s difficult to say what is needed but if damage has been caused to the wall behind the tiles or to the floor, it may be a case of removing all the tiles & the shower tray & starting over again. What is the wall behind the tiles constructed from, solid block work or stud? If stud is it lined with plasterboard or tile backer board?