A leaking shower can damage wall linings, framing, floors and adjoining rooms. The right response depends on where the water is escaping, how long it has been happening and what condition sits behind the visible tiles.
Signs that a shower may be leaking
Water does not always appear directly beside the source. It can travel behind tiles, through wall cavities or along the floor before becoming visible elsewhere.
- Persistent musty smells or mould returning after cleaning
- Loose tiles, deteriorating grout or failed silicone joints
- Flaking paint, swelling skirting or staining outside the shower
- Soft flooring, damp carpet or marks on the ceiling below
Find the cause before choosing a repair
A plumbing pressure test can help identify a failed supply pipe. Other leaks may come from the waste connection, screen junctions, penetrations, movement cracks or a failed waterproofing system.
Surface sealants can sometimes address a local maintenance issue, but they cannot restore a failed membrane or repair damaged substrate behind the tiles. Diagnosis should come before a promise of a quick fix.
When repair may be enough—and when rebuilding is safer
A limited repair may be appropriate where the problem is isolated, caught early and the substrate and waterproofing remain serviceable. The extent has to be confirmed rather than assumed.
Rebuilding becomes more likely when waterproofing has failed, tiles have lost adhesion, the base or wall substrate is damaged, framing is wet or rotten, or matching an older partial tile repair is impractical. Strip-out allows the concealed condition to be inspected and reconstructed in the correct sequence.
- Do not tile over an unresolved moisture source
- Allow wet materials to be assessed and repaired before closing the wall
- Make screen, drainage and penetration details part of the complete scope