We had our bathroom remodeled last year. Our contractor put in a corner shower which began leaking two weeks after the job was completed. The shower leaks at the corners just above the shower floor drain pan onto the wall outside the shower. There is no apparent water streaming into the corners. Directing a steady shower stream into the corners also does not show any leakage. Yet, the walls at the corners are wet and mushy. The shower walls are tiled and shower door and manufactered walls meet the tiled walls exactly on the edge. Our contractor has continued to work with us on solving this problem. He has caulked according to the manufacturer's instructions. He has tried all kinds of caulk from his regular brand to really expensive brands. He has taken the shower apart and caulked several times. He thought it might be a defective shower so he got a different kind. It still leaks at the corners. Suggestions?

 

Put in a shower curtain inside the door. This may or may not help. A second benefit would be that the curtain keeps the soap film off the door, and either wash the curtain or buy a new one when it gets film on it.

 

Hi Mish,

If the shower "pan" you mention is plastic (acrylic, fiber glass), the problem may be where you can't see it -- behind the tile.

The plastic "receptors" have a turned up lip back near the studs that keeps water from getting into the wood framing. This lip ends an inch or so from the outside of the "curb." That's the thing you step over when you get into the shower. If the enclosure (door, whaterver) is near the outside edge of the curb, it is beyond the point where the "lip" stops. Water can get under the tile and roll off the edge of your "pan." That water then hits the floor and travels horizontally in two directions. It comes out the front of the shower (where you have seen the problem) and it goes back into the wood framing, where you can't see it. Eventually, the wood framing will rot.

Solution: The shower curtain sounds good, but take down the glass enclosure if you do that. Really, the enclosure needs to be moved closer toward the inside of the shower -- right on the inside edge of the "curb." Not being there to see it, I think this is your problem. Mention it to the contractor. Light bulbs may go off in his head.

John
http://www.johnbridge.com

 

John, I talked to my contractor and he didn't see how he could move the shower enclosure to the inside edge of the "curb". He said the enclosures are made to go in the center and he would have to trim the enclosure to make it fit on the inside edge and he didn't think trimming it was a good idea. Plus, he didn't think that was it. Any other suggestions or ideas?