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Other Leak advice

Discussion in 'General' started by MiNiMaL_FuSS, 11 Mar 2022.

  1. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Hi all,

    Not exactly the forum for it, but knowing you're a helpful bunch thought I'd ask some advice!

    Just spotted this damp patch in the kitchen ceiling:
    https://ibb.co/dm7jLN1

    Closer look:
    https://ibb.co/xC83pWW

    At first I thought it might just be on the surface due to condensation from cooking, but it wouldn't rub off.

    Our on-suite is pretty much directly above the leak:
    https://ibb.co/D4k3PNR

    I took the bottom panel off the shower and had a look underneath with a decent torch:
    https://ibb.co/sV2LPqb

    There's a small puddle and a few water droplets hanging from the edge of the shower tray.

    The strange bit is that the droplets appear to be coming from the gap between the shower tray and the wall (so the shower tray itself isn't cracked). I cant see any gaps in the tiles, grouting or sealant above though!

    Any thoughts before I call a plumber in? :(
     
  2. Goatee

    Goatee Multimodder

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    where is the damp patch in relation to the shower?

    if it’s under the shower then my guess would be it’s one of the shower fittings leaking behind the tiles and making it’s way down. If the puddle is on the left hand wall it could be water ingress.
     
  3. Midlight

    Midlight Minimodder

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    How longs the silicon been in? I know I've had it before where after maybe 18 months- 2 years some started to lift away from the tiles. Looking at it, it was fine but it did move around and show a gap if you gave it a prod.
     
    Goatee likes this.
  4. Goatee

    Goatee Multimodder

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    Other thing you can do is stick a painters tray (like you use for a roller) under where the drips are. This will help stop any further damage
     
  5. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Good question!

    The shower is directly above the damp patch (sharing the wall on the left of both rooms). The small puddle/drips are on the left-hand wall of the shower tray, which I think would eliminate the fittings as they are on the back-wall.

    It's a terraced house - so that is a shared wall with our neighbour. His house will be a mirror image or our own, but I believe he just has a small office rather than an upstairs bathroom. It would be interesting to see if his kitchen has a damp patch on the other side though?


    We bought the house and moved in December 2020, So I can't say before that. I'll go have a bit of a poke and move around and see if there's any movement, sealant would be any easy fix.

    It might even be worth redoing the sealant first and foremost.
     
  6. liratheal

    liratheal Sharing is Caring

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    I can recommend Unibond Silicone remover or whatever it's called, that stuff stank but damn did it make removing the old silicone easy if you're going to give removal and reapplication a try.
     
  7. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Okay so I removed the nearest section of skirting board to take a look at the wall. It looks damp both on the all and the back of the skirting on the righthand-side, which is nearest the shower. Ignore the big holes, the house is a Victorian terrace and when I re-did the skirting downstairs half the wall needed filling.

    https://ibb.co/sPJwgWg

    Here's a closer shot of that area. I've picked away the sealant on the outside corner of the shower, where the damp appears worse. I think this corner is the likely culprit.

    https://ibb.co/JkvmsBj

    Closer still.

    https://ibb.co/xzsdK5P

    The sealant on the outside corner definitely needs removing and replacing - but it is still the "outside" corner.

    I'm assuming the sealant inside also isn't 100% and the water is running along to this corner, then getting to the outside of the tray, where it clings to the underside of the tray and drips into the puddle a little further along underneath?

    Sound feasible?
     
  8. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Thanks.

    I really hate sealant jobs - made a mess of my kitchen sink.

    Anyone know the best way to tackle it for a shower tray? Should I remove what I can without having to remove the actual tray/panels, then reseal?
     
  9. ElThomsono

    ElThomsono Multimodder

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    I recently transformed my siliconing abilities with a tip off YouTube: get a spray bottle of water with a few drops of fairy liquid in it, and after applying a bead of silicone, spray it down then wipe it off with a damp finger. The little bit of detergent makes the world of difference, I now get perfect results every time.

    If you're looking to get the best possible result, swap the damp finger for one of these.

     
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  10. Goatee

    Goatee Multimodder

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    If you get someone (ideally the heaviest person in the house) to stand in the shower. Do you see the tray flex and move? Does this give a gap?

    Even if the silicon looks good a moving shower tray can cause some of these issues.
     
  11. adidan

    adidan Guesswork is still work

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    That's a good tip if, I always just have a bowl of water with it in to dip my finger. A spray bottle would be handy.

    Makes cleaning your hands easier afterwards too, no more trying to pick off random bits of kitchen roll or destroying one towel after another.
     
  12. ElThomsono

    ElThomsono Multimodder

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    It's the fairy liquid that does it, complete game changer :blush:
     
  13. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Can't see any give between the wall and the shower tray when I stand in it and gently bounce.

    I'm assuming it's actually running between the tray and the cubicle walls. This is that same corner from the inside and the outside. It's a bit of a mess.

    https://ibb.co/q7HGzTZ
    https://ibb.co/BsL11PD

    I'm fairly sure you're not supposed to seal the bits (marked in red), as the water should run back into the tray, and instead you should seal the upper outside lip (marked in green)?

    https://ibb.co/3Bw23nT
    https://ibb.co/JC0RtWB
     
  14. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Having seriously spent half a day trying to get all the sealant off (nearly there!), I'm now seriously considering if I just use this as the final excuse to get a whole new bathroom done!
     
  15. MiNiMaL_FuSS

    MiNiMaL_FuSS ƬӇЄƦЄ ƁЄ ƇƠƜƧ ӇЄƦЄ.

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    Re sealed this morning, will leave a day to fully cure and let you know the results!

    If it still leaks it's a whole new bathroom for me!
     
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