Any Plumbers who do tile work in the club?

[Romer]

We redid our shower a few years ago and it started leaking right away. The contractor after promising to call me back never returned anymore calls

I guessed it was the inner tile shelf having poor caulking and water running down the wall. That seemed to take care of it for quite a while

The caulk wore out and I redid it and now it is leaking again. Could be crappy job on my part, but the caulk is just aa band aide I am thinking

I feel it is time for a professional to take a look at it

So looking for someone with the skills to help diagnose and do tile work if required. Maybe they will just tell me a better caulk job is required

I cut a 21" x 10" section of drywall out below and can see were it is coming down from the floor boards above

 

[Romer]

I tapped plastic over the one shelf and ran the shower and it is still leaking a bit. Maybe I caulked the base and shelf poorly and that is all it needs. Would like a pro to take a look though

 

[Romer]

When I caulked it a few years ago I used sanded caulk to match. This time I used clear silicon caulk as it is supposed to be better with waterproofing.

 

[Romer]

I called these guys https://groutmedicdenver.com/index.php they have great reviews

 

[AlpineAccess]

Can you circle the area you think water is getting in? Was this done with a poured base and vinyl liner, or schluter system, etc?

 

[Romer]

I don't know the answers to the base. I think I remember aa black liner

As far as the leak. Originally after it was installed it was leaking from the shelfs. They angle down and the caulking wasn't much. I used Sanded caulk all around and that fixed it for 6+ years

The caulk was looking bad so I redid the shelves and all around the base.

Think it is now leaking in multiple places as it was still leaking a bit when I covered the shelves with plastic

I had redone the caulk a couple of weeks ago and that is why I am thinking that is the issue

I could just redo it and go back to using sanded Grout caulk, but I wanted to get a pro to look at it and do the job.

 

[AlpineAccess]

I'm just asking as there should be a waterproof membrane concurrent from the bottom of the basin up the walls. For a poured concrete basin there would be a vinyl liner extending up the sides of the shower within which the concrete is poured prior to tile. The cement board has a waterproof membrane whether red guard or other prior to thin setting and tile. For Schluter it is seam taped and sealed prior to thinset and tile.

The only reason I'm contributing is having built 10+ showers I haven't seen any part of any system where the water integrity relies on the tile and grout - I'm sure the grout guys you noted in your earlier post are a good group to take a look at it and see what needs to be done!

I have a reference in the Ken Caryl area I can send you if the grout doctor guys aren't the right fit.

 

[KC Masterpiece]

I agree with Alpine Access. Could be a bad liner underneath. Here is what it looks like under that stuff. The red is the waterproof membrane. Being in property management I see lots of leaks. Most are from disconnected drain lines or bad waterproofing. Occasionally I have seen them from water splashing outside a shower or tub pan where there is bad groud and no hidden waterproofing underneath. Water can travel in some crazy paths inside a wall and the leak can often present far from the source.

 

[DaveInDenver]

FWIW, the building code requirement for showers. In the IPC it's section 417. Most interpret 417.4 and 417.5 means to avoid grout as the primary sealant. To make it meet the requirement it must be sealed regularly and correctly, which doesn't always happen even new and gets less likely over time. Removing the trim plates on fixture might help you see the liner behind the tile. Having a plumber look at it is a good idea, hopefully someone has a good recommendation.


417.4 Shower compartments. All shower compartments shall have a minimum of 900 square inches (0.58 m2) of interior cross-sectional area. Shower compartments shall not be less than 30 inches (762 mm) in minimum dimension measured from the finished interior dimension of the compartment, exclusive of fixture valves, showerheads, soap dishes, and safety grab bars or rails. Except as required in Section 404, the minimum required area and dimension shall be measured from the finished interior dimension at a height equal to the top of the threshold and at a point tangent to its centerline and shall be continued to a height not less than 70 inches (1778 mm) above the shower drain outlet.

Exception: Shower compartments having not less than 25 inches (635 mm) in minimum dimension measured from the finished interior dimension of the compartment, provided that the shower compartment has a minimum of 1,300 square inches (.838 m2) of cross-sectional area.​

• 417.4.1 Wall area. The wall area above built-in tubs with installed shower heads and in shower compartments shall be constructed of smooth, noncorrosive and nonabsorbent waterproof materials to a height not less than 6 feet (1829 mm) above the room floor level, and not less than 70 inches (1778 mm) where measured from the compartment floor at the drain. Such walls shall form a water-tight joint with each other and with either the tub, receptor or shower floor.
• 417.4.2 Access. The shower compartment access and egress opening shall have a minimum clear and unobstructed finished width of 22 inches (559 mm). Shower compartments required to be designed in conformance to accessibility pro- visions shall comply with Section 404.1.

417.5 Shower floors or receptors. Floor surfaces shall be constructed of impervious, noncorrosive, nonabsorbent and waterproof materials.

• 417.5.1 Support. Floors or receptors under shower compartments shall be laid on, and supported by, a smooth and structurally sound base.
• 417.5.2 Shower lining. Floors under shower compartments, except where prefabricated receptors have been provided, shall be lined and made water tight utilizing material complying with Sections 417.5.2.1 through 417.5.2.5. Such liners shall turn up on all sides at least 2 inches (51 mm) above the finished threshold level. Liners shall be recessed and fastened to an approved backing so as not to occupy the space required for wall covering, and shall not be nailed or perforated at any point less than 1 inch (25 mm) above the finished threshold. Liners shall be pitched one-fourth unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent slope) and shall be sloped toward the fixture drains and be securely fastened to the waste outlet at the seepage entrance, making a water-tight joint between the liner and the outlet. The com- pleted liner shall be tested in accordance with Section 312.9.

Exceptions:​

1. Floor surfaces under shower heads provided for rinsing laid directly on the ground are not required to comply with this section.
2. Where a sheet-applied, load-bearing, bonded, waterproof membrane is installed as the shower lining, the membrane shall not be required to be recessed.

• 417.5.2.1 PVC sheets. Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets shall be a minimum of 0.040 inch (1.02 mm) thick, and shall meet the requirements of ASTM D 4551. Sheets shall be joined by solvent welding in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions.
• 417.5.2.2 Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) sheets. Nonplasticized chlorinated polyethylene sheet shall be a minimum 0.040 inch (1.02 mm) thick, and shall meet the requirements of ASTM D 4068. The liner shall be joined in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions .
• 417.5.2.3 Sheet lead. Sheet lead shall not weigh less than 4 pounds per square foot (19.5 kg/m2) coated with an asphalt paint or other approved coating. The lead sheet shall be insulated from conducting substances other than the connecting drain by IS-pound (6.80 kg) asphalt felt or its equivalent. Sheet lead shall be joined by burning.
• 417.5.2.4 Sheet copper. Sheet copper shall conform to ASTM B 152 and shall not weigh less than 12 ounces per square foot (3.7 kg/m2). The copper sheet shall be insulated from conducting substances other than the connect- ing drain by IS-pound (6.80 kg) asphalt felt or its equivalent. Sheet copper shall be joined by brazing or soldering.
• 417.5.2.5 Sheet-applied, load-bearing, bonded, waterproof membranes. Sheet-applied, load-bearing, bonded, waterproof membranes shall meet requirements of ANSI Al18.10 and shall be applied in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions.

 

[simps80]

Love it Dave

 

[Romer]

It was bad caulking like I thought. All fixed and in process repairing the ceiling below. Hard to tell if there is something else wrong underneath, but a good caulking job with epoxy grout caulking did the trick.