Damp on the other side
Bubbling paint, lifting skirting or a musty smell in the room backing onto the shower wall.
Overview
Most showers do not need a full rebuild
A leaking shower is usually one of a handful of things: grout that has cracked and opened up, silicone that has failed at the junctions, a floor waste that is not sealed to the membrane, or a hob detail that was never right. Several of those can be repaired from the surface.
Where the membrane itself has failed, or water has been sitting in the sheeting long enough to soften it, surface repairs only buy time. We will tell you which situation you are in and what each option realistically costs you over the next few years.
Signs
What tells you a shower is leaking
Loose or drummy tiles
Tiles that sound hollow when tapped, or move underfoot, usually mean water has got behind them.
Cracked, dark grout
Grout that has crumbled at the corners or stained permanently dark is holding moisture, not shedding it.
Water sitting after use
Puddles that stay in the recess after the shower drains point at falls that are wrong or a blocked waste.
Repair options
Three levels of fix
Level 1
Regrout & reseal
Old grout raked out and replaced, junctions re-siliconed, waste re-sealed and the recess sealed. Tiles stay in place.
Best when: tiles are sound and the leak is coming through failed grout or silicone.
Level 2
Sealed membrane over tile
A clear or coloured sealing system applied over the existing tiled recess to stop water passing through the grout lines.
Best when: the substrate is still dry but the original membrane is no longer doing its job.
Level 3
Strip & rebuild
Recess stripped, damaged sheeting replaced, new membrane, new screed and falls, then re-tiled.
Best when: water has reached the frame or sheeting, or the falls were wrong from the start.
Gallery
Shower repair work
Shower giving you trouble?
Send photos of the recess and of any damp showing up nearby — that is usually enough to narrow it down.