ᐅ New shower: leaking silicone seals causing water damage! Retile, or what are the options?
Created on: 17 Mar 2010 15:15
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phlipzner-117 Mar 2010 15:15Hello,
a few years ago, a friend renovated our bathroom. We have a masonry shower enclosure with a plastic shower tray.
Recently, we had water leakage at the silicone joint between the pumice block and the shower tray (see sketch). The pumice was previously tiled as well; the sketch shows the current situation.
The likely cause of the leak is that the joint width was only about 2mm (0.08 inches) in some places.
I have since scraped out all the joints and removed the tiles and the waterproofing coating from the horizontal pumice block to allow it to dry again.
How can I make the shower permanently watertight now?
My idea was to double up the pumice block, apply a new waterproofing coating, and retile so that the joint between the pumice block and the shower tray forms a 90-degree corner, which should be easier to seal than the previous 180-degree flat joint. Is that correct?
However, if I double the pumice block, I will also create more joints around the edges where the pumice ends meet the walls, all of which need to be properly sealed.
Or should I completely remove the old tiles, double the pumice block, apply a new waterproofing coating, and retile everything?
I’m quite frustrated but want the shower to be permanently watertight this time, so I appreciate any advice and hope my description is clear!
Best regards 🙂
a few years ago, a friend renovated our bathroom. We have a masonry shower enclosure with a plastic shower tray.
Recently, we had water leakage at the silicone joint between the pumice block and the shower tray (see sketch). The pumice was previously tiled as well; the sketch shows the current situation.
The likely cause of the leak is that the joint width was only about 2mm (0.08 inches) in some places.
I have since scraped out all the joints and removed the tiles and the waterproofing coating from the horizontal pumice block to allow it to dry again.
How can I make the shower permanently watertight now?
My idea was to double up the pumice block, apply a new waterproofing coating, and retile so that the joint between the pumice block and the shower tray forms a 90-degree corner, which should be easier to seal than the previous 180-degree flat joint. Is that correct?
However, if I double the pumice block, I will also create more joints around the edges where the pumice ends meet the walls, all of which need to be properly sealed.
Or should I completely remove the old tiles, double the pumice block, apply a new waterproofing coating, and retile everything?
I’m quite frustrated but want the shower to be permanently watertight this time, so I appreciate any advice and hope my description is clear!
Best regards 🙂
M
MODERATOR17 Mar 2010 23:36Yes, this detail was poorly executed. In the area of the pumice stone, a fabric sealing tape should have been glued and painted over – followed by the silicone joint. These silicone joints are not actual sealing joints but rather serve as a visual finish for the bathtub/wall connection – the actual seal should, as mentioned, be underneath.
What could be done:
Remove the tiles in the lower area, about 20cm (8 inches) above the shower, take out the shower, and apply a fabric sealing tape into the joint where the pumice stone wall rises, over the pumice stone edge, and into the joint between the bathtub base and pumice stone; this tape is available as a system accessory for liquid waterproofing (rubber coating). Then, paint the entire area from the tile removal edge to above the joint between pumice stone and bathtub base with liquid waterproofing again.
After that, reinstall the bathtub and apply a neat silicone joint on top.
This is how it should have been done – the whole thing would still be watertight. Even experienced tile setters often “skip” the fabric sealing tape… “I smoothed it well; it seals just as well.” But these fabric sealing tapes are absolutely necessary since the liquid waterproofing (rubber coating) cannot develop a sufficient film thickness on sharp edges.
What could be done:
Remove the tiles in the lower area, about 20cm (8 inches) above the shower, take out the shower, and apply a fabric sealing tape into the joint where the pumice stone wall rises, over the pumice stone edge, and into the joint between the bathtub base and pumice stone; this tape is available as a system accessory for liquid waterproofing (rubber coating). Then, paint the entire area from the tile removal edge to above the joint between pumice stone and bathtub base with liquid waterproofing again.
After that, reinstall the bathtub and apply a neat silicone joint on top.
This is how it should have been done – the whole thing would still be watertight. Even experienced tile setters often “skip” the fabric sealing tape… “I smoothed it well; it seals just as well.” But these fabric sealing tapes are absolutely necessary since the liquid waterproofing (rubber coating) cannot develop a sufficient film thickness on sharp edges.
P
phlipzner-118 Mar 2010 16:28Proper Execution?
Hello Hertweck,
thank you first for the quick reply. There was indeed a fabric membrane beneath the tiles on the pumice, but it ended at the front edge of the pumice and was not connected to the shower tray, so water could easily get through.
I have one more question regarding the connection to the shower tray: Was it meant as shown in the sketch?
That is, shaping the pumice with tile adhesive, removing tiles from the wall, then applying fabric sealing tape in the corner or at the junction between the pumice and the shower tray, followed by a waterproofing coating over that.
Afterwards, placing a block of pumice on top, sealing and finishing it the same way, and then tiling over it again.
Is the new pumice block mainly to create a 90-degree corner, which in your opinion is easier to seal? Or is this unnecessary?
Thanks in advance, your response has definitely renewed my motivation.
Regards, phlipzner-1
Hello Hertweck,
thank you first for the quick reply. There was indeed a fabric membrane beneath the tiles on the pumice, but it ended at the front edge of the pumice and was not connected to the shower tray, so water could easily get through.
I have one more question regarding the connection to the shower tray: Was it meant as shown in the sketch?
That is, shaping the pumice with tile adhesive, removing tiles from the wall, then applying fabric sealing tape in the corner or at the junction between the pumice and the shower tray, followed by a waterproofing coating over that.
Afterwards, placing a block of pumice on top, sealing and finishing it the same way, and then tiling over it again.
Is the new pumice block mainly to create a 90-degree corner, which in your opinion is easier to seal? Or is this unnecessary?
Thanks in advance, your response has definitely renewed my motivation.
Regards, phlipzner-1
M
MODERATOR19 Mar 2010 19:17As shown in the drawing, this could be implemented but would need to be properly sealed. The pumice block (the upper block) is actually not necessary if the shower tray can rest on the lower block and be tiled; using this upper block creates an additional corner that needs sealing. However, if you proceed as shown in the drawing, the pumice block is not problematic, it’s just an alternative approach (as with any connection detail).
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