ᐅ Shower base or floor is sinking – What could be the cause?
Created on: 10 Nov 2018 12:52
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Bruderhertz
Hello,
we have a problem with our bathroom, specifically the shower. Some time ago, we noticed that the floor around the shower is sinking.
The bathroom flooring is PVC (or a similar material), and in front of the shower there was a noticeable dip.
Now the entire shower tray has sunk by at least 1cm (0.4 inches). This is clearly visible due to the gap that formed between the shower enclosure (which is firmly attached to the wall) and the shower tray.
Does anyone have an idea what could be causing this?
My current solution would be: remove the shower, retile the wall, level the floor with self-leveling compound or something similar, and install a new shower. Afterwards, replace the entire floor covering as well.
But what if there are more serious problems with the floor? I would of course like to know before removing the shower tray. Because then it would probably be a much more complicated issue that requires planning more time and money accordingly.
We are naturally worried that the floor underneath the shower might be rotting. We don’t know what is beneath the shower or the flooring.
This is in the attic of an older building.
Thank you very much for your assessment!
we have a problem with our bathroom, specifically the shower. Some time ago, we noticed that the floor around the shower is sinking.
The bathroom flooring is PVC (or a similar material), and in front of the shower there was a noticeable dip.
Now the entire shower tray has sunk by at least 1cm (0.4 inches). This is clearly visible due to the gap that formed between the shower enclosure (which is firmly attached to the wall) and the shower tray.
Does anyone have an idea what could be causing this?
My current solution would be: remove the shower, retile the wall, level the floor with self-leveling compound or something similar, and install a new shower. Afterwards, replace the entire floor covering as well.
But what if there are more serious problems with the floor? I would of course like to know before removing the shower tray. Because then it would probably be a much more complicated issue that requires planning more time and money accordingly.
We are naturally worried that the floor underneath the shower might be rotting. We don’t know what is beneath the shower or the flooring.
This is in the attic of an older building.
Thank you very much for your assessment!
Gut everything out and start new!
First, open the floor next to the shower tray at one spot to check the existing construction. Although you'll have to deal with a hole in the floor initially, this way a structural engineer can inspect it, and you won't need a crystal ball to plan the new floor structure accurately.
First, open the floor next to the shower tray at one spot to check the existing construction. Although you'll have to deal with a hole in the floor initially, this way a structural engineer can inspect it, and you won't need a crystal ball to plan the new floor structure accurately.
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Bruderhertz14 Nov 2018 22:53hemali2003 schrieb:
Cleaning would definitely help... Sorry, but I would never post photos of tiles with 3 mm (0.1 inch) of dirt on them. Just looking at it gives me cold sores! Do you mean the white "wall tiles"? Those aren’t actually tiles, but adhesive foil that is peeling off... It was applied back then to cover up the ugly paint that the previous owner had smeared on the tiles. Of course, it looks really bad now and needs to be redone.
But regarding the issue:
We have removed the PVC covering and the tiles underneath in front of the shower. Unfortunately, no real cause for the floor sinking can be seen.
(see photos)
The building dates from 1905; I don’t know when the attic was converted. Bringing in a structural engineer probably wouldn’t be cheap, which I would prefer to avoid.
My hope is still to simply level the floor with self-leveling compound and retile…
I would bet that the waterproofing (meaning the silicone sealant) around the bathtub has not been effective for quite some time, allowing water to flow under the shower tray. Since the building is from 1905 and the attic is involved, it almost certainly has a wooden beam ceiling, and the beams or their sheathing (floorboards, chipboard, etc.) will have rotted away.
As a result, the shower tray is sinking and will sooner or later end up in the floor below—if you're somewhat “lucky,” there might be a beam running underneath that could hold for a while longer. You won’t be able to avoid consulting a structural engineer, and for the sake of your health, you really shouldn’t try to handle this yourself.
Remove the tile adhesive or screed beneath the tiles that have already been broken up, and you will be able to see more. Alternatively, open the covering of the shower tray so you can look underneath.
As a result, the shower tray is sinking and will sooner or later end up in the floor below—if you're somewhat “lucky,” there might be a beam running underneath that could hold for a while longer. You won’t be able to avoid consulting a structural engineer, and for the sake of your health, you really shouldn’t try to handle this yourself.
Remove the tile adhesive or screed beneath the tiles that have already been broken up, and you will be able to see more. Alternatively, open the covering of the shower tray so you can look underneath.
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hemali200314 Nov 2018 23:36Bruderhertz schrieb:
You mean the white "wall tiles"? Those aren’t tiles but adhesive foil that is peeling off... It was applied back then to cover up the ugly color the previous owner had painted on the tiles. But of course, it now looks really bad and definitely needs to be redone.No, I’m talking about the thick dirt stuck in the corners down there!!! It’s really disgusting...
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hemali200314 Nov 2018 23:39I just looked at it again, and it’s really filthy. I would feel extremely uncomfortable publishing photos like that...
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