Ask Me Help Desk - Shower pan leak

Under construction, a rubber shower pan was installed in my shower. I had the builder, on the rough, after inspection, close down the shower door opening. After living in the house for a year, I noticed some mold on the drywall outside the shower near the bottom of the opening. I opened up the drywall and noticed water got through the tile, and there was no shower pan rolled up the wall in that section. Other than tearing out the euro door and tile and installing more shower pan... is there a way of sealing the tile and grout to prevent this from happening again? Or do we have to tear the darn thing out?

When we build a shower pan we ALWAYS leave a extra 8 inches on all 4 sides to run up and tack to the studs. We also run the plastic over the threshold so the entryway is waterproof. It's unbelievable that a experienced plumber would leave a shower pan that way. If you plan on tearing it out then call in a plumber but I would call in a sharp tile man first. He might be able to take out some tile and extend the pan. Then all he would have to do is replace the tile. Good luck and keep me informed. Tom

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilbert Building

Under construction, a rubber shower pan was installed in my shower. I had the builder, on the rough, after inspection, close down the shower door opening. After living in the house for a year, I noticed some mold on the drywall outside the shower near the bottom of the opening. I opened up the drywall and noticed water got through the tile, and there was no shower pan rolled up the wall in that section. Other than tearing out the euro door and tile and installing more shower pan... is there a way of sealing the tile and grout to prevent this from happening again? Or do we have to tear the darn thing out?

You can put a silicone sealer on the grout. Makes it waterproof. You should also look at the grout that touches the non-tile surfaces of the shower. There may be hair-line cracks in the grout interface where water can seep behind the tile & into the wall.

Cheers, Tom