How To Repair A Leaking Shower Base

A leaking shower pan is a serious problem that can cause severe harm to your dwelling.

And the longer you wait to set it, the more harm it does and the more expensive it becomes to repair.

To prevent time to come expensive repairs, learn how to identify whether your shower pan is leaking and how to fix the most common causes of leaks.

Common Causes

Shower pans are a liner typically made of PVC. They are placed under the mortar beneath the floor of your shower. The shower pan is the last line of defence between your shower and your dwelling's foundation.

There are many reasons a shower pan can leak, just they usually circumduct around lousy installation or a very old shower pan.

If the shower pan is not installed correctly or is punctured, typically with a screw, leaks will happen. These leaks will rust the bolt or screw, allowing the water to seep into the wood of your foundation, causing structural impairment.

Installation blunders also penetrating the pan include non considering where the drain pan will exist or where the glass or walls will connect to the shower.

All these installation mishaps will give you the same event, leaks that cause structural impairment.

How To Tell If Your Shower Pan Is Leaking (Shower Pan Test)

Cracks, leaks, and motility are signs that your shower is in bad shape.

In that location are a few ways to examination for a shower pan leak. But in that location is ane specific examination that I find to be the easiest and most accurate.

Y'all will demand ii items for this test, 1 existence a rugged silicone-based waterproof record. You can go this blazon of tape from manufacturers such as 3M, Flex Tape, and Gorilla Tape. The second item you will demand is a ruler or record measure.

• Step i. Begin the exam by thoroughly roofing the drain of your shower with waterproof tape.

• Step 2. In one case your drain is sealed by the record, fill your shower with 1 to ii inches of water.

• Step 3. Utilise your tape measure or ruler to note the level of the water.

• Step 4. Render 12 to 48 hours later to cheque the water level with your measuring device.

If you lot have a bad leak, you may meet a drop in the h2o level equally soon as 12 hours. Otherwise, information technology may take up to 48 hours.

If 48 hours have passed and in that location has been no drop in the water level, your pan is in proficient shape. But as long as you taped your bleed well, any reduction in the h2o level indicates a leak in your shower pan.

How To Fix Shower Pan Leaks

Once you lot take adamant you have a leaking shower pan, how do you fix it?

There are three more often than not recognized methods that tin can gear up your shower pan. The method that works all-time for you will be based on your particular state of affairs and how bad the leak is.

Masonry Sealer

Using masonry sealer shouldn't be considered a permanent fix. Information technology can gear up your shower pan if you take a minor leak. Only in general, a masonry sealer is used every bit a temporary fix so you can terminate the h2o impairment and continue using your shower until you lot can remove and replace the shower pan.

You would use masonry sealer to all cracks and seams on your shower floor. Applying masonry sealer is an easy DIY project and should non toll y'all more than 25 dollars.

Repair The Grout

The grout that runs across the floor of your shower volition eventually give out and can be a major reason for a leaking shower pan.

If the grout in your shower requires you to mess with the floors or foundation to repair the grout, you're better off calling a professional.

If you can re-grout without pulling the floors, it is just a unproblematic matter of mixing and applying the grout then sealing it. Using an unsanded epoxy grout will not scratch your delicate tile or marble, and it will even seal itself.

Repairing grout is a medium-sized DIY project as it volition take more time and labor than masonry sealant and will toll you around 20 to forty dollars.

Replace The Shower Pan Liner

If you have a significant leak beyond what grout repair tin handle, you may have no other choice than to replace the shower pan liner.

Shower pan liners merely final and then long, and when their time has come, you lot must replace them. But but replace your shower pan liner if y'all take no other pick unless yous are a skilled craftsman; I would not recommend this equally a DIY project.

Depending on the home and the bathroom, replacing the pan'southward liner volition involve opening upward walls or flooring. The average price a professional will quote yous for this type of work will be anywhere from 1000 to 3000 dollars.

If you decide to take this project on your ain, some guides and resource tin help you lot. Your price will go down if you practice the labor yourself, as the materials will price y'all around 600 dollars.

FAQ

How long should a shower pan last?

A shower pan will more often than not terminal for 20 years. The life of the shower pan will exist affected by things similar how often it is used and how quickly you answer to and ready any damage. Without heavy use and with farthermost care, your shower pan may last upwardly to 25 or 30 years.

Does insurance cover shower pan leaks?

In most cases, they do not. If y'all accept water harm protection in your coverage, generally, insurance will pay for the impairment caused by the water leak, merely they volition not pay to replace or repair the apparatus that acquired it. All policies are unlike, so make sure to read the fine impress of yours.

How much does It cost to repair a leaking shower pan?

This will depend entirely on how bad your leak is. If your leak is minor or moderate, repairing the grout may solve your outcome for around 40 dollars. If your leak is horrible, you may take to replace the shower pan, costing you upward of thousands of dollars.

Decision

Shower pans can be tricky, as they are sandwiched betwixt your flooring and your foundation, then you lot cannot see them. You will have no idea of the state of your shower pan, what materials it's fabricated of, or even how long it's been there unless you get data from a contractor. It is something to consider when buying a new habitation or moving into an older house. If the shower pan has been down at that place for over 30 years, be cautious and prepared for possible issues.

Fixing a shower pan leak can be an easy, cheap repair on one end or a problematic, costly repair on the other side.

If you have a shower pan leak, I would advise you non to ignore it. At the very least, apply some masonry sealant to purchase you time.

Going through the process of repairing grout will salve you a lot of money compared to removing the shower pan itself.

In most cases, y'all cannot depend on an insurance visitor to pay for the price of replacing a shower pan.

Source: https://looacademy.com/leaking-shower-pan/

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