Water damaged shower repair - Tile Advice

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Water Damaged Shower Repairs

Shower tile repair – water damage – tile waterproofing

Do you have shower leakage that goes downstairs leading to either your main floor or basement? Read this blog to find out why the worn-out shower leaks downstairs. You are not alone, in fact, water damaged shower repairs are a billion-dollar industry.


Have you ever wondered why water leakage occurs into a shower or why there is black mold inside the bottom portion of the shower year-round, dampness smell, small cracks into the grout joints, missing grout, tiles falling off the wall or even bugs crawling inside the shower? The first thing that comes to mind is the shower must be outdated. The real answer to that is very simple. The old school showers do not have any waterproofing whatsoever. These showers have an outdated technology and believe it or not they are the number one selling shower in North America. These showers have been on the market for a very long time, which is the reason why they are so popular. The technology is far behind in comparison with the modern era showers such as Schluter wet rooms etc., which are 100% waterproof. These old school showers are sold everywhere at stores throughout the US, very cheap to buy, the number one builder’s choice. You buy them for dollars. In terms of quality, in the long run you get dollars back, nothing more. As the saying goes ''you get what you pay for'' as these showers leak by design. These shower kits come with a small flange drainage and a shower pan liner, the purpose of the liner is to keep the water inside the shower. At first sight the liner seems to be very fine, giving you the impression, it is fully waterproof. In fact, it might be waterproof if you do not puncture the membrane in any way. The downfall by design is the liner attaches to the drain through four bolts and a collar. When you put holes into a supposedly waterproof membrane that no longer meets the waterproofing standards. That alone compromises the whole shower. On top of the pan liner there is dry pack mud. The mud gets saturated with water at first use trapping in the water for as long as the shower is in use. The moisture migrates everywhere behind the walls causing black mold and water damage. Over time the bolts get rusty contaminating the entire shower. The liner becomes brittle and there you go the water leakage occurs rotting everything on the way out and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Another aspect what contributes to the water damage is in fact the poor craftsmanship. Builders often cut corners while building houses/subdivisions. A common mistake within the building industry. Too many wrongdoings to write them all down. To mention just a few, builders knowingly or unknowingly use the wrong materials for the job and cheap labor. Some builders do the work themselves or even hire the wrong guy to deliver the job. They put staple holes, nails and screws into the shower pan liner inside the shower and on top of the shower curb. Some showers do not even pass a 24-hour flood test as required by the building code. That is all it takes to contribute to the water damage.

Let’s talk about the new era showers, the waterproofing industry and a little bit of waterproofing history. The waterproofing technology dates back from ancient times. Romans used to waterproof their saunas/baths/swimming pools. In fact, there are still Roman baths in existence throughout Europe dating the Roman era. They hold in the water just as brand new. These are all interesting facts worth researching!

Wet rooms: customers often ask what is the difference between an old school shower and a wet room? Most builders never heard of the wet room term let alone the ordinary customers. Well, an old school shower does not have the high-tech waterproofing technology, in other words there is no polyethylene membrane on top of the shower pan and no large flange drain either to form a waterproofing seal. The shower pan mortar bed is always wet causing moist, mold, rust and loads of trouble down the road.

When we talk about wet rooms, the first thing that comes to mind is the Schluter brand name developed in Germany back in the 60’s. There are hundreds of showers and wet room brand names out there. Some are better than others.

There are two main waterproofing categories, the old and new version. The old version comes in a slurry kit, which is applied by brush or roller. The new kit consists of a large flange drainage, polyethylene membrane sheet, prefabricated corner seals and most and foremost a sealant to glue down the membrane on top of the flange and the surrounding areas, such as Schluter Kerdi Coll. The waterproofing seal occurs on top of the large flange and corner seals. The water never gets to the mud bed, which keeps the shower dry and mold free. There is no comparison between the old school shower and the wet room. See the pictures below.

Lately, I have been using the traditional bond flange drain kit from FloFX in my shower repairs. The customers are very happy with the product. These drains are very good as they do not delaminate and are very easy to work with. Made in the USA! These drains are by far one of the best wet room drainage systems that I have come across. I could not wait to relocate back to the US to get my hands on these drains. I was sold at first sight! It is worth giving it a try.

What shower will you buy next time? Will you buy Oatey, Schluter, FloFX or something else?