Shower leaking behind the tiles in your Barking home? The warning signs, the usual causes, and how it is put right so the water stays where it should.
A shower that leaks behind the tiles often goes unnoticed until the damage shows somewhere else: a stain on the ceiling below, a damp patch on the other side of the wall, loose or hollow tiles, or mould that keeps coming back. The water is getting past the tiles and into the wall or floor behind them.
The usual causes are failed silicone around the tray or bath, cracked or missing grout, a leaking shower valve or pipe inside the wall, or tiles that were fitted without proper waterproofing behind them. In a shower, tiles and grout are not fully waterproof on their own, which is why a tanking membrane should go on the wall first.
In Barking we see this in the 1920s and 30s Becontree houses where showers were added over old baths, and in some newer flats at Barking Riverside. Stop using the shower if the leak is reaching the floor below, find the source, then reseal, regrout or retile over a tanked surface as needed.
Send a photo or a quick video of the room on WhatsApp. Or ask for a free fixed quote with no obligation. We will tell you straight what it needs.
Ceiling stains below, damp on the other side of the wall, or loose tiles are the giveaways.
Failed silicone round the tray or bath is the most common cause and the easiest fix.
Gaps in the grout let water straight behind the tiles.
If water appears even when the shower is not running, a pipe or valve may be leaking. That needs a plumber first.
If retiling, a tanking membrane behind the tiles stops it happening again.
Stains on the ceiling below, damp walls, loose tiles and mould that keeps returning.
Often, if it is the silicone or grout. If water has got behind and the wall is damaged, retiling may be needed.
A waterproof membrane applied to the wall or floor before tiling, so water cannot reach the structure.
If water is reaching the room below, yes, until the source is found.