re-tiling shower

[RedApple]

Hi,

Anyone who has had a leaking tiled shower and ended up redoing it (rip the tiles, waterproof and retile. All done by a licenced tiler), could you please share how long did this last before it leaks again ?

A tiled shower in my IP is leaking due to failed membrane and needing to be redone. I'm wondering how long would this last before the leak recurs (total nightmare ). Is it worth redoing or better off to install a self contained marbletrend shower unit with acrylic walls & base etc...

The marbletrend installer tells me he'll need to rip tiles of the shower base then install the shower unit on top...without needing to do a waterproof underneath the acrylic shower base is this right ?

Do self contained shower units leak less than tiled showers ? How long do they generally last ?

Also, I'm a bit worried what potential damage has occured behind the shower walls. The house is on a concrete slab but water has seeped through the walls behind the shower walls and into the next room (just a thin dark line along the frame) Re-tiling will remove the bottom row of the wall tiles hence may reveal any potential damage but installing marble trend won't remove the bottom row of wall tiles.

What should I do ???

 

[Scott No Mates]

you should get a ten year warranty with the waterproofing.

 

[RedApple]

Hi Scott,

So retiling with waterproofing would last longer than having the marbletrend shower box(without waterproof underneath) ? I thought alot of people on this forum say the shower box would leak less.

1)For retiling & waterproofing, I've got a quote for the 10 year leak gurantee that covers structural movement but not if the tiles break but don't tiles crack\break over time ? Say hairline cracks when building moves. (work done in 3days. They claim to have an industrial fan heater that can quickly dry up the polyurathane membrane quickly instead of waiting 5days for it to dry.)


2)The marbletrend installation comes with the installer's 12months workmanship\leak warranty, then 10 year product warranty. What worries me most is that the installer doesn't do waterproofing underneath the base, he reckons no need to. So just showerbase on top of concrete floor am i too paranoid ? This guy doesn't carry a builder's license but advises he used to work for marbletrend and is familiar with installing marbletrend shower box. (work done in a day)

3) Third option is retile with copper tray and a coat of fibreglass membrane. this guy gives 12months only warranty for leakage He does say it is uncertain how long it would last (work done in a week.)


So stressful trying to find a safe and lasting solution while the leaking continues ='(

you should get a ten year warranty with the waterproofing.

 

[fisherman]

The tiles need to be removed on the floor and corners of the walls for the waterproofing to be reinstated. Usually it is easier to re-tile the whole shower and floor.

Use a registered tradesman. I'd go with a registered builder because trades need to be coordinated. It is a good time to review the taps and shower head. Maybe re-seat taps at the same time and new barrels, with a new shower head. Better job.

Get the quote first. I wouldn't bother with other 'solutions'.

 

[RedApple]

hi fisherman,

I've got 2 quotes for the re-tile method, both from registered tradesmen who are quite confident a proper retile will not leak. This shower had leaked before and the previous owner hired a builder to redo the whole bathroom in 2011. They gave me this builder's contacts, we chatted, he claimed to be a qualified builder but is unfortunately recovering from health issue and can't do anything till another month (not sure if i could trust his workmanship to risk another leak). This builder says he did rip up the shower base in 2011, waterproofed using polyeurathene and retile. Yet just 2 years
later, the leak happened again!!!!

Hence why i'm so afraid of tiled showers now and was hoping for something
else abit more stable. Do tile showers actually last or is it my building's movement that could cause the membrane to break ?

The tiles need to be removed on the floor and corners of the walls for the waterproofing to be reinstated. Usually it is easier to re-tile the whole shower and floor.

Use a registered tradesman. I'd go with a registered builder because trades need to be coordinated. It is a good time to review the taps and shower head. Maybe re-seat taps at the same time and new barrels, with a new shower head. Better job.

Get the quote first. I wouldn't bother with other 'solutions'.

 

[DaveM]

A waterproof membrane should last 20+ years if done correctly.

 

[RedApple]

even for tiled showers ? 20years is awesome .... but how to find a tradesperson that can do such a good job ?

A waterproof membrane should last 20+ years if done correctly.

 

[RedApple]

DaveM, I've contacted Bruno & Marcello, the tilers you once reccomended but have not been able to reach them.

Have you had a waterproof & retile job done by one of these guys which lasted for years ?

 

[DaveM]

Marcello did a couple in an apartment block I used to own in (he did my kitchen and did really good work so I got him as the contractor on other waterproofing jobs).

I do know that Bruno is booked out for the next 3-6 months. Good tilers are always flat out...

 

[RedApple]

i got through to Bruno once, he told me to email some photos of the shower but never got a response ~.~

Did Macerllo fix a tile shower in one of your apartments DaveM ? How long thereafter did
you keep the unit for before onselling it (assuming the leak didn't recur during that period.)

Just got a tiler reccomended by my PM's colleague from another office. She said he did her whole bathroom for a very good price and she was very pleased with the results.But this was only a year ago, so only time will tell how long this will last.

Really wish i could find a good tiler who's done a shower waterproof\retile that lasted 10years+

 

[fisherman]

It will not leak where it meets the relevant Standard,

http://www.bsa.qld.gov.au/SiteColle...s/Tech Info/Waterproofing Standard AS3740.pdf

Unfortunately it is not obligatory for builders to meet the Australian Standards and manufacturers' installation guidelines as a MINIMUM requirement of construction.

As well, the government agencies responsible for maintaining and policing building standards are diplomats and they are not proactive.

So you and others should phone local State and federal politicians and have a stern word with them on the subject. Ask if receiving political donations from the biggies in building and development blinds them to the very obvious flaws in the system that work against the home owner.

Back to your problem, the previous builder is responsible and has offered remedial work. When that is done he will again be responsible for a time.

So get him to set a time soon or could he arrange for someone to do it on his behalf to meet his warranty requirements.

If you are still unhappy contact the diplomats in the building regulators body in your State. Because a leak is a fault. Showers that meet the Standard do not leak.

If you have other work done that will void any warranty and goodwill being shown by the previous builder. You could end up with both sides blaming the other for any ongoing fault. Be warned.

 

[RedApple]

hi Fisherman,

Many thanks for your helpful advise and warning. This builder has offered to fix the problem for me but his health is in very poor condition and won't be able to do anything until at least a month's time. Meanwhile the leak has been going on for nearly 3months now and I am desperate to get it fixed asap to prevent any further structural damage. Water has gone to the walls behind the shower walls as you can see in the attached images.

So shall I wait for him to recover still ? even then I'm not sure if he'll be able to do it properly second time round. Despite the goodwill offer he says that once the house was sold from the previous owner to me, his intially warranty becomes void towards the new owner which is ridiculous. Seems like he just want to brush off any responsibilities, I can't 100% trust his workmanship and risk having my IP being exposed to potential further damage due to poor quality work.

Right now I'm struggling to find a good tiler who can do a good & proper job asap. The house is on a concrete slab and i'm not sure if it's better to wait another 2 weeks for the preferred tiler to do the work who can give a 10years warranty or just settle for another who can start the job in a week's time with the standard builder's 7-year warranty

What should I do ??? ~.~!!!

 

[fisherman]

Ring for advice,

http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/www/html/2540-complaints-disputes--appeals.asp

It is not true for example that the builder's warranty applies only to the original person who contracted him to do the work.

It is not reasonable to delay rectification for a month because the builder himself is unwell. He can engage someone else to do the work. We all try to be reasonable but there are limits.

 

[RedApple]

Hi Fisherman, thanks for the advise.

I just did today. Called NSW Consumer Affair(Sydney IP) and they say it is the builder's responsibility to fix it up however I must give him a chance to do so. If he is unwell and need a wait period while further damages occur then will be liable for them as well. If I hire someone else to do the job then will void the warranty and risk both builders blaming each other if leak recurs, harder for consumer affairs to step in & assist. This makes sense.

So called him up again and he offered to come out and see the property tomorrow and will hire someone to help him do the work to fix it up for me before he's going to have an operation in 3 weeks time.

Funny enough, had a friend call up his number and ask for a quote to fix toilet leak and he says he is unwell but can do the job in 2 weeks time if my friend is keen

Honestly I'm not sure if I can trust his workmanship anymore, the risk and cost of fixing another leak/potential damages if they recur is just to high. This guy is close to retirement already and claims to have dementia. I'm more tempted to ask him to just share with me half the cost of hiring a registered trades person who can do a proper job with 10 year warranty. But not sure if this is a worthwhile idea or will it cause more complications down the track.

What do you think ?

Ring for advice,

http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/www/html/2540-complaints-disputes--appeals.asp

It is not true for example that the builder's warranty applies only to the original person who contracted him to do the work.

It is not reasonable to delay rectification for a month because the builder himself is unwell. He can engage someone else to do the work. We all try to be reasonable but there are limits.

 

[BayView]

A waterproof membrane should last 20+ years if done correctly.

I recently renovated our IP. Twenty odd years old.

It had a leaking shower, and I pulled it completely apart and did it from scratch.

It had no waterproofing at all behind the tiles...the way they did it back then apparently (less regulations back then).

I reckon the leak was a few years old, but can't really tell, so even a non-waterproofed shower will get close to 20 years old before leaking.

If you've got the time, and have a bit of skill in being handy, then do it yourself and save thousands of dollars.

 

[RedApple]

BV, did your old shower have a plastic base or tiled base ? did the leak cause any damage to ur walls or structure ? plus it's a house on concrete slab right ?

if only i have these basic handy skills ...would save alot of stress and cost...but yea never too late to learn

I recently renovated our IP. Twenty odd years old.

It had a leaking shower, and I pulled it completely apart and did it from scratch.

It had no waterproofing at all behind the tiles...the way they did it back then apparently (less regulations back then).

I reckon the leak was a few years old, but can't really tell, so even a non-waterproofed shower will get close to 20 years old before leaking.

If you've got the time, and have a bit of skill in being handy, then do it yourself and save thousands of dollars.

 

[handyandy]

Firstly the builder is leading you on. He seems to have already given you many different excuses and that is before he has even been out to see the mess he made.

Get him out to have a look but don't be surprised that there are all sorts of reason why it's leaking that are not related to the work he has done.

I would always go with a marbletrend type enclosure. These enclosures do not need waterproofing under them. They are fully self enclosed with the parts (if there are parts) overlapping to correctly shed the water to the base tray and then obviously to the drain. Think roof tiles and the way they shed water.

We have one in our house that has been in place since we moved here, in 1995 and still going strong. It's looks a bit worn but still keeping the house dry.

Recently installed one in the USA which was made up of 4 pieces that all interlocked. See pics. This job was done in 3 days. Main time was waiting for the gyprock to set.

Cheers

 

[rockDr]

Hi,

Anyone who has had a leaking tiled shower and ended up redoing it (rip the tiles, waterproof and retile. All done by a licenced tiler), could you please share how long did this last before it leaks again ?

A tiled shower in my IP is leaking due to failed membrane and needing to be redone. I'm wondering how long would this last before the leak recurs (total nightmare ). Is it worth redoing or better off to install a self contained marbletrend shower unit with acrylic walls & base etc...

The marbletrend installer tells me he'll need to rip tiles of the shower base then install the shower unit on top...without needing to do a waterproof underneath the acrylic shower base is this right ?

Do self contained shower units leak less than tiled showers ? How long do they generally last ?

Also, I'm a bit worried what potential damage has occured behind the shower walls. The house is on a concrete slab but water has seeped through the walls behind the shower walls and into the next room (just a thin dark line along the frame) Re-tiling will remove the bottom row of the wall tiles hence may reveal any potential damage but installing marble trend won't remove the bottom row of wall tiles.

What should I do ???

If it's done properly it shouldn't leak again.

On our IP the shower needed redoing, we got it done and the original shower had been in there for approx 30 years, had eventually leaked, it was a lamiplex shower, so they always leak.

But needed to be ripped out resealed new shower and tiles.

I would suggest finding a bathroom renovator who is licenced to do the plumbing and tiling.

Some of them will have pictures of their work on the websites if available.

I would say it definitely wasn't installed properly the first time.

 

[ugotadollar4me]

Just curious to know what would happen if you employ a tiler and they do a complete rebuild and then after time it leaks and then they can not be contacted to fix the problem?

Will the BSA insurance cough up or are we at a loss?

 

[RedApple]

fisherman, handyandy & rockDr: thanks for your suggestions.

what happened today:
the builder who did this bathroom 2 years ago came out to see his faults as he'd said. I called him later on the day and he said he'll redo the shower tiles, fix the waterproofing and clean up the stain on the carpet caused by the leak, work to start next week. Couldn't believe my ears but thanked him several times for the kind offering.

However, got a bit nervous afterwards cos he was admitted to hospital 2 weeks ago for dementia. Not sure if having him doing the job is a good idea or shall i just spend $2k+ for someone else to do a proper job with 10 years warranty. This guy reminds me several times there was no warranty on the bathroom when he did the complete renovation on it 2 years ago for the previous owner.

ugotadollar4me: a lot of insurance policy i've looked at don't cover repair cost for leaking shower. Please let me know if you find one that does.