Shower tiles letting in water for years.

CollyFlower

A leak from my shower is seeping into my neighbors apartment below me, (we have the same layout) I knew that I had tiles with missing grout but didn't do anything about it. When I checked my shower tiles, I pressed on the tiles and I could feel them 'breathing' ... I was able to removed them by hand. Now what I want to know is how do I proseed? I'm not going to use the shower and I'm going to leave the extracter fan on 24/7... Is there anything else l can do to speed up the drying?.. I'd also like to know how long it will take for the wall to dry out before it can be retiled?..

I'll try to upload pics.

CollyFlower

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pm1977x

Forget the extractor fan, it will do next to nothing, you need to get a decent dehumidifier in there at the very least.

CollyFlower

CollyFlower wrote: »

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CollyFlower

pm1977x wrote: »

Forget the extractor fan, it will do next to nothing, you need to get a decent dehumidifier in there at the very least.

Is an extractor fan not the same as a duhumfipher?

CollyFlower

CollyFlower wrote: »

Is an extractor fan not the same as a duhumfipher?

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CollyFlower

CollyFlower wrote: »

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raxy

What is the wall behind it? If plaster board I'd pull it down & replace it with moisture resistant boards before 're tiling. Would let you see if there's more damage behind that needs repairing.

CollyFlower

raxy wrote: »

What is the wall behind it? If plaster board I'd pull it down & replace it with moisture resistant boards before 're tiling. Would let you see if there's more damage behind that needs repairing.

It seems to be a solid concrete wall, the other side of the the wall is internal, it's a hallway, there is peeling/blistering on the paint work directly in line with the same area where I have the leak.

Francie Barrett

Are you sure there isn't a leak further up?

listermint

1. A dehumidifier is nothing like an extractor fan.
2. If the walls are damp to the touch then you will need to get a dehumidifier to dry the room out. They can be hired. Best ask the hire shop if weekend or weekday is cheaper .. it can depend on shop to shop.
3. I'd pull out the front of the bath to see underneath. You may have mould problems hidden below if the leak has been running this long. If yes then you'll need to cover the area in mould remover. I would do this before hiring a dehumidifier because you'll need to dry this area too.
4. Tbh I'd always advise tanking the wall in situations like apartments because you don't want to be caught out in compensation battle with an owner below. So I'd tank the walls first before retiling
5. When retiling be sure to put appropriate tile trim on the wall to bath join. This should be put on prior to tiling. The tanking above should come with joiner tape I'd join that to the bath area and cover with formentioned trim.
6. Choose your tile and tile the walls again.
7. Enjoy your shower or bath in the knowledge it should last a long time on a good job.

J.R.

Does the apartment above have a shower directly over yours?

The damp seems to be coming down from the back corner.

Possibility - Their shower may be leaking down into yours?

What condition is the ceiling over your shower in?

CollyFlower

J.R. wrote: »

Does the apartment above have a shower directly over yours?

The damp seems to be coming down from the back corner.

Possibility - Their shower may be leaking down into yours?

What condition is the ceiling over your shower in?

The leak is not coming from above, the tiles above the ones I took out in the shower unit are still intact, they're not budging.

Effects

Have a look at dehumidifiers to buy, as it might be cheaper than renting.
I got one from Power City that I use in a dampish studio space. I keep it running 24/7.