Water Leaking Into Wall from Shower

[Bob Simon]

Water is coming down from the ceiling in my foyer just below an upstairs bathroom. On inspection, I found an unsealed gap in one section of the 3/8" plastic sheet that's glued to the wall over the tub on three sides of the shower. I was told this is FRP board so that's what I'll call it here.

The back FRP board (the one farthest away from the shower head) is the one that has the gap. It is attached tighly to the wall at the top, but loose at the bottom. Before I seal the gap with latex silicone caulk, I'd like to shoot some adhesive up behind the FRP board. Can this be done without removing the board? If so, how would I go about it?

-- Bob Simon remove both "x"s from domain for private replies

[Porky]

Just my opinion here, but I just went thru several years of leaky shower hell, and....replaced the whole unit with a new fiberglass enclosure. The problem is patchable, but there is moisture in your wall now, which causes mildew and mold to grow in the drywall, possible rot in the studding and god forbid, the floor joists. You'll never be sure the leak is completely sealed. I think part of the trouble is expansion and contraction of the plastic with temp changes. I gooped silicone around the shower base every 4-5 mos for a number of years, then noticed a soft spot in the floor where the plywood was rotting under the floor tiles.. Drywall was crumbling with mold in the corners, even the cabinet beside the shower was rotting at the bottom corner. It's a major PITA, I'm afraid.

JohnK

[Bob Simon]

John, Thanks for the heads up. This would be the worst possible scenario and it may be true for me too as this has probably been going on for years. My 15 year old son takes long showers and I expect even a small leak can put a lot water behind the walls in time. Unfortunately, remodeling the bathroom is out of the question now for financial reasons, so a minimal repair will have to do.

In the mean time, I got the sheet of FRP almost completely off the wall. It's swinging like it's on a hinge at the rightmost edge. I've got enough space to shoot some adhesive behind the FRP and brace with a 2x4. Is there any reason why PL construction adhesive would not be appropriate for this job?

-- Bob Simon remove both "x"s from domain for private replies

[sleepdog]

Keep an eye out for termites if the water can travel towards the foundation. I had a 2nd story shower leak traveling to he cinder block knee-wall on the first floor. Termites smelled it and went to work.

[Michael Baugh]

Hey Bob, that's not necessarily true. You could do it my way, and it could be good for your son's lifetime. Know how to Google? Look for me in this newsgroup by my e-mail address, using the words 'silicone' and 'shower'.

[Michael Baugh]

Oh, yeah. If you want to further narrow the search, if you choose to do one, also use the term 'arctic ice'. Same goes for anyone else considering a bathroom renovation.