Fixing leak behind bath taps

Despite all my efforts I'm getting water seeping down behind my bath taps and damaging the kitchen ceiling below. There's only about 1 cm to work in between the taps and the tiles, so getting that sticky white caulking stuff in place is difficult. Twice now, I thought I'd successfully done it, only to get leaking again after a couple of weeks of showers.

Close examination shows what seem to be tiny gaps, between the caulking and the horizontal surface of the bath. As if it's not sticking, but 'lifting' off. A few similar gaps where the caulking meets the vertical tiles.

I'm not going to attempt caulking again. Can anyone recommend some other product I can use please? I'm wondering whether simple 'plaster filler' or whatever it's called would work? Or some sort of glue?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated please.

Reply to
Terry Pinnell
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Does the bath move at all, when you take a shower ? If it's not solid, getting a good seal is impossible. I've always provided additional support underneath the bath.

Andy C

Reply to
Andy Cap

I sealed my bath before fitting the taps. But it should be possible with.

First I would scrape out what's there. Totally.

Then go over with a silicone remover liquid.

The scrub it with a brush.

Then scrub again with isopropyl alcohol.

In this case, I'd not bother with silicone as it is clearly a "difficult" location. Try Geocell TheWorks in white or clear. It's a sealant, but it's not silicone and it has way superior adhesion. You should be able to get the nozzle behind the taps from each side.

Masking tape is in order as it is very difficult to remove overspill.

If that doesn't work, the next option is to glue on one of those L shaped edging strips which should work and can be held in reserve.

Reply to
Tim Watts

As Andy says, does the bath move slightly between empty and full? Do you do the caulking with the bath empty or full? My guess is the former. Try the latter. Does the caulk dry hard and brittle? Try a silicone filler; they tend to dry to a rubbery solid, more flexible, and less prone to coming away from what its applied to. Clean off as much of the old caulk as you can, first.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

On 06 Nov 2015, Andy Cap grunted:

Presumably you are using proper bathroom-grade silicone sealant, not decorator's caulk?

If so, sounds like the surfaces aren't properly clean and dry - sounds plausible to me, given that it's the hardest area to clean which is giving you trouble. Have you got rid of all traces of any old sealant, dirt etc? Give a final thorough clean to the surface of the bath with meths (if it's a plastic bath) or better, acetone (but only if it's not plastic!)

Silicone sealant is definitely the only product to consider.

Always a good idea to half-fill the bath with water before sealing, so if there is an increased gap caused by movement under the extra weight, this gets filled with silicone. (I sealed a bath last weekend as it happens, and have just realised I completely forgot to do that. Bollocks!)

Reply to
Lobster

I've used this before stuck down with 'Sticks Like'.

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Reply to
David Lang

On 06 Nov 2015, Tim Watts grunted:

Hmm. never heard of that (further to my previous post). Interesting!

Reply to
Lobster

It'll move even if it looks solid. Plastic will deform under the load fo what 1/4 of tonne (100 l water plus human). Cast iron probably won't but the floor may well have a little "give".

Fill the bath before you seal it (with silicone sealant) and keep it full for 24 hours so the silicone is fully cured. If you empty the bath before the silicone has cured it'll just get squidged out of the way. The idea is to have the gap as large as possible let the sealant cure then release the load putting the sealant into compression (which it is good at), not tension (which it isn't good at).

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

I used the brown version to seal the gaps between timbers in mahogany framed windows and also the gap between timber and tiled sill. On the advice of a carpenter.

1.5 years later it's still doing the job, on a south facing window. In summer, it goes concave as the joints open (wood dries out). In autumn on, it goes convex as the wood expands slightly. It's clearly having to work for its living as evidenced by the fact the previous attempts to seal the gaps all fell out.

It's not as "pretty" as silicone - tends to have a matt finish, but you'd not see that with the clear and probably not noticeable with the white.

Reply to
Tim Watts

+1

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike

Despite all my efforts I'm getting water seeping down behind my bath

Google search "Bath quadrant" if you have a large gap it is far better than just silicone. Fit with the bath full.

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike

As well as reinforcing the base, I also put a batten on the walls to support the edges but it's a bit late for the OP to do that ! The edges of my bath don't move, even if you stand on them.

Reply to
Andy Cap

And don't drain the water until the silicone is fully cured. That then leave the bead of silicone under compression when the bath is empty, and relaxed when full, rather than relaxed when empty and stretched when full.

Reply to
John Rumm

I did the same after the excellent advice here some years ago. I even managed to make an open structural frame for the free side, which also serves as something to screw the panel to.

Reply to
Tim Watts

My bath fitters put a generous bead of sealant between the bath and the wall, as it was offered up, which seemed a useful move, as it probably helps minimise movement, and acts as a backup to the actual seal to the tiles, which 11 years on is still sound, though I have made a mental note that it is probably due for renewal.

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

To add; Though it may sound like a silly question, is it tiling you are adhering to?

There is also a possibility that water is getting through the tap to bath seal.

I had a bath put in. The taps were secure. However, it wasn't obvious that the holes cut for the tap were much too large and that the taps were not actually crimping the bath itself but were clamped to the wooden bracing board beneath. It wasn't obvious until the taps loosened as the wood transformed.

Reply to
RayL12

That's interesting, as I've had very good results with acrylic filler. I do also use silicone.

Reply to
Capitol

"Phil L" wrote in news:Jj0%x.44518$ snipped-for-privacy@fx35.am:

+1
Reply to
DerbyBorn

Thanks all, much appreciate the suggestions.

I hadn't considered the (now rather obvious!) downward bath movement issue, which I now realise must be the cause of the 'lifting' I mentioned.

In my impatience yesterday I bought another sealant, Homebase's 'Superior General Purpose Sealant. I used the caulking gun with an improvised 5" extension to paint this transparent stuff liberally - but over the existing sealant! Also around the tap 'washer'.

I should have added that I'm very apprehensive about attempting removal of the plastic bath panel. I had to buy a fairly expensive replacement from a 'legacy' supplier last year as the original (30 years old) was badly cracked and no longer available from any normal supplier. I had a devil of a job getting it on and I'm worried that removal carries a high risk of cracking it. I *think* I sort of wedged it on, flexing with upward force from the bottom while sliding it very slowly inward along the bathroom carpet.

Because of the difficulty of easy inspection under the bath, after repairing the kitchen ceiling a couple of weeks ago, I invested several days making a 'damp detector' to warn me of any re-occurrence. (The only aspect of DIY that I'm confident about stems from my hobby of practical electronics/electrics.) The sensor is made of bare wires inside a sheet of blotting paper, inserted through a temporary hole in the ceiling plasterboard and spread out roughly over the area where the drips from the tap area occurred. Its electrical resistance drops when damp and provides the input to my circuit, triggering a loud alarm. That went off around 06:00 a few days ago while I was showering. And prompted my original post.

As the sensor is in the corner directly above the gas boiler, it dries fairly quickly, so the device is now monitoring again. My first shower since my crude sealing was completed this morning without drama. But I realise I'm on borrowed time!

Reply to
Terry Pinnell

I was going to suggest that, but the other comment about routes past the taps is also worth checking.

Reply to
newshound

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