MDF around new shower showing water damage.

2 months ago

last modified: 2 months ago

This shower is less than 2 years old. A leak in grout was repaired and trim replaced a few months ago. Now water damage is back again on trim. Builder is blaming shower door by saying water could be seeping through door. Since damge shows from the bottom up he argues there is nothing wrong with shower! anyone know if this could be true? what should be done next ?

Edit;

when i questioned the builder on it being a leak that needs to be repaired this was his response.

” I would think since the wall has been open for over a few weeks now, it would be very apparent visually if the shower was leaking internally. I told David that with the baseboard being wet from the bottom up, the baseboard is installed on top of the tile, water would have to completely fill up from the slab and then spill over ontop of the tile. If that was the case, the 2x4’s bolted to the slab would be completely deteriorated by now if that much water was coming from an internal leak.“

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Comments (6)

cat_ky
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
Is there no shower curb, on that shower, to contain the water? Also, grout, does not keep water from getting into the wall. Its not waterproof. There should be waterproofing on the walls behind the tile.
millworkman
2 months ago
" A leak in grout was repaired and trim replaced a few months ago "

Grout is not nor was ever intended to be waterproof, so a grout repair is not "fixing" anything as far as water. You have a pretty good leak that at this point will most likely require some demo (hopefully selective). Hopefully it is repairable with a gut. Do you know how the pan and wall substrate were constructed? What waterproofing was used? Any pics of it during construction?
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"There is no longer any water showing up on the sheets of paper. Can I eliminate the possibility of a leak in the pipes?" That may indicate that there isn't a leak when the shower valve is off. Leaks behind the wall are rare, but they do occur. You could troubleshoot leaks behind the wall by unthreading the shower head from the arm that comes out of the wall. Crack the shower valve so water starts trickling out of the arm, then close the valve. Now thread a 1/2" cap on the arm (in place of the shower head) and turn on the shower valve. That'll pressurize the plumbing between the valve and the cap. Leave the supply valve on for a while. If water starts showing up within a few hours or the next day, then there may indeed be a leak behind the wall. You can try to get a visual on it at the same time be sliding the shower head escutcheon plate off the arm, that'll allow you to put eyes on the union that the shower arm threads in to. You can also remove the escutcheon plate that covers the shower valve. With the shower head removed, the shower arm capped, the two escutcheons removed, and the water ON, you may be able to see or even hear a mist or spray from any faulty unions. If visibility is restricted, you can also poke a Q-tip or something like that into the holes and see if it comes out wet. But again...leaks behind the wall are rare. I'd be interested in finding out if the floor membrane itself is sloped to the drain. Many installers who use CPE or CPVC membranes improperly lay the membrane flat on the floor, then set sloped mud on the flat membrane and tile on the sloped mud. However, it's a code requirement that the membrane itself should be sloped. Lastly...sometimes these weird water things can disappear on their own over time. Fresh mud beds become wet with their first use, and on these forums we've had a few instances of water behaving badly while the bed saturates over the first few uses. Good luck with it.
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it's prob been leaking around the door. I don't know if that caulking was intact between the shower curb and tile he's pulled up, but it's gone now. the caulking keeps water from seeping under the vinyl. caulking also needs to be done vertically against the metal and tile on the outside, and the inside. water gets in those cracks, falls downward and onto the floor if you have MDF sub floor, once it's wet it gets swollen and will never shrink back. if it's been wet for awhile you may have mildew or mold. if it's gotten wicked up into the drywall, that's another issue. honestly your best bet is to have your shower and flooring redone. call in someone now because it will prob be months before anyone can start. that will give you some time to look for ideas and save up some money.
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The building code in Texas adopts and incorporates the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC.) The requirements for outdoor piping insulation of mechanical systems are as follows: R403.4.1 Protection of Piping Insulation "Piping insulation exposed to weather shall be protected from damage, including that caused by sunlight, moisture, equipment maintenance and wind, and shall provide shielding from solar radiation that can cause degradation of the material. Adhesive tape shall not be permitted." It is well known that foam insulation of the type used to insulate outdoor line sets degrades with exposure to UV radiation. I often see friable foam insulation on line sets after exposure for only a couple of years where no protection is in place. It needs to be protected to ensure it's longevity and functionality. While the code doesn't prescribe the specific method of providing the protection, there are a variety of options are available. Where specific products are manufactured for the purpose, such as UV-resistant line set tapes, they should pass inspection without objection. (The UL listing on the Nashua 557 tape is for compliance with UL 181B-FX which is the standard for HVAC tapes used to seam, seal, and join class 1 flex duct; it's not intended for use protecting insulation on line sets.) Building codes are in place first and foremost to protect life safety, and to a lesser extent to ensure sustainability of structures including energy efficiency. While the installation of equipment, fixtures, and appliances are inspected for compliance with applicable codes at completion of new construction, permits and inspections for their replacement are generally not required. In those cases, the customer is relying on the knowledge and professionalism of the replacement contractor whose work may not have been subject to inspection for many years and whose knowledge of current code requirements may be a little lacking. It may be, as one poster suggested, that this particular contractor isn't as "whizbang" as the OP may have concluded. If so, they've got plenty of company.
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catbuilder
2 months ago
Being female is irrelevant. Being male does not afford a person some magical knowledge.

It's possible that water is coming from the door. It's also possible that it's coming from somewhere else. You will need to do some investigating. How far laterally does the water extend? How far up does it extend? Have you watched what happens while the shower is running?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 months ago
Your builder is hoping and dreaming, however, hoping and dreaming does not fix a leaking shower. This is not good and the repair will be extensive and expensive.

Plug the drain, fill the shower, and watch the water flow over that 2x4. Make a video and send it to the builder. Then post it here please.
Iluvdark kychns
2 months ago
Ask your builder to share with you actual specs on the shower water proofing they did. The shower pan should have a decline toward the drain. There should have been city inspections that would have signed off on this before being closed up.

Also, Who was your builder? A local or a national. Check your contact to see what warranty coverage there is on builder defects and also check to see if there are any minimum warranty requirements in your state. I’m so sorry this is happening. I know this can be stressful.
Jess Bar thanked Iluvdark kychns
rwiegand
2 months ago
With respect, I think the specs are irrelevant if the shower is leaking. Pinning down what was specified and how well it was executed might be useful for assigning blame later, but the fact of the matter is that showers need to not leak and the details of why they do are not the homeowner's responsibility. Mr Corlett proposed the relevant test, if it fails then the builder should fix it.

MDF around new shower showing water damage.

Comments (6)

cat_ky

millworkman

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