Sealing tub / shower

[Mystic]

My shower / tub is tile with grout and it leaks when we take a shower, however it does not leak when we take a bath. We have looked at all the pipes and found no leak there. I have resealed with caulk and it has not gotten better. I have had several plumbers look at it and they say it is splash and it may be coming from very small cracks in the grout inbetween each tile, however, they are not visable, and I have seen much bigger cracks in other bathrooms that don't have leaking problems. I am going to reseal in between each tile this week -- but we are finishing our basement and I am afraid that if it is that sensitive (leaking through cracks you can't see) it won't last long and we will have a bad moisture problem in a year or two. Any ideas on what else could be wrong - it is about a 1/2 cereal bowl full every 15-20 min shower and seems to be coming from the bottom of our tub through a space in the wood (looking up from the basement.)? Also does anyone have suggestions on other things we could do before we finish the basement, ie. . . sealing the bottom of the tub with something also? I also want to be sure not to trap mositure & grow mold. Thanks!!!

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[Davestone]

There are no quick fixes,i'm afraid.I would first take off the shower head, and hook a small hose to it that would be long enough to run into the tub,and turn the shower on, i would then see if it leaks without the water splashing around,if it does, it's the plumbing, if it doesn't i would take off the bottom row of tile at the top of the tub, and see if there is evidence of the lip of the tub leaking(which is where it is, i'd bet)it may be higher up if the corners of the tile walls aren't caulked,or there are grout voids, in which case the whole tile job may ned to be reapired,i would then waterproof this area and silicone the joint before and after i replaced the backer and tile.

[doitright]

Hi Mystic, Welcome! :)

Can you post a picture?

How old is the existing tub surround? Is the tile installed on cement board or drywall?

Do you know how to take off the trim plate & knob at the tub/shower valve?

[Mystic]

Thanks for the info - I will try to get a picture. The whole thing is 4 years old including walls , but it has been leaking for a few years, I was just a new home owner and I have been trying everything I can think of since I first saw the leak. I think it is on dry wall, but I am not sure. I do not know how to take much apart, but I learn fast and am not afraid to try. Hooking up a hose is a good idea and I happen to have a shower hose I can hook up easily - I will try it tomorrow. Anything else I can look for or try? If I find the leak and/or fix it - is there any sealing I can do from the bottom. How do poeple make sure their tubs don't leak to a lower level in between caulkings - as we know that caulking does not last forever? Thanks!!!

[Mystic]

Hi, I'm back and hopefully this time I will stay current enough to keep my thread up! I have been read other threads and I was wondering if there should be something under my bathtub? Showers have shower pans, do bath tubs have anything?? Is there something I can seal from the bottom of the tub as a backup?

We are also installing a 3/4 bathroom in our basement finishing project - do all showers need a shower pan? We are putting in a "ready made" shower with seamless walls - or do those showers have something simliar already on them? (we hired a plumber to install the water pipes and drains.)

and my third question: What kind of floor works well in a basement / what problems have you seen with flooring?

My husband has been out of town a lot on buisness, so I am trying to set up as much as possible - then we can work quickly when he is home.

Thanks!!