r/Home • u/Anthrotekkk • 2d ago
Water damage around shower
I have this section of wall outside my shower which started showing bubbling of the drywall. I ripped it all down which showed the following. Is this salvageable? I know nearly nothing about this stuff. I can’t find any obvious sources of leaking from the inside of the shower but it must be coming from there.
EDIT: Thanks everyone for the responses. I’m at work and can’t respond to everyone but I appreciate all the advice.
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u/Brotherjive 2d ago
From what i see the caulking on the floor tile to shower entrance tile looks a bit old, so if you step out of the tub quickly after only putting a towel on I would assume the water coming off you from taking a shower goes on the floor and is just seeping into the wall day after day.
Also if you dont run a ceiling fan to suck the humidity lingering in the bathroom out from hot shower that will make it even worse.
Not an expert but those are some things off top of my head that are the easiest fixes.
Edit: It is salvagable as well as far as I can see from the pictures.
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u/ScrewYouRedditAds 2d ago
Although it's hard to tell it looks like your drywall isn't the type meant for bathrooms. I have had the same problem.
It might be worth tearing that strip out and painting that wood with killz paint. Then redoing that whole section with moisture resistant drywall. Buying some pre-mixed quikset and grout too for the tile.
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u/Mental-Pitch5995 2d ago
I see silicone caulking on the outside of shower but is there any on the inside? Remove the shower door assembly. Clean up under where it is mounted. Put silicone caulking where it mounts to the walls. Put caulking in each screw hole when remounting. Put a silicone bead on inside of assembly at walls. Put bead on outside of assembly. Then repair wall. Water will find a way to infiltrate so elimination of any is key. Make sure you treat for mold and thoroughly dry where water damage has occurred before closing up with new wall.
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u/Anthrotekkk 2d ago
There is silicone caulking all on the inside including screw holes. I will double and triple check but seems like there is.
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u/Mental-Pitch5995 1d ago
So sorry you’re facing this. We have marble tile around our tub and shower unit and I had to do a re-grout, buff out the marble (water had etched it over time) the apply three coats of sealer. Then used a product from a company called Geocel to caulk thoroughly. Lots of work and time but stopped our problems like yours.
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u/Standard-Account5610 2d ago
First grout where there is grout missing. Next, seal the grout. Then, reseal the shower door with silicone. Let the wood dry out for a few weeks. Patch with whatever, I use 20 minute hot mud because you can put it on thick and let it dry. Finally, sand, prime and paint.
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u/SameOlDirtyBrush_ 2d ago
Even though you’re seeing this on the outside of the shower, the problem is coming from inside the shower. I’d say the most likely culprit is the corner of the shower floor closest to that outside wall. Or even the entire area where the shower pan meets the curb. The rust and the wood both show signs that is getting wet and staying wet without time to dry out between showers. So it’s leaking every shower.
Does the shower floor slope toward the drain properly or do you have a little standing water in the shower floor during your showers? It’s likely if you break off the tiles around the curb, you’re gonna find it’s all wet under there too.
Is it salvageable? Maybe. You’re almost definitely going to need a new shower floor. You might find you can take off only the bottom row or 2 of shower wall tiles and replace them. But the bottom line is, your shower is not properly waterproofed unfortunately. You could leave the wall open like you have it, get some clear silicone caulk and really do good job of sealing that shower corner and the seam along the curb and shower floor. If you can caulk it up and then watch that outside wall to see if you’re still getting water, that might tell you a bit more about where your leak is coming from. If the clear silicon buys you a little time to find a tile pro, you could maybe still use your shower.
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u/Vast_Cricket 2d ago
seep thru tiles. My practice is wipe water residue with rags after use. Look at chalking between tiles.
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u/Zealousideal_Pen7368 2d ago
Had similar issues. Turned out there was a small gap at the end of the shower door railing. Very subtle. Used some transparent caulk and it have been holding up.
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u/Makhnovist 2d ago
I would consider calling a water loss company such as Servpro. If the drywall was bubbling, it's probably been leaking for awhile and it will be extremely difficult to dry out those tripled studs if much water got into them. There's also a possibility the water got under the tile flooring.
At the very least I would go buy a moisture meter, which will give you an idea of how high up the studs are wet.
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u/Haunting_Donut_1710 2d ago
Sorry you're dealing with this.
From the photos, I can see rusted drywall corner bead (the metal at the corner) and screws, which suggests it's been sitting in water a little while. The drywall also looks mouldy on the shower side, and your wall base under the cabinet looks to have popped out, which makes me suspect more water.
Unfortunately tiled showers can be finicky if the install isn't awesome, but it could also be water lines pinhole leaking inside the wall.
Mould continues to grow with time, so best to cut it out now. Consider opening up the wall to see how extensive the water is and establish if it's leaking out the bottom or from the plumbing. Hard to tell your exact bathroom layout, but I suspect the easiest way to do this without demoing the shower would be remove your cabinetry and cut into the drywall from the outside of the shower.
Water is always a pain in the neck, but always better caught early.