Step 1: Materials and toolsShow All ItemsSplash leaks are simply water escaping past a shower curtain or a shower door. Plumbers tell us it’s the most common type of bathroom leak. Although it may sound minor, this leak causes major damage when water seeps into the subfloor where flooring meets the tub or shower. Before long the vinyl flooring or tiles begin to loosen. Even worse, the plywood subfloor delaminates and rots, requiring a huge, expensive tearout and replacement project. Curling vinyl flooring or loose tiles next to the tub. Peeling paint or flaking, chalky-looking wood finish near the shower. Water stains on the ceiling or joists below. Mold spots on the wall or floor near the tub or shower. If you use a curtain, look for standing water on the floor after you shower. How to find the source: If you have a shower door, splash water all around the door and frame. Leaks around the frame may take five minutes or longer to show up. If the door has rubber gaskets or a rubber door sweep, check them for gaps.

Also check for any gaps in the caulk where the shower or tub meets the flooring. How to fix it: Be sure to overlap sliding doors correctly when you close them. The inner door should be closest to the . If you have a shower curtain rather than a door, make sure you close it completely when you shower, or add a splash guard.Sell My Wedding Dress To A Store Glasgow Seal a leaking frame by running a small bead of caulk around the inside of the frame. Dell Xps Laptop Reset ButtonForce the caulk into any gaps between the frame and the shower surround. Weight Loss Hula HoopQuickly wipe away all the excess caulk. When the caulk dries, test for leaks again. Replace any worn gaskets or door sweeps. Bring the old one to a home center or plumbing supply store and look for a matching replacement.

If the old caulk along the floor shows gaps, scrape it out and run a new bead. “I noticed the floor tile along the tub was coming loose. I pushed on it and it crunched down into the underlayment, which was totally rotten. We ended up replacing all of the tile and part of the subfloor. Tub and shower: Drain leaks Drain leaks allow water to sneak around the outside of the drain where it’s connected to the tub or shower. This is especially common with plastic or fiberglass tubs and shower pans, since these materials flex slightly when you stand on them, often breaking the seal around the drain. These leaks can stain or destroy the ceiling below or rot floor joists. In the case of a tub set on a concrete slab, the leak will ruin flooring in the bathroom or adjoining rooms. Loose flooring near the tub or damp floors in adjoining rooms (if the tub is on a concrete slab). If you can see the underside of the drain through an access panel or open ceiling, partially fill the tub and then release the water.

In a shower, plug the drain with a rag and then release the water. Check the drains and traps for leaks from below through the access panel. If you don’t have access to the underside of the drain, plug the drain and add enough water to form a small puddle around the drain (photo). Mark the edge of the puddle by setting a bottle of shampoo next to it. Then wait an hour. If the puddle shrinks, the drain is leaking. Don’t rely on your tub stopper for this test; Remove the stopper and insert a 1-1/2-in. test plug (find them at home centers). Remove the grate and use a 2-in. plug for a shower. To repair a , unscrew the drain flange from above. Then clean the flange and apply silicone caulk. Also remove the rubber gasket that’s under the hole and take it to a home center to find a matching gasket. Slip the new gasket into place and screw in the drain flange. If you have access to a shower drain from below, tighten the ring nut that locks the drain to the shower pan. If that doesn’t work, replace the drain assembly.

If you don’t have access beneath the drain, cut a hole in the ceiling below or replace the drain assembly with a WingTite drain. Tub and shower: Tile leaks Tile leaks occur when water seeps through deteriorating grout or caulk and gets into the wall behind the tile (Figure A). Depending on the materials used to set the tile, this can lead to tile falling off the wall, severe rotting of the wall framing, and damage to the subfloor, joists or ceiling below. If the shower is against an exterior wall, you may find an area of peeling paint outside. Stains on the ceiling under the shower. Examine the grout and caulk joints for gaps. You almost always find mold here. If you have loose tile behind the tub spout or , open the access panel behind the faucet and look for dampness or stains. Remove the old grout, caulk and loose tiles. If the surface behind the tile is still solid, you can reattach tiles, regrout and recaulk. If more than a few tiles are loose or if the wall is spongy, you’ll have to install new backer board and tile, or a fiberglass surround.

These leaks occur where the toilet meets the waste pipe below. They allow water to seep out at every flush, which will wreck flooring, rot the subfloor and joists, and damage the ceiling below (Photo 1). Water seeping out around the base of the toilet. Loose or damaged flooring. Stains on the ceiling below. A toilet that rocks slightly when you push against it. This movement will eventually break the wax seal between the toilet and the closet flange. If you have ceiling stains, measure from stacked walls (right photo) before you go through the hassle of removing the toilet. If the stain is near the toilet, a leaking flange is the most likely source. Remove the toilet (Photo 2) and look for these leak sources: The flange is level with or below the surrounding floor surface. Cracks in the flange. Bolts or the slots they fit into are broken. The flange is loose, not screwed solidly to the subfloor. If you don’t find any of the problems listed above, reinstall the toilet with a new wax ring.