Thanks for the video Andy, fascinating as always. When I repair a leak like this one, I wedge a small peice of dry paper towel/toilet paper in the corner as a 'canary' for leaks. Then I just check it occasionally over the next few days - it's easy to see if there's any water present, especailly on the blue-roll paper.
Hi Andy, clever fix 👍! I had an issue before I entered the property maintenance profession with a bathroom renovation I had done in a property 15ish years ago. The fitters siliconed the screen on both sides all the way round 😮, against the manufacturers directions I later found out. A friend was using the shower and water started to pour through the hallway ceiling. It turned out water was filling up in the wall rail and unable to escape from the bottom eventually had enough pressure to force its way out through the silicone into the wall and through the ceiling below! They had to replace the screen (it was too gobbled up in silicone to reuse) and pay for repair of the ceiling and redecoration for the hall. So needless to say I’m now VERY careful to follow the manufacturer’s siliconing direction, but see the logic in your case and have done a similar thing for one of my customers.
Kind of puzzled why somebody who can afford a skiing holiday doesn't get a professional in to install the shower - maybe that's why he can afford a skiing holiday? - but the problem is it's people in later years who often inherit these problems when they buy the house. I'm an electrician, not a plumber, but 95% of all repair jobs I was called out to had been fitted by "handymen", and were often pretty dangerous. Currently got a similar problem in my own home, which is rented. Landlord's "plumbers" were mates of his who fitted the shower and they siliconed the inside of the door frame as well as the outside, trapping water inside. Shower leaked after 2 weeks, again after 6 months, water coming through the kitchen ceiling and I've resiliconed 4-6 times in 2 years only for it to start again later on. There's only so much I can do, we still don't know exactly where the leak is and he can't get the guys who did the job to come back, and won't fork out for a "proper" tradesman. A ton of hassle and aggravation that is only going to get worse (I suspect the whole lot will have to come out again), just because somebody tried to save a few quid.
Another good educational video Andy. Can’t help being impressed by how clean your shower screen and tray is considering this bathroom is used by kids/teenagers!😅
I had similar on a new build - they had put a blob of silicone behind the uprights, installed the screen and then sealed the wall/tray. Took me 2-3 days to sort - removed screen, removed all silicone, dried out, resealed the tray wall to 100%, reinstalled screen and applied silicone to outside of screen (it has been a learning about where you seal screens - I always thought more was better, and on the inside, but it is often less than I thoughts, and often on the outside!)
hi Andy as a bathroom fitter for several years my advise with anything no matter how many times you have done it is to follow manufacturer instructions as they keep changing ( obviously if they have problems) ive had a few enclosure’s leak & they have replaced them because i followed instructions to the letter
Hi Andy. It’s nice to catch up with you again and discover hidden talents: not only are you a handyman, business man, presenter and a musician but also a downhill skier. Who knew? Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing 🌞
@@GosforthHandyman Hi Andy. Thanks for your prompt response. If you check out “my dive at pond forge” on UA-cam you will see my one and only video- it’s all of five seconds long. Let me know what you think. Ray 🌞
At the beginning you said it looked like the water was getting round the back of the tile and running down the side of the trim - was this the case or was the water just running in front of the tile ? Great and clear video as usual keep of the great work 👍
I think it was running through the grout at the back of the rail (where the silicone was missing) and finding its way to the back of the back of the trim.
I initially bought a B&Q shower screen. It was a 2 part thing that was obviously too heavy for its own good and failed where it was glued together. I replaced it with a Mira screen that was ~£150 cheaper! It's left behind some screw holes where there were additional supports but I filled these with clear silicone and may use them for soap trays. Basically avoid B&Q own brand stuff like the plague. The bath was bent, making the taps leak without extra silicone. The panel discoloured in the sun. Regarding your screen. Surprised it didn't require more silicone. The mira one had interior and exterior silicone as well as sticking it to the tiles and in the screw holes. Luckily I redid the bath edge seal too. Thanks for sharing your mistake makes us mere mortal amateurs feel a bit better!
Yup - I've seen some screens that tell you to silicone behind the rails (along with the corners) but not this one. Had similar issues with B&Q sinks! 😬
I think this is exactly the problem we have with our shower, I spent days on it and ended up attacking it everywhere with silicone, which failed to fix it. Need to give this a go.
Hello Andy, I enjoyed your video, it was very helpful. I like your openness about perceived mistakes. The way in which you explain yourself as you work through the process of solving the problem is enlightening. May I make an observation about the manufacturer’s instructions - I believe that it is the instructions themself that are misleading. Like you, I followed the instructions to the letter. This resulted in exactly the same problem - the line of grout, running along the edge of the tray and behind the bottom of the frame, cracked and resulted in a leak. I cannot remember what the manufacturer’s picture showed but, I now believe that the only part of the frame which you should not seal is the bottom of the internal corner of the frame (as it protrudes inward on the shower tray). If you run a bead of silicon down the wall on the internal side of the frame, outwards along the top of the tray (for the width of the frame), and perpendicular near to the corner along the top of the tray (for the depth of the frame), you will have a perfect seal for the frame to be set on. Any moisture which may condense within the frame itself, will be free to trickle out at the bottom of the frame, rather than stagnating (as the instructions warn against…). The problems which bad instructions cause is what is staggering - !
Great job Andy. I added a vertical bead of silicone to the inner edge also, and left it short from the bottom by 20mm. Also I filed the bottom edge of the vertical metal wall upright so it didn't compress the horizontal silicone seal between the shower tray and the tiles. This is an area you won't be able to see once the upright is fixed, so you can't see if the silicone is pinched/broken, and the 'dam' is broken. I appreciate you weren't able to do this with a retro fit, but it's worth considering when fitting a shower screen from scratch.
Where the wall channel and screen fit together , its advised to seal between the two, normally up 150mm so when wall channels fill up it can't run outside but allows it to fill up and drain inside, great vids mate 👍
I run a bead between the wall channel and the screen on the inside, that way the channel shouldn't fill up at all. Of course leave the bottom open so if something happened to get in it can still drain out
Those metal wall down sections are often in two parts and designed to take water and channel it back into the tray. So as long as the first piece is siliconed to the tiles and the outside siliconed the water should just drain to the tray. I’d also suggest the bath trick of putting some heavy weight in the tray to emulate two or three people then silicone the tray to tiles 😂.
Great vid. I hope this isn't my problem. Had a shower for 6 years but recently noticed my skirting was blown. Skirting needs to come off. I resilliconed as per your other video but I think it's still leaking. I can't see the leak at all.
It's good to see an honest DIYer. Is there a hole in the silicone between the tile and tray about one tile along the base of the tray. It looks like there's a tiny hole and then another about six inches along. Keep up the good work.
Andy...DIY man becomes Action Man (on skies) - a la - the lady loves Milk Tray - hope Mrs Mac got her box of chocolates for her hard work ! You handled the repair very well in a methodical manner.
I’ve got a similar job on my en-suite to do next weekend. Old shower screen out and new one in… I’ve noticed on manufacturers instructions they suggest sealing 50mm up from the bottom between wall profile and the main shower sides on the outside… seems strange as they are so tightly slotted together I’m thinking just to silicone bottom two inches before slotting the screen into the wall profiles. They make it so faffy to stop this problem these days!
That was very informative. I'd never have thought just to slide the sides up, rather than lifting out the whole screen. Will now remember to silicon the holes too. Thanks
The wall molding is preventing the shower pan's return from going flush with the wall. It's done now, to prevent leaks, fill that small area with an epoxy similar to JB weld. The area above needs 3M VHB tape behind the aluminum strip all the way to the top. VHB tape is waterproof. To fit tape in a tight area, leave the backing tape on and only pull a small tab free. Peel in place gently.
Thanks for this Andy, I have a very similar problem with our shower (not my doing) that I need to fix so this is really useful, I was wondering about putting a bead of silicone up the rail myself ! Why do these things always show up either just before or when you get back from holiday !
We had this in a property we bought. Water seemed to be leaking in all sorts of odd places but it was exactly this issue. The water was getting inside the shower screen channel inside (as it should) but then tracking down and runing behind all of the other silicone. It had run all around the bath walls and ruined the plaster so we ended up refitting the room, such a waste of money after some poor fitting. We went with Nuance Bushboard and covered all possible leaks, its perfect now!
The skiing has come a long way from sliding down Backworth pit heap in an auld cardboard box lol just had to re silicone the bath as you say the hard part is getting the old stuff off & cleaning it. Off topic noticed how corroded the flexible joints were any advice on how often these should be changed.
Hi Andy I had a problem with the shower we inherited when we bought our house nearly 20 years ago . As a seasoned renovator I was absolutely baffled , I obviously intended to replace the existing shower but I still wanted to workout were the leek was coming from just out of sheer curiosity . So I spent a ridiculous amount of time tracking it down . Ironically the leek only occurred after a period of time had elapsed , and spraying the shower tray never replicated the problem . Then one day while using the shower I noticed a small hole in the grouting between the tiles , bingo because I tended to be relatively quick in the shower I never noticed any thing . But when other members of the family used it , the water had time to work its way through the tiny hole behind the tiles and through the floor . Obviously we have long since replaced that old shower , and are on our second shower enclosure . I often think what we would all do without the humble tube of silicone , even when we don’t quite get it right . Best wishes and kind regards as always . 😀👍👍👍
Same problem here, but I didn't install my shower screen it was there when I moved in. Pretty sure it's not sealed behind the frame. Only way I was alerted to leak was woodlice and carpet beetles coming from under my tub. Plasterboard and wood floor are rotten.
I have the exact same problem. Luckily for me I have a 4 upstand tray with the tiles built over it. so all the water stays contained in the tray. I did the unthinkable and put a bead of sealant on the inside up the rail and Long the bottom corner but none on the outside. No more leak and even if it does bypass the sealant it will filter through the front and cant leave the tray.
Tidy fix by sliding the wall profile up and everything looks good but if you missed the silicone on one profile, did you miss it on the other one also ? As you showed the tray, tile, screen joint is the weakest spot in the whole "Dam" and may be a problem waiting to show its self. Also I would always seal up the joint where the door slides into the wall profile by 50mm to make sure water goes back into the tray and does not bubble over the outside bottom silicone seal. Having said all that a great video on solving the most common failure of shower screen installation. We have all been there at least once :)
Just curious, has the repair held? I am having the exact same problem and i suspect it's because i didn't seal behind the shower frame. I use plumbers gold as i don't trust silicone for narrow joints.
I made the mistake of sealing my bath with silicone that wasn’t supposed to be used with acrylic baths. Only realised after I’d already done it. So inevitably I had to buy more silicone, scrape off my brand new silicone and re-do it.
I wouldn't worry, our new build house had both showers fitted exactly like this, and it was the same on all the houses in the development. I despair with shower design, generally. Why is there no thought given to overlaps and weathering, as with roof construction. It can't be that difficult to come up with a system that doesn't rely on silicone and can be removed at cleaned.
I've the exact same problem. Spend weeks re sealing base (needed doing) and being clever With masking tape to pin point it . . Nothing worked .. will . Seal outside again and wait and see if leak is back. Lol plan B: remove frame . Lol. Thanks . 👌
Good luck! Had a customer shower once with a similar issue. Turned out the installers had cracked a tile behind the vertical rails (tightened too tight) and water was tracking through there. Nightmare!
Andy. You will have to join the long queue for those of us that know so much better but do it anyway 😂 I must admit if that happened to me I certainty wouldn't have admitted it . 😀
I would of blamed Mrs Mac for disturbing you,,, while you was fitting it. Ive always had problems with showers leaking so ive recently bought an Insignia Shower,,, They dont leak cause all the water runs into the base,,, I wish I would of got one years ago,,, Hopefully no more leaks,,, fingers x crossed.
Sorry you've had this problem, in removing my ensuite shower I found a historic leak that hadn't been spotted or fixed by the previous owners which may need a new floorboard, completely rounded off screw heads & economical use of silicon courtesy of the original fitters, & then on moving the cubicle downstairs to sell the door decided to smash into a million pieces in my hands 🙄 Onwards & upwards with the new one when I clean up the messes left & decide what size I can get away with
@@GosforthHandyman oh don't say that 🙈 I'm hoping it's just the floorboard as it's flakey (chipboard) but not gone the whole way through. Anything will be a pain though when the entire ensuite is ~1.5m square so not much spare floor space
What i don't get is and i have siliconed my shower form the inside years ago but when i got my new shower it told me to seal it from the front (outside) which has worked great but becuase you have sealed the front obviosly dry soap etc will get under the shower screen so what is it seal the outside or seal the inside or seal both
Would always run a bead up the inside edge of the screen support. For the inside of the shower I recommend black silicone. It’s hard to get neat but worth it. Use your squared fugi to 90 the bead under the outside of the glass and then when that’s gone off you can finish the outside with white so the black isn’t visible at the bottom of the glass from the outside. This way you’re not refreshing the silicone that often. Mines 5 years on and sound. 👌
@@tmmtmm no matter how good your silicone is it will start to show black spots. The silicone is still sound though. Using black silicone will hide those marks. It’s not an excuse for not cleaning though. Black is hard to apply though so your technique needs to be on point.
@@GeeWhizRS I have had 10+ year old shower installs that did not have black spots. Black spots are mould. If you have mould growing on the silicone it's time to clean it and if unable to clean it, time to cut it out and lay a new bead. Culprits are poor adhesion causing mould to grow in a gap that opens up between the silicone and glass/tile/frame, insufficient ventilation causing everything to be continually wet, or the silicone hasn't been smoothed over properly at the time of install which makes it difficult to clean. I've been told not to smooth over silicone with an ungloved finger in wet areas also, because you will embed skin particles and bacteria in the surface of the silicone which makes mould grow more easily. Should always wear gloves, or use a clean tool to smooth it over.
As long as the old silicone is *really* clean it should be fine. Trouble is on older silicone it's easy to trap muck / grease under it and it will eventually fail.
Butting up the end of new bead to the end of an old bead (as shown in this vid) is generally ok as where new and old meet there is no requirement for a structural bond. Just imagine it like two rubber seals pushed up against each other - even if they aren't physically bonded to each other as long as nothing pulls them apart there is no gap and water cannot get through. Laying a new bead directly over the top of an old one is a no-no.
It only February and I have been called 8 times to sort the leaks of new install of showers just like yours - should of called me would have sorted it in a day
One should never seal (silicone) the outside of the door frame where it meets the shower or tub. The objective is to keep water IN the shower, not to keep outside water from entering the shower. Sealing both sides doesn't allow condensate water to escape, which can cause mold and other issues. Silicon applied on the outside makes the joints between the door frames and showers and/or tubs look better, and that it is sometimes applied as a quick fix because the inside seal is leaking.
I’ve used CT1 on a few (bodge) repairs and it is a miracle product. Fact. If they’d had a few tubes in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, they could’ve just patched up the levees and avoided disaster.
I had a similar thought of using “cheese wire” or similar. I’ve got a similar issue with the corner of my shower screen, so fingers crossed I can pick up some ideas here.
Just some nice thin scalpel blades and long thin utility knife work wonders. Don't know how you'd get fishing line to work without a second pair of hands on the other side of the glass...
Did you tile then put tray upto it? If so you'll struggle to get that to ever seal properly mate. I'd always tile onto tray to reduce that to a minimum.
@Gosforth Handyman just looks like from pics. Sorry bud, but yeah to pick up what you said about sealant only where manufacturers state. Quite a few seal profile to wall, if water gets in it cannot get out! Great of you to share it, many wouldn't 👌
Almost all new showers seem to end up leaking at this point, even when installed by professional plumbers. I wonder why the manufacturers don' produce something that prevents this, and doesn't rely on silicon.
If I'd hammered the rail down in to the silicone that would be true. But watch again you'll see I hammered it down and then pushed it the ~1cm towards the wall, so basically just like a new install. 👍
I can actually see your future problem....at the bottom of the tray where you joined the new silicon with the old...When the new one dries and shrink it will eventually pull away from the old..Remember you are not in a customer house...so you've got how long it takes
100% Silicone does not shrink as far as I'm aware. Tiles and shower trays can move slightly with respect to each other, hence using silicone which has some give to allow for this. I think what has been done here will be fine.
well the purists won't like it but i fit a Classi seal and ram grout into the gap as silicone always fails....and DO NOT silicone behind the frame just seal it round the outside.
As a handyman, could you really take three days to re-caulk a shower stall? I'm sure your end product is great; but, I doubt you could ever make any money doing it that way. Also, I don't think any customer is that patient. Imagine three days having to change the morning routine. It's as bad as a tile job.
Not 3 full days! 3 visits. One to clean out the joint and let it dry overnight. One to do the bead behind the rail and one to put the rail back and silicone the edges. You could squeeze all this in to a single day but wouldn't be as gooder job.
@@GosforthHandyman in my daily life as a bathroom fitter, i would of extended the tiling at least 3 inches past the tray edge and down to the floor, to avoid small areas of tile lipping past the frame. I would also grout the gap between tray and bottom tile fully all the way around, even the gaps which would be outside the tray...that way, if i ever 'forgot' to silicone the vital area where upright meets tray, as you did, it still wouldnt leak, as the grout maintains the integrity of the tile/tray connection....it is also good practice, and insisted upon in many install instructions, that silicone is spread 4-5 inches up the outside gap where upright and panel slide together...this stops the other leak you had from this area from occuring...lastly, a minimum silicone bead of 6mm is preferable all the way into the outsidecorner at the upright base, yours seemed pretty thin at that point. Were the walls fully tanked behind rogers wondertape, right down behind the tray edge?, as the water damage over those months of leakage would be quite severe...ive seen joists crumble in new builds after 3 months of similar installs. Good method of upright manipulation tho, however you would of done well to reposition the upright down into the wet silicone, as it would have cured around the aluminium, as opposed to being cured and elastic the day after, and risking being split by the sharp ally channel once it was pushed down...my method is once im ready to put uprights on the wall, a small line of silicone at the base before attachment guarantees the botyom of the channel is 'embedded' in silicone, whilst still allowing any water to drain/evaporate out under the internal gap of the upright ..so once again, as well as waterproofing pre-tile, fully grouting all gaps, with a decent waterproof grout, BEFORE cubicle install and siliconing gives that extra waterproofing.®️™️..p.s i just put bodge job to trigger you lol
@@GosforthHandyman no, you didnt! and thats why it leaked and has soaked the internals of your walls and floor! For some next video inspiration.." i rip out my leaky 2 month old shower, to see the damage its caused to my floor joists and wall footers.." If you had of grouted fully ,as i instructed, there would of been zero leakage coming from behind your tile trim, as seen in the vid....been there, bought the TShirt and took it back for a full refund.
Nope. Not impressed this time around with your work. The only TRUE WAY to fix this job would be to remove that back chrome rail, silicone it, and refit. I suspect it will leak again in the future
@@GosforthHandyman Maybe i not made myself clear. The vertical rails, which you admitted you forgot to silicone in the 1st place. Why not remove them and apply silicone, then refit?
Basically my thoughts of this, but he disagreed with me as well. If you removed the vertical rail and shower screen 1) you can properly clean off any scale 2) let everything dry out 3) bed silicone properly where it needs to go and work most efficiently.
Thanks for the video Andy, fascinating as always. When I repair a leak like this one, I wedge a small peice of dry paper towel/toilet paper in the corner as a 'canary' for leaks. Then I just check it occasionally over the next few days - it's easy to see if there's any water present, especailly on the blue-roll paper.
Defo - good idea!
The main thing is you owned up to your mistake and rectified it. If everyone did that the world would be a better place
Hi Andy, clever fix 👍! I had an issue before I entered the property maintenance profession with a bathroom renovation I had done in a property 15ish years ago. The fitters siliconed the screen on both sides all the way round 😮, against the manufacturers directions I later found out. A friend was using the shower and water started to pour through the hallway ceiling. It turned out water was filling up in the wall rail and unable to escape from the bottom eventually had enough pressure to force its way out through the silicone into the wall and through the ceiling below! They had to replace the screen (it was too gobbled up in silicone to reuse) and pay for repair of the ceiling and redecoration for the hall. So needless to say I’m now VERY careful to follow the manufacturer’s siliconing direction, but see the logic in your case and have done a similar thing for one of my customers.
Kind of puzzled why somebody who can afford a skiing holiday doesn't get a professional in to install the shower - maybe that's why he can afford a skiing holiday? - but the problem is it's people in later years who often inherit these problems when they buy the house. I'm an electrician, not a plumber, but 95% of all repair jobs I was called out to had been fitted by "handymen", and were often pretty dangerous.
Currently got a similar problem in my own home, which is rented. Landlord's "plumbers" were mates of his who fitted the shower and they siliconed the inside of the door frame as well as the outside, trapping water inside. Shower leaked after 2 weeks, again after 6 months, water coming through the kitchen ceiling and I've resiliconed 4-6 times in 2 years only for it to start again later on. There's only so much I can do, we still don't know exactly where the leak is and he can't get the guys who did the job to come back, and won't fork out for a "proper" tradesman. A ton of hassle and aggravation that is only going to get worse (I suspect the whole lot will have to come out again), just because somebody tried to save a few quid.
Another good educational video Andy. Can’t help being impressed by how clean your shower screen and tray is considering this bathroom is used by kids/teenagers!😅
Lol that's after several 'initial' cleans. That's the kids' bathroom. 😂
I had similar on a new build - they had put a blob of silicone behind the uprights, installed the screen and then sealed the wall/tray. Took me 2-3 days to sort - removed screen, removed all silicone, dried out, resealed the tray wall to 100%, reinstalled screen and applied silicone to outside of screen (it has been a learning about where you seal screens - I always thought more was better, and on the inside, but it is often less than I thoughts, and often on the outside!)
Great stuff! Yes, often less is more. Also makes it much easier to remove if that doesn't solve the problem. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Thank you, your video on re-silicone was key in my whole process, thanks for the content!
hi Andy as a bathroom fitter for several years my advise with anything no matter how many times you have done it is to follow manufacturer instructions as they keep changing ( obviously if they have problems) ive had a few enclosure’s leak & they have replaced them because i followed instructions to the letter
Hi Andy. It’s nice to catch up with you again and discover hidden talents: not only are you a handyman, business man, presenter and a musician but also a downhill skier. Who knew? Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing 🌞
Ha cheers Ray! I'm not a very good skier... but I do enjoy it! 👍😎
@@GosforthHandyman Hi Andy. Thanks for your prompt response. If you check out “my dive at pond forge” on UA-cam you will see my one and only video- it’s all of five seconds long. Let me know what you think. Ray 🌞
Wow awesome Ray - that's high!!
Mistakes happen mate,how we sort them is what really counts! Well done Andy👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Cheers Alan - all sorted now! 😁
Good idea. I use thin cardboard as it changes colour when wet. Great video as always Andy. Thank you
At the beginning you said it looked like the water was getting round the back of the tile and running down the side of the trim - was this the case or was the water just running in front of the tile ?
Great and clear video as usual keep of the great work
👍
I think it was running through the grout at the back of the rail (where the silicone was missing) and finding its way to the back of the back of the trim.
Great video and great shout out to Rodger you are both great guys. I watch these just to learn more about the processes and what to look for. 👍👏
This shower is an enigma! It’s cursed I tells ya!
I initially bought a B&Q shower screen. It was a 2 part thing that was obviously too heavy for its own good and failed where it was glued together. I replaced it with a Mira screen that was ~£150 cheaper! It's left behind some screw holes where there were additional supports but I filled these with clear silicone and may use them for soap trays. Basically avoid B&Q own brand stuff like the plague. The bath was bent, making the taps leak without extra silicone. The panel discoloured in the sun.
Regarding your screen. Surprised it didn't require more silicone. The mira one had interior and exterior silicone as well as sticking it to the tiles and in the screw holes. Luckily I redid the bath edge seal too.
Thanks for sharing your mistake makes us mere mortal amateurs feel a bit better!
Yup - I've seen some screens that tell you to silicone behind the rails (along with the corners) but not this one. Had similar issues with B&Q sinks! 😬
I think this is exactly the problem we have with our shower, I spent days on it and ended up attacking it everywhere with silicone, which failed to fix it. Need to give this a go.
thank you for the video, super helpful as I have the same problem but couldn't figure out why!
Another great video. Such a common occurrence in new builds. Thanks for making this video so I can forward to my customers who have this issue.
Hello Andy, I enjoyed your video, it was very helpful. I like your openness about perceived mistakes. The way in which you explain yourself as you work through the process of solving the problem is enlightening. May I make an observation about the manufacturer’s instructions - I believe that it is the instructions themself that are misleading. Like you, I followed the instructions to the letter. This resulted in exactly the same problem - the line of grout, running along the edge of the tray and behind the bottom of the frame, cracked and resulted in a leak. I cannot remember what the manufacturer’s picture showed but, I now believe that the only part of the frame which you should not seal is the bottom of the internal corner of the frame (as it protrudes inward on the shower tray). If you run a bead of silicon down the wall on the internal side of the frame, outwards along the top of the tray (for the width of the frame), and perpendicular near to the corner along the top of the tray (for the depth of the frame), you will have a perfect seal for the frame to be set on. Any moisture which may condense within the frame itself, will be free to trickle out at the bottom of the frame, rather than stagnating (as the instructions warn against…). The problems which bad instructions cause is what is staggering - !
Nice one. I followed your old vid when I was redoing our bathroom a couple of years ago. Not had a problem since. Cheers mate. Rock On!
Great stuff - cheers!
Good to see you point out your error & correct it Andy 👍, also, skiing, is there no end to your talents 😂.
Great job Andy.
I added a vertical bead of silicone to the inner edge also, and left it short from the bottom by 20mm.
Also I filed the bottom edge of the vertical metal wall upright so it didn't compress the horizontal silicone seal between the shower tray and the tiles. This is an area you won't be able to see once the upright is fixed, so you can't see if the silicone is pinched/broken, and the 'dam' is broken. I appreciate you weren't able to do this with a retro fit, but it's worth considering when fitting a shower screen from scratch.
Nice one!
Where the wall channel and screen fit together , its advised to seal between the two, normally up 150mm so when wall channels fill up it can't run outside but allows it to fill up and drain inside, great vids mate 👍
Cheers bud! This screen just wants the outer edges sealed.
I run a bead between the wall channel and the screen on the inside, that way the channel shouldn't fill up at all. Of course leave the bottom open so if something happened to get in it can still drain out
Those metal wall down sections are often in two parts and designed to take water and channel it back into the tray. So as long as the first piece is siliconed to the tiles and the outside siliconed the water should just drain to the tray. I’d also suggest the bath trick of putting some heavy weight in the tray to emulate two or three people then silicone the tray to tiles 😂.
Thanks for the share Andy. We all have our moments don't we? Short hols! LOL. Nice to see some how to fix it after we do mate.
Great vid. I hope this isn't my problem. Had a shower for 6 years but recently noticed my skirting was blown. Skirting needs to come off. I resilliconed as per your other video but I think it's still leaking. I can't see the leak at all.
It's good to see an honest DIYer. Is there a hole in the silicone between the tile and tray about one tile along the base of the tray. It looks like there's a tiny hole and then another about six inches along. Keep up the good work.
Cheers! No it's just a bit of mould, sorted with some bleach. 👍
Andy...DIY man becomes Action Man (on skies) - a la - the lady loves Milk Tray - hope Mrs Mac got her box of chocolates for her hard work ! You handled the repair very well in a methodical manner.
I’ve got a similar job on my en-suite to do next weekend. Old shower screen out and new one in… I’ve noticed on manufacturers instructions they suggest sealing 50mm up from the bottom between wall profile and the main shower sides on the outside… seems strange as they are so tightly slotted together I’m thinking just to silicone bottom two inches before slotting the screen into the wall profiles. They make it so faffy to stop this problem these days!
Honest mistake can happen to the best of us especially if you're in a rush to move in! The point is that you managed to fix it!
Cheers! Yup, my mind was elsewhere. 😂
That was very informative. I'd never have thought just to slide the sides up, rather than lifting out the whole screen. Will now remember to silicon the holes too. Thanks
The wall molding is preventing the shower pan's return from going flush with the wall. It's done now, to prevent leaks, fill that small area with an epoxy similar to JB weld. The area above needs 3M VHB tape behind the aluminum strip all the way to the top. VHB tape is waterproof.
To fit tape in a tight area, leave the backing tape on and only pull a small tab free. Peel in place gently.
Superb description. Very well explained and useful filming.
Thanks for this Andy, I have a very similar problem with our shower (not my doing) that I need to fix so this is really useful, I was wondering about putting a bead of silicone up the rail myself ! Why do these things always show up either just before or when you get back from holiday !
Ha yes tell me about it! Hope you get sorted! 👍
We had this in a property we bought. Water seemed to be leaking in all sorts of odd places but it was exactly this issue. The water was getting inside the shower screen channel inside (as it should) but then tracking down and runing behind all of the other silicone. It had run all around the bath walls and ruined the plaster so we ended up refitting the room, such a waste of money after some poor fitting. We went with Nuance Bushboard and covered all possible leaks, its perfect now!
Glad you got sorted! Amazing how much damage a small leak like this can cause. 👍
Good job Andy, you must have been proper gutted when you discovered it! Hope Mrs Mac was understanding 😛
Cheers! Yes, knew what it was straight away. D'oh!
Nice job Andy (the second time).😉👍🤣
The skiing has come a long way from sliding down Backworth pit heap in an auld cardboard box lol just had to re silicone the bath as you say the hard part is getting the old stuff off & cleaning it. Off topic noticed how corroded the flexible joints were any advice on how often these should be changed.
Hi Andy I had a problem with the shower we inherited when we bought our house nearly 20 years ago . As a seasoned renovator I was absolutely baffled , I obviously intended to replace the existing shower but I still wanted to workout were the leek was coming from just out of sheer curiosity . So I spent a ridiculous amount of time tracking it down . Ironically the leek only occurred after a period of time had elapsed , and spraying the shower tray never replicated the problem . Then one day while using the shower I noticed a small hole in the grouting between the tiles , bingo because I tended to be relatively quick in the shower I never noticed any thing . But when other members of the family used it , the water had time to work its way through the tiny hole behind the tiles and through the floor . Obviously we have long since replaced that old shower , and are on our second shower enclosure . I often think what we would all do without the humble tube of silicone , even when we don’t quite get it right . Best wishes and kind regards as always . 😀👍👍👍
Leeks and carrots!!
Other members of the family - teenagers per chance? 😂
Same problem here, but I didn't install my shower screen it was there when I moved in. Pretty sure it's not sealed behind the frame. Only way I was alerted to leak was woodlice and carpet beetles coming from under my tub. Plasterboard and wood floor are rotten.
I have the exact same problem. Luckily for me I have a 4 upstand tray with the tiles built over it. so all the water stays contained in the tray. I did the unthinkable and put a bead of sealant on the inside up the rail and Long the bottom corner but none on the outside. No more leak and even if it does bypass the sealant it will filter through the front and cant leave the tray.
Thank you for sharing Andy. Great video
Tidy fix by sliding the wall profile up and everything looks good but if you missed the silicone on one profile, did you miss it on the other one also ? As you showed the tray, tile, screen joint is the weakest spot in the whole "Dam" and may be a problem waiting to show its self. Also I would always seal up the joint where the door slides into the wall profile by 50mm to make sure water goes back into the tray and does not bubble over the outside bottom silicone seal. Having said all that a great video on solving the most common failure of shower screen installation. We have all been there at least once :)
Just curious, has the repair held? I am having the exact same problem and i suspect it's because i didn't seal behind the shower frame. I use plumbers gold as i don't trust silicone for narrow joints.
I made the mistake of sealing my bath with silicone that wasn’t supposed to be used with acrylic baths. Only realised after I’d already done it. So inevitably I had to buy more silicone, scrape off my brand new silicone and re-do it.
Thanks for detailing the repair! Very informative! :)
I am deeply suspicious of your before and after holiday footage it appears you had exactly the same jumper on!😂😂😂
Lol I love that jumper! Defo didn't film that on the same day. 😂
I wouldn't worry, our new build house had both showers fitted exactly like this, and it was the same on all the houses in the development. I despair with shower design, generally. Why is there no thought given to overlaps and weathering, as with roof construction. It can't be that difficult to come up with a system that doesn't rely on silicone and can be removed at cleaned.
I've the exact same problem. Spend weeks re sealing base (needed doing) and being clever
With masking tape to pin point it . . Nothing worked .. will . Seal outside again and wait and see if leak is back. Lol plan B: remove frame . Lol. Thanks . 👌
Good luck! Had a customer shower once with a similar issue. Turned out the installers had cracked a tile behind the vertical rails (tightened too tight) and water was tracking through there. Nightmare!
Andy. You will have to join the long queue for those of us that know so much better but do it anyway 😂 I must admit if that happened to me I certainty wouldn't have admitted it . 😀
😂😂
Thanks, this video saved me buying a new shower. Top man 👍
Thank you so much! Glad it helped! 👍
I would of blamed Mrs Mac for disturbing you,,, while you was fitting it. Ive always had problems with showers leaking so ive recently bought an Insignia Shower,,, They dont leak cause all the water runs into the base,,, I wish I would of got one years ago,,, Hopefully no more leaks,,, fingers x crossed.
Great stuff - fancy! 😁
Sorry you've had this problem, in removing my ensuite shower I found a historic leak that hadn't been spotted or fixed by the previous owners which may need a new floorboard, completely rounded off screw heads & economical use of silicon courtesy of the original fitters, & then on moving the cubicle downstairs to sell the door decided to smash into a million pieces in my hands 🙄
Onwards & upwards with the new one when I clean up the messes left & decide what size I can get away with
Hope you get sorted! I've seen entire joists rotted through due to leaks like this. 😬
@@GosforthHandyman oh don't say that 🙈 I'm hoping it's just the floorboard as it's flakey (chipboard) but not gone the whole way through. Anything will be a pain though when the entire ensuite is ~1.5m square so not much spare floor space
& love the supurrrrrvisor dropping in 😁
Don't worry, sounds like you've caught it in time! 👍😁
What i don't get is and i have siliconed my shower form the inside years ago but when i got my new shower it told me to seal it from the front (outside) which has worked great but becuase you have sealed the front obviosly dry soap etc will get under the shower screen so what is it seal the outside or seal the inside or seal both
Would always run a bead up the inside edge of the screen support. For the inside of the shower I recommend black silicone. It’s hard to get neat but worth it. Use your squared fugi to 90 the bead under the outside of the glass and then when that’s gone off you can finish the outside with white so the black isn’t visible at the bottom of the glass from the outside. This way you’re not refreshing the silicone that often. Mines 5 years on and sound. 👌
Good idea! 👍
Why black silicone? Is it structurally better? If just to hide mould that's pretty gross 🤢
@@tmmtmm no matter how good your silicone is it will start to show black spots. The silicone is still sound though. Using black silicone will hide those marks. It’s not an excuse for not cleaning though.
Black is hard to apply though so your technique needs to be on point.
@@GeeWhizRS I have had 10+ year old shower installs that did not have black spots. Black spots are mould. If you have mould growing on the silicone it's time to clean it and if unable to clean it, time to cut it out and lay a new bead. Culprits are poor adhesion causing mould to grow in a gap that opens up between the silicone and glass/tile/frame, insufficient ventilation causing everything to be continually wet, or the silicone hasn't been smoothed over properly at the time of install which makes it difficult to clean. I've been told not to smooth over silicone with an ungloved finger in wet areas also, because you will embed skin particles and bacteria in the surface of the silicone which makes mould grow more easily. Should always wear gloves, or use a clean tool to smooth it over.
@@tmmtmm "I have had 10+ year old shower installs that did not have black spots." BS
So how was the water coming out from the back of the tile? Perhaps you may have a pinhole in the grout somewhere.
It was tracking through the grout at the back of the rail and down to behind the tile trim. Water always finds a way! 🙄
If it’s getting behind the tile, it will be tracking through the screw hole. Best to remove the track and silicone behind it
No, it was getting through the grout gap at the bottom and tracking behind the tile trim from there. Screw holes were already siliconed. 👍
Charlie DIYte once said new silicone to old silicone is absolutely fine so no worries.😎
As long as the old silicone is *really* clean it should be fine. Trouble is on older silicone it's easy to trap muck / grease under it and it will eventually fail.
Butting up the end of new bead to the end of an old bead (as shown in this vid) is generally ok as where new and old meet there is no requirement for a structural bond. Just imagine it like two rubber seals pushed up against each other - even if they aren't physically bonded to each other as long as nothing pulls them apart there is no gap and water cannot get through. Laying a new bead directly over the top of an old one is a no-no.
I love the end credits track on this video, it reminds me of Zero 7. What is it called?
Lush Dreams - The New Fools 👍
It only February and I have been called 8 times to sort the leaks of new install of showers just like yours - should of called me would have sorted it in a day
😂👍
well done lets hope it works !
Cheers Mark - all good 👍
Evo-Sticks "Sticks Like" would work with any remaining damp - then silicone over, as the white "Sticks Like" goes yellow in my experience anyway.
Interesting!
🤦♂🤦♂its happen to us all Andy to many jobs to do and not enough time in the day , a little adjustment and all good👍👍😃😃
Andy, do I see a bit of water damage to the skirting /base board down in that leaky corner?
Chatted about it briefly in the vid. 👍👍
One should never seal (silicone) the outside of the door frame where it meets the shower or tub. The objective is to keep water IN the shower, not to keep outside water from entering the shower. Sealing both sides doesn't allow condensate water to escape, which can cause mold and other issues. Silicon applied on the outside makes the joints between the door frames and showers and/or tubs look better, and that it is sometimes applied as a quick fix because the inside seal is leaking.
use ct1,bit expensive but will eliminate any leaks
Can’t really tool ct1 it’s to sticky.
Just used to the Dow but I'll need to give it a try. 👍
I’ve used CT1 on a few (bodge) repairs and it is a miracle product. Fact. If they’d had a few tubes in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, they could’ve just patched up the levees and avoided disaster.
Ahhh... bless your heart ❤
You could have used nylon fishing line to get through the silicone
Possibly!
I had a similar thought of using “cheese wire” or similar. I’ve got a similar issue with the corner of my shower screen, so fingers crossed I can pick up some ideas here.
dental floss kept snapping when used that to remove the old silicon behind
Just some nice thin scalpel blades and long thin utility knife work wonders. Don't know how you'd get fishing line to work without a second pair of hands on the other side of the glass...
We had exactly that after an install by 'pros'
Yup, easy mistake to make but more inexcusable rushing on a customer job. Tell you what, I'll not do it again. 😂👍
Mistakes videos are the best 👍
Too right! 😁
Did you tile then put tray upto it? If so you'll struggle to get that to ever seal properly mate. I'd always tile onto tray to reduce that to a minimum.
No, always tray then tile. Think it's on the pics. 👍
@Gosforth Handyman just looks like from pics. Sorry bud, but yeah to pick up what you said about sealant only where manufacturers state. Quite a few seal profile to wall, if water gets in it cannot get out! Great of you to share it, many wouldn't 👌
No worries! 👍
When you put a micro bead surely your capturing the moisture se my previous comment
Flipping' showers, always a nightmare!
Yup! Designs haven't really changed in 20 years!
I hope you enjoy Bulgaria :)
Was beautiful!
Good job Andy. Question, is that your hair dryer?😂😂
H
Lol yes, well you never know...
I’m convinced showers are gods middle finger to the human race.
Printers also
I usually remove the enclosure entirely and start again.
So long story short .... chucked more sealant on !
Almost all new showers seem to end up leaking at this point, even when installed by professional plumbers. I wonder why the manufacturers don' produce something that prevents this, and doesn't rely on silicon.
VHB tape works wonders.
Problem you got it’s a little bit of that sealant gets stuck when you’re pushing it back down you’re gonna have the same problem again
If I'd hammered the rail down in to the silicone that would be true. But watch again you'll see I hammered it down and then pushed it the ~1cm towards the wall, so basically just like a new install. 👍
Nooice!
Cheors!
Pond land Plummer that's y you should leave things to the professionals.
Yea I’ve never had a professional do anything in my house and make a mistake…. Oh wait, no actually they have ballsed up nearly everything
I can actually see your future problem....at the bottom of the tray where you joined the new silicon with the old...When the new one dries and shrink it will eventually pull away from the old..Remember you are not in a customer house...so you've got how long it takes
Silicone doesn't shrink when it dries - at least the Dow stuff doesn't. 👍
100% Silicone does not shrink as far as I'm aware. Tiles and shower trays can move slightly with respect to each other, hence using silicone which has some give to allow for this. I think what has been done here will be fine.
100% silicon cost like £40 a tube and I am sure you've not use that..And I learnt that from Roger,the same guy you mentioned
@@robert3741 I'm not in the UK but the stuff I use is "Selleys Wet Area Silicone" which is 100% silicone and costs AU$11.50 = £6 for a 300g tube.
👍👍👍 Brilliant
well the purists won't like it but i fit a Classi seal and ram grout into the gap as silicone always fails....and DO NOT silicone behind the frame just seal it round the outside.
Interesting! 👍
As a handyman, could you really take three days to re-caulk a shower stall? I'm sure your end product is great; but, I doubt you could ever make any money doing it that way. Also, I don't think any customer is that patient. Imagine three days having to change the morning routine. It's as bad as a tile job.
Not 3 full days! 3 visits. One to clean out the joint and let it dry overnight. One to do the bead behind the rail and one to put the rail back and silicone the edges. You could squeeze all this in to a single day but wouldn't be as gooder job.
classic bodge
How? Please educate us as to what you would do? 😂
@@GosforthHandyman in my daily life as a bathroom fitter, i would of extended the tiling at least 3 inches past the tray edge and down to the floor, to avoid small areas of tile lipping past the frame. I would also grout the gap between tray and bottom tile fully all the way around, even the gaps which would be outside the tray...that way, if i ever 'forgot' to silicone the vital area where upright meets tray, as you did, it still wouldnt leak, as the grout maintains the integrity of the tile/tray connection....it is also good practice, and insisted upon in many install instructions, that silicone is spread 4-5 inches up the outside gap where upright and panel slide together...this stops the other leak you had from this area from occuring...lastly, a minimum silicone bead of 6mm is preferable all the way into the outsidecorner at the upright base, yours seemed pretty thin at that point.
Were the walls fully tanked behind rogers wondertape, right down behind the tray edge?, as the water damage over those months of leakage would be quite severe...ive seen joists crumble in new builds after 3 months of similar installs. Good method of upright manipulation tho, however you would of done well to reposition the upright down into the wet silicone, as it would have cured around the aluminium, as opposed to being cured and elastic the day after, and risking being split by the sharp ally channel once it was pushed down...my method is once im ready to put uprights on the wall, a small line of silicone at the base before attachment guarantees the botyom of the channel is 'embedded' in silicone, whilst still allowing any water to drain/evaporate out under the internal gap of the upright ..so once again, as well as waterproofing pre-tile, fully grouting all gaps, with a decent waterproof grout, BEFORE cubicle install and siliconing gives that extra waterproofing.®️™️..p.s i just put bodge job to trigger you lol
So basically what I did. 😉
@@GosforthHandyman no, you didnt! and thats why it leaked and has soaked the internals of your walls and floor! For some next video inspiration.." i rip out my leaky 2 month old shower, to see the damage its caused to my floor joists and wall footers.."
If you had of grouted fully ,as i instructed, there would of been zero leakage coming from behind your tile trim, as seen in the vid....been there, bought the TShirt and took it back for a full refund.
Thought you would have to pull the whole screen out that would have been a right pain in the ass
Yup, that would be a nightmare! 😬
Use wall board you wouldn’t have that problem
🤪 The wall material has nothing to do with this leak.
With the silicone it looks like you're dammed if you and and damned if you don't :) ......I'll get my coat....
Nope. Not impressed this time around with your work. The only TRUE WAY to fix this job would be to remove that back chrome rail, silicone it, and refit. I suspect it will leak again in the future
Silicone behind the back rail? Nope, that's not recommended. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Maybe i not made myself clear. The vertical rails, which you admitted you forgot to silicone in the 1st place. Why not remove them and apply silicone, then refit?
Think you've misunderstood. Didn't forget to silicone the vertical rails. 🤔
Just take it apart and redo it properly...
That would be silly.
@@GosforthHandyman sometimes it's the best way of fixing a mistake.....
Sometimes, but not this time. 👍
Basically my thoughts of this, but he disagreed with me as well. If you removed the vertical rail and shower screen 1) you can properly clean off any scale 2) let everything dry out 3) bed silicone properly where it needs to go and work most efficiently.
😙🤔🙂🙂🙂
😁😁
How to make a 5 min video last 25 mins! 😂
What a pain in the arse but all sorted now 👍🏽🧱😁
Cheers Steve - brain fart moment! 😂👍
13:55 is the glass upside down? Dear god. My whole life is a lie.
It can be flipped depending on whether it's left or right handed, so all good there. 😂👍
And you're a skier! You yuppy! :D
Only on the cheap! 😉
I am outraged. This invalidates every video you have ever made! :)
😂