Shower Stall Shower Pans.
Shower Pans For Shower Stalls
And The Materials and Information
To Install Them.
Author: Mary Vinnedge
Article Text:
Q: My custom-built home is 9 years old. For several years, the shower in the master bedroom has leaked from underneath and wet the carpet. There's also a horizontal crack in the 4-by-4-inch tiles on the shower wall. Should the tile have been installed over a special waterproof board? Should the grout have been sealed? I'm concerned that we're talking about a $1,000 repair here. What's wrong and what should I do? -- A.W., Dallas
A: Spokesmen for two companies that repair leaky showers suspect that the installation of your shower -- walls and all -- is causing your grief. Donald Koen, owner of Donald E. Koen Tile Co. in Farmers Branch, and Stanley Poer, manager of Tile Works in Dallas, also say it's likely that you need to replace the shower pan, which is the expensive repair you dread.
And neglecting a leaking shower can compound the costs: Moisture in the walls can promote rot in the studs and sole plates.
Mr. Koen says the shower pan collects water that seeps through the grout and, by gravity, directs it down the drain. Shower pans can be made of lead, which will last about 20 years; polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, the newest material, which will last longer and is the best material; or a tar-paper composition pan, which is "not too good,' he says.
Even a good pan, with poor installation, will not do its job for long, however.
Mr. Poer says installation goofs include nailing through the pan, cutting the corner of the shower pan instead of folding it, and running gypsum wallboard over the side of the pan. This last misstep not only causes the pan to malfunction (the water is going through the grout and into the wallboard instead of into the pan and down the drain) but also allows the moisture to "wick up the wallboard,' leading to mildew, grout falling out and tile falling off, he says.
To trouble-shoot your shower, Mr. Koen and Mr. Poer suggest running a pan test. Here's how you or a pro can put the shower to the test:
*Remove the screen from the shower drain.
*Insert a specially designed, inflatable rubber ball ($20 to $30 at a plumbing-supply store) 3 1/2 to 5 inches into the drain. Air up the ball with a bicycle pump. For an inexpensive, do-it-yourself alternative, you can seal off the drain with duct tape or clay, Mr. Poer says. Don't leave the duct tape on too long, he warns, because the adhesive can be extremely difficult to remove.
*Using another water source such as a garden hose or buckets of water -- not water from the shower fixture, which could cause inaccurate test results -- fill the shower with water to within about 1/2 to 1 inch of the threshold of the shower door.
Mr. Poer recommends you have the water line at or above a horizontal grout joint, because it's a better test for the pan. "I remember once I was in a home where there was a lot of water damage, but even after I waited 45 minutes, no leaks,' he says. "Then I filled the shower up another half-inch (over a horizontal joint), and there was a flood.'
*Let the water sit for three to 24 hours, to give the water time to begin seeping through the grout and onto your floor. Of course, let the water out immediately if you detect a leak -- which means your pan flunks the test.
A plumber will perform this test for about $35 to $45, Mr. Koen says, and shower-repair companies (including Mr. Koen's and Mr. Poer's) often will do the test as part of their free estimate.
Replacing the pan in a 3-by-3-foot or 3-by-4-foot shower, which includes removing the tile floor and two or three rows of tile up the wall, will start at about $800, Mr. Koen estimates.
"I tell homeowners there's good news and bad news,' Mr. Poer says. "The bad news is that the repair costs $900 to $1,000. But the good news is that the homeowner's insurance typically covers it.' If covered, the repair would set you back your deductible, usually $250 or $500.
As far as your broken tiles, both men theorize that the tile was laid atop gypsum wallboard (regardless of whether the wallboard was installed over the pan) instead of the proper material: cement board. The moisture from the shower spray filters through the grout and into the wallboard, which will swell and buckle and crack the tiles. The cement board, a fiberglass-reinforced board, is designed to stand up to the water.
And because those tiles are now broken, moisture also is finding its way through the cracks and down the inside of the wall, the experts say. The cracks could even be the source of your leak. If your shower passes the pan test, you might caulk the cracks and see if the leaks stop.
If you need the pan repaired anyway, for a little more money (about $7 ro $10 per square foot, Mr. Poer estimates) you can have the entire shower enclosure retiled properly, over cement board.
Another leak source could be the water pipe leading to your shower head. To test it, a Dallas-Fort Worth-area plumber gives these instructions:
*Cap it with a 1/2-inch cap (available at Home Depot for 36 cents) and turn on the water.
*Remove the escutcheon (the metal backing, often in a doughnut shape, between the shower control and the tile) to peek inside the wall.
If the pipe is leaking, you'll probably want a plumber to tackle it.
In answer to your sealer question, Mr. Koen believes sealer is unnecessary with proper installation over cement board, which needs no extra protection.
Do you have a question about improving your home's interior? Send it to Inside Information, House & Garden Department, The Dallas Morning News, P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265. Or fax it: 977-8321. Please include a daytime telephone number. To call in a question, dial 977-8178. Questions cannot be answered individually, but those of general interest will appear in the column. The Dallas Morning News does not endorse the companies or individuals mentioned in this column.
Caption:
PHOTO(S): 1. (Special to The News: Georgia-Pacific)
Tiles in a shower enclosure should be installed over a durable,
moisture-resistant tile backer board. 2. (Front Page) Installation
means everything when it comes to the longevity of a ceramic-tile
shower.; PHOTO LOCATION:
Copyright 1992 The Dallas Morning News Company
Record Number: DAL1306652
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