13/08/2026
A FAILING SHOWER AFTER JUST TWO YEARS!
This small shower room for one of our favorite customers was failing in multiple ways after just two years from installation! The grout around the tiles had started to crack, some tiles were beginning to fall off the wall, water stains on the ceiling downstairs had begun to show, and to top it off, the floor squeaked because there had been so much movement.
Here is what we found:
Tiles fixed to backer board that had been fixed to lath and plaster, causing movement behind the tiles.
An incorrectly installed tray with no silicone between the tile and the tray.
A plywood floor had been installed, causing the tiles on the floor to fail.
Joists had been sistered up with incorrectly sized timber, which was then cut through multiple times, allowing the floor to flex.
Screws holding the flooring down were too small to hold the ply in place.
The waste pipe for the loo ran uphill!
We came in, protected the carpet up the four flights of stairs and surrounding areas, and then began to carefully dismantle the shower room. After the tiles, board, and flooring were removed, we began putting the small shower room back together correctly. A new, correctly sized tray was installed, tile board replaced the lath and plaster, and all joints were sealed and made watertight. We re-supported the flooring and installed tongue-and-groove, moisture-resistant MDF. We then installed cement board on the floor, ready for tiling, and installed a close match tile to the previous design. At this point, we reinstalled the shower, screen, and loo. We carried out a test on the fixtures and cleaned up before handing the shower room back over to our customer.
This whole job was completed in just over one week with minimal disruption, leaving the customer with a shower room that will last far, far longer than the two years of the previous installation.
If you need any quality plumbing and heating work carried out with care and professionalism, give Oliver a call today!