Perth Shower Repairs
 
 

How we are dealing with COVID-19…

We will now be working with each of our clients to offer a contactless shower repair service as much as we can.

We ask that you work with us to communicate as much as possible regarding your job either over the phone or via email prior to the on-site quote assessment and shower repair works. Please also try to provide your shower to us as clean as possible for our team member’s health and safety.

We have put the following additional measures in place to ensure the safety of our clients, suppliers and team:

  • Encouraging our team to protect themselves and others by always practicing good hygiene. This includes investment in additional hygiene training for all our team as a refresher which takes into account the most up to date health advice provided by the Department of Health.
  • Increasing our already rigorous cleaning of all work areas and surfaces to ensure that we are providing the safest environment possible. This includes cleaning and disinfecting of frequently used surfaces such as door handles, vanity bench tops and sinks.
  • Provision of alcohol based hand sanitiser to all team members.
  • Instructing team members to stay home if they are feeling at all unwell.
  • Restricting the number of team members on each job to a maximum of two.
 

A Simple Solution To Add Value To Your Home

If you’re looking to add value to your home before putting it on the market, one of the key areas to focus on is your bathroom. Whether it’s a fresh coat of paint or a full makeover, there is always space to improve in your bathroom.

Bathroom renovations and additions can help increase your home’s value, but remember to keep it simple. Here are our top tips for a value-adding makeover.

Less is more

People often fall into the trap of going overboard with items like patterned tiles and eccentric taps. Remember, not everyone has the same style interests as you, and it could put off a potential buyer who wants to move into a ready finished home. Sticking to mainstream and tasteful features will serve you better.

What lies beneath

A cracked tile can be more ominous than it seems. Cracked or damaged tiles can allow water to get into areas where it is not supposed to go. Water that is allowed to get behind the wall or floor of the shower can lead to damage to the substrate, discolouration of tiles and weakening of tile adhesives that can eventually causing tiles to break away. The longer cracked tiles are left unfixed, the greater the risk that significant structural damage may occur.

Cracked or discoloured tiles can be a symptom of a superficial problem or more serious structural issues. Where and how your tiles are cracking is a key indicator. Do your tiles have small cracks on the tile edge, cracks in the tile corners or hairline cracks in the glaze? Or have they cracked in a straight line across multiple tiles on the floor or wall? These are questions we can help you with so you can ensure that there are no nasty surprises that may crop up in your buyer’s property inspection.

DIY is not always best

You may think your DIY skills are pretty good, but a potential buyer may disagree. Poor workmanship can instantly change a buyers perspective of your property, especially things like uneven and crumbly grout, peeling silicone and damp patches. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Perth Shower Repairs are experts in professional shower repairs. Locally owned and operated, we excel in providing the best service possible and highest quality solution for your shower. Using only superior-grade products, we guarantee the highest standard of workmanship and complete our work in accordance with Australian Building Standards.

So before you make that trip to Bunnings, call in the experts for a free, no-obligation quote.

There IS such a thing as a quick fix

If your bathroom isn’t in dire need of a makeover and just needs a breath of fresh air, then a fresh regrout could be all you need. At Perth Shower Repairs, we use top-quality German grout additives together with high-grade silicone to seal and waterproof your shower. Our grout removal equipment is German made and trusted by industry professionals worldwide. All our completed work is backed by a ten-year warranty for your peace of mind.

Get the ball rolling…

If you’re looking to sell your home soon and think we can help you add value with some bathroom TLC, then give us a call today.

We offer affordable, fixed price packages which are based on common shower sizes and designed to make life easier when it comes to decision-making. Each package comes with optional add-on services, providing a comprehensive shower sealing and waterproofing package to suit your needs.

Call Chris on: 0424 745 937 or request a quote today.

 

How To Seal A Shower

Shower Sealing Guide

Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins
shower-sealing-checklist

One of the common questions people ask when they are experiencing shower sealing and waterproofing problems is, “How do I seal my shower?” It is important to remember that both tiles and grout are not actually 100% waterproof. However, the waterproof membrane behind the tiles, if installed to Australian Standards, is. This is designed to allow any water that penetrates behind the tiles and grout to drain into the puddle flange installed at the shower base. Is your shower up to standard? Stop for a moment and read Perth Shower Repair’s essential guide to ensure your shower is up to standard before its next use.

How do I seal my shower

To be waterproof a shower must: 

Shower Sealing Guide
  • Be properly grouted
  • Have a correctly installed water-proof membrane
  • Be silicone seated behind tapware and fixings
  • Have a correctly installed puddle flange
  • Be silicon sealed along the shower floor and wall corners
  • Have a properly silicone sealed shower screen

In our experience, many of the showers we attend have unfortunately either not had the proper drainage system installed or sealed properly causing water issues down the track. A shower that is properly sealed should:

  •  Be properly grouted
  • Have a puddle flange which is correctly installed.
  • Have a correctly installed waterproof membrane behind the tiles and grout 
  • Be silicone sealed along the shower floor and wall corners
  • Be silicone sealed in-behind tap ware and other fixings where the tiles or waterproofing membrane have been exposed (e.g. screw holes for soap dishes or shower racks).
  • Be silicone sealed along all of the inside or outside of the shower screen.

Waterproofing a shower checklist

Check Your Shower Grout

regrouting-proper

Improperly grouted tiles can compromise shower sealing and waterproofing.  When inspecting the grout in your shower, be on the lookout for:

  • Crumbly, soft or powdery grout (an indication of poor mixing and application)
  • Any obviously holes in the grout (see picture above)
  • Any signs of crumbling or decaying grout
  • Any signs of cracking in the grout (especially along the corners of your shower)

Check Your Shower Corners

Sealing-silicone

Anywhere where the tiles change plane such as interior corners or where the wall meets the floor should be considered as movement joints. It is highly recommended that these joints are sealed with a flexible material such as silicone that can accommodate this movement. Grout has minimal flex and more often than not can crack along these joints as a result of minor structural movement, compromising shower sealing and waterproofing.  To ensure your shower is sealed, it is important to check that these joints are properly sealed with silicone.  When inspecting your shower, lookout for:

  • Lack of silicone in shower corners
  • Peeling or deteriorating silicone in your shower

Mould in the shower or bathroom is a tell-tale sign…

Note that mouldy silicone is not necessarily a waterproofing issue. If your shower has been siliconed correctly, water should not get behind the back of the silicone. Surface mould can be cleaned. However, if water has got behind (due to poor workmanship or deteriorating silicone) mould can grow underneath the silicone bead. If this is the case, the silicone will need to be replaced.

Check Your Shower Tapware and Fixings

sealing-tapware

A properly sealed shower should have been silicone sealed behind tapware and other fixings where the tiles or waterproofing membrane have been exposed (e.g. screw holes for soap dishes or shower racks). If left unsealed, water can make its way behind non-sealed tapware and behind the tiles, leading to water damage issues.  To check your tapware, remove the tap handle and fluid apron to expose the tap stud underneath. A properly sealed tap should look like the one below on the right.

Check Your Shower Screen

sealing-silicone-screen

Like the shower corners, the join between the shower screen and tile surface or floor should also be considered a movement joint as they are two substrate types with differing movement potential. A properly sealed shower screen acts as a barrier preventing water movement to other areas of the bathroom.  In our experience, applying silicone on the inside is less likely to lead to shower sealing issues down the track.

Inspect all the corners of your shower screen where it meets the wall and floor to check if they are properly silicone and there is no obvious gaps or holes in the silicone.

Check your shower drain

puddle-flange

One of the key elements of shower waterproofing is a proper drainage system. This should include the correct installation of a puddle flange (see photo below). Any water that does penetrate the tiles and grout is designed to hit the waterproof membrane and drain in through the puddle flange into the drain.

To check your drain, start by removing the metal drain cover. If your shower has a tiled grate, lift this out and locate the drain hole. Next, by running your finger around just below the opening of the drain, check to feel if there is a slotted gap between where the lip of the drain top meets the PVC pipe below. This can take a bit of practice to know exactly what you are looking for. If you are unsure at all, please do not hesitate to call Perth Shower Repairs to talk to the experts.

Last Line Of Defence – The Waterproof Membrane

Paddle Flange Fiagram and Waterproof Membrane

If you have checked the above to eliminate them from the list and you still think you may have a leak, then this leaves the possibility that the waterproof membrane may have failed. At this point, it is best to call in the professionals. At Perth Shower Repairs, we are skilled at identifying and assessing leak sources and can provide the best possible solution for your shower.

Still In Doubt? Call The Experts At Perth Shower Repairs.

If you have just read all the above and are still unsure about whether your shower is properly sealed, for your peace of mind why not call the experts at Perth Shower Repairs on 0424 SHOWER to discuss your shower sealing and waterproofing needs.

 

3 Reasons Your Shower Keeps Leaking

Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins

shower-repair-perth

A shower which has been properly installed in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC) and Australian Standards (AS 3740-2010) is very unlikely to leak expect in the case of extreme structural movement. However, leaking shower recesses are still one of the most common building faults and complaints today.

The top reasons why shower sealing and waterproofing consistently fails causing a leaking shower are:

  • Poor workmanship
  • Ignorance of or non-compliance with the NCC and Australian Standards
  • Structural movement

 

Poor Workmanship

In the majority of cases, poor or sub-standard workmanship is the reason why showers leak and need to be repaired. Unfortunately, our experience shows it is often the case that sub-contractors for home builders and even bathroom renovation companies take shortcuts when installing your shower. Perth Shower Repairs has seen many cases where water damage is caused by poor quality workmanship resulting in expensive shower repairs that could have otherwise been avoided.

There are many do’s and don’ts when it comes to shower installation. Examples of poor workmanship that can result in a leaking shower include:

  • Absence of or incorrect installation of a waterproofing membrane
  • Poorly grouted tiles (e.g. incorrect grout choice such as the use of non-flexible grout in areas where minor structural movement is anticipated, pinholes in grout)
  • Incorrectly installed pipework resulting in water leaking behind the shower wall
  • Incorrect silicone application (e.g. internal corners and bottom row of tiles not grouted with silicone, no silicone around tapware in wall penetrations)
  • Incorrect installation of tiles (e.g. tiles not correctly bedded into adhesive, cut edges of tiles exposed in shower allowing water penetration into the tiles)
  • Incorrect installation of tapware (e.g. no fluid aprons installed around tapware in wall penetrations)
  • Misapplication of products or use of cheap materials

 

Ignorance of or non-compliance with the NCC and Australian Standards

All construction work undertaken in Australia is required to meet the National Construction Code (NCC) performance provisions for the construction of buildings. This can be achieved through either complying with the NCC referenced standards, which in most cases is Australian Standard AS 3740-2010 – Waterproofing of domestic wet areas, or providing an alternative building solution that complies with the NCC performance provisions and is signed off by the relevant authority.   

Poor or sub-standard workmanship and failure to follow the construction code often go hand in hand. Local practices can take precedence over standard procedures resulting in sub-standard waterproofing and shower installation. In their industry bulletin (IB 061/2016), the Building Commission of WA identified that ‘non-compliant waterproofing requirements and incorrect grading of floors in wet areas’ continue to be commonly recurring building complaints. They also noted that ‘incorrect installation of the waterproof membrane in critical locations, such as around the floor waste, often leads to building damage from water ingress into adjacent building elements’.

In our experience, one of the more common instances of non-compliance which can adversely affect shower waterproofing is the lack of or incorrect installation of a puddle flange under the floor grate. Puddle flanges are designed to allow any moisture that would otherwise by trapped between the tiles and waterproofing membrane to exit into the drain (see Figure 1). According to the Australian Standards, puddle flanges are required where there is a requirement for waterproofing such as on timber floors or homes built with a floor above ground. Installing a puddle flange is relatively easy, takes only minutes and is not expensive. However, a lot of puddle flanges are installed incorrectly or not at all resulting in unnecessary water issues down the track.

leaky-shower-repair-perth

Figure 1: Shower drainage control with puddle flange.

 

Structural movement

Showers that are designed and installed correctly in accordance with Australian building codes should very rarely leak except in the case of extreme structural movement.

All buildings are subject to minor structural movement in various forms such as subsidence, settlement, expansion and contraction of materials, bulging walls and bouncy floors. This movement is common place and occurs all the time, but it is usually of relatively small magnitude that it passes unnoticed.

More extreme structural movement can result in the weakening or cracking of grout and the waterproof membrane, cracked tiles and corner joints in your shower. Water can then penetrate in behind the tiles, weakening tile adhesive and making its way into structural timbers and materials. Left unattended, these leaks can lead to costly structural damage and shower repairs down the track.

It is important to be on the lookout for signs of structural movement and, when necessary, call upon the professionals at Perth Shower Repairs to assess your leaking shower repair needs.