Leaking shower drain in basement bathroom
4/19/2016 at 6:12:17 PM
I had a bathroom renovated last October in our basement because the shower drain was leaking which damaged the flooring. So the contractor we hired removed the old shower and reinstalled a new corner shower. But about 2 months ago we noticed on the wall outside the bathroom that our laminate flooring was starting to swell and low and behold there is water leaking again from the drain.
Is there something that was done incorrectly when they installed the new shower? I notice when you stand in the shower in the pan that it does go down a little bit. Were they supposed to put something underneath the pan so this does not happen?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
4/19/2016 at 7:37:36 PM
Hi Sam,
My name is Andrew and I'm the owner of Solid Rock Construction & Renovations here in Winnipeg.
Typically when I install any type of shower in a basement we first do our plumbing fill the area back with concrete about and inch short of level then build a form that matches the base of the shower and pour the last inch or so of self levelling compound. This ensures that the shower bases are 100% level and there is is never pressure on the drain pipe caused by movement in the base which is probably what has happened. After being stressed repeatedly as people are using the shower the rubber gasket can fail allowing some water to go where it shouldnt.
Hope this helps and have a great day!
4/19/2016 at 10:24:38 PM
It come from the bottom of ypu pan shower where is your drain that is probably not tight enough and didn't seal properly.
4/20/2016 at 12:55:54 AM
All shower bases we install are meant to be set in cement that will mould itself to the shape of the base, and support it. With that said, the leak could be caused by something else, but the unwanted movement is likely the culprit.
Matt
4/22/2016 at 8:45:12 PM
First of all a contractor should of never installed the shower pan, that should of been done by a Lic. plumber. Most plumbers will not give a warranty with those cheap plastic/fiberglass basement shower units. The problem being that the material is so thin on the bottom around the drain most of them will leak once you put any kind of weight (person standing in the shower)on them.
Search the TrustedPros directory and discover the best contractors in your area.
Find your home service pro
