Mold discolored grout loose tile and peeling caulk.
Leak in the grout in the tiled shower walls.
If you spot these symptoms you have found the water damage.
Those areas are exposed to the most water so damage tends to spread quickly.
These problems allow shower water to penetrate the wall and cause damage and they are generally found low on the shower wall down where the tile meets the shower base.
The tiled wall shown on these pages is only a few years old but water had seeped in.
Shower tiles in particular are almost constantly bombarded by running water so sealing the grout is a necessity.
They can often cause damp and mould within surfaces behind tiles and can even threaten the structural integrity of walls so it s important to tackle the issue at the first sign of a leak.
To waterproof a shower pan and shower walls you have to have a waterproof membrane that meets ansi a118 10 to be properly installed.
The longer the leak has gone unnoticed the larger the repair will be.
It likely was not installed correctly.
If the shower drains and there is no leak then you will need to examine whether the leak is coming from missing grout between tiles on the shower walls.
Sealing grout in shower tiles is the best way to keep grout clean and waterproof.
Answer answer if water from your shower is leaking into a crawl space the problem is not the cementitious grout joints.
To stop the leak and prevent further damage to the underlying plaster.
Leaks typically start along the bottom of the wall where the tile meets the top of the tub or shower pan.
To do this focus on one wall at a time.
There has to be an underlying problem with the shower pan s waterproof membrane.
Is your shower leaking through your tiles.
Leaky tiles can occur anywhere where water is used whether it s a shower a wet room or a kitchen splashback.