Shower caulk and weep holes

[Ben Nolan]

I’ve been in a newly constructed house for about three years. Since moving in I’ve had problems with a leak in the shower in the master bath.

The shower is a corner shower attached to a large tub. It has a two sided glass enclosure. There has been a consistent leak at the bottom of the glass enclosure where it meets the wall. I’ve had the enclosure removed and reset twice. Did not fix the problem. The last time this was done, the person who did this suggested that there might a plumbing leak.

Contacted the plumbers who installed the shower and they said the problem was that the entire inside of the shower was caulked. The plumber removed some caulk at the two outside corners and water did drip out. He indicated that caulking the inside was not necessary and is done soley for cosmetic reasons. I had never heard of this. Is this true? He said that the shower pan is supposed to prevent water from leaking outside of the shower.

Mark

[bungieParticipant]

Did you ask how the water got behind the caulking in the first place ???

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DISCLAIMER

All advice is given with-out seeing the job, and hence all advice MUST be taken as advice with limited knowledge on the exact situation. NO responsibility can or will be taken. And yes, I am a licensed Plumber and Drainer with my own business in Brisbane Australia.
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[mlunaParticipant]

Yes, I did. I was told that water seeps through the caulk. Removing some of the caulk to create weep holes is new to me. Does this sound right. It did not to me.

Mark

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Are the Flanges (escutcheon plates) sealed to the wall where the Shower /Bath taps (Fossets) penetrate the wall? are the Body washers in good order? are the “o” rings not leaking.
Test the system by capping off the bath & shower outlets ( you will have to remove the bath spout & shr arm) & fit a ezy cap or a screw on cap, then turn the cold or hot water tap on. you will then have to visually inspect the penetrations (where the taps come out of the wall) to find that they are not leaking. Also check the weap holes.
If these are ok, then check the wall & shower screens are not leaking.
You may have to install a snap vent on the opposite side of the Shr enclosure to find the leak.
Regards Bob

[Author]

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