Finding a shower leak (or any leak behind a wall or ceiling)

The key to finding any leak is to be able to see the leak in action. Open up the wall that is getting wet, then water-test the area. If you cannot reproduce the leak while you watch, DON"T try to fix anything. You have not found the true source yet. Water-test!!!!

[superagent]

Great video! Incredibly, this was the very first video I watched after googling shower leak and you described exactly what I suspected our problem to be. Water keeps coming out in the exact same spot on our shower... I thought it was the seal between the shower door frame and the tile (down in the corner like yours) ... it appeared that the previous owner even tried adding caulk there. So, they must have had the leak too. !BUT!, When I blast that corner of the shower with water, nothing comes out. I think that safely rules out that the leak is caused by a broken seal of some sort... yet, after a 10 minute shower or so, water starts to trickle out from the. bottom corner. At this point I don't know EXACTLY where the leak is coming from but it would seem that it is water making its way through the tile, into the wall, and finding its way out the corner of the shower door area. It sucks because it is going to be an expensive fix to repair 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️. Thanks again for your video.

[jsmcguireIII]

One thing I did was tape plastic sheeting in different portions of the shower and watched if the leak continued. This allowed me to eventually find the bad area and get after it.

[hyracatherium]

Literally having this problem now. Re siliconed the whole tub. I could see the seal breaking. I can see the caulking on the bathroom window has the same issue as well.

You're right about reproducing the leak. I used to do exteriors. Mostly gutters, but we did reseal roofs. The only way to do it right (unless you can see a clear break of seal) is to water test everything.

[liquidsnake]

I managed to find one once using a thermal camera, the leak was in the area colder than the rest

[aquafinau]

I just had a shower renovation last year in August 2021. It is now April 2022, and I am noticing a leak outside the exterior foundation. I had someone come over and say he probably thought it was the grout had shrunk, and you can see cracks in the grout. He also noticed that the contractors did not put any kind of silicone caulking around the stall where the tiles meet. I just assumed contractors know what they are doing.

[USMC_BABE]

We have this issue right now the water is bubbling up make sure to dry out the wetness behind the wall before you do any repairs speaking from experience

[mml]

great job! hey i have the sam eshower need your help. the water was shooting onto the forward shower wall where, thinly cracked and chiped grout was there for a long time, so now the 6inch wall cavity behind the shower wall that is getting the water hit with, is leaking or molding at the bottom trim level. odors of mold. So is that means the backerboard or pan membrane is broke? no other leaks, what to do? how do you prove it to the builder warranty? thank you!

[jwhitegreen]

I am having the same standing shower setting like yours and I am getting water coming out from the same corner close to the shower head, right outside of the shower door. In your case, was it the same cause for both corners (acrylic caulk on the baseboard tiles)? You spent more time talking about the corner further away so I am not sure. How did you fix the problem? Re-caulking all the tiles using silicon? Your response is highly appreciated.

BTW, you did an admiring job patching up the wall.

[deliorendon]

If you want things done right do it yourself I can’t believe three different roofers couldn’t manage to fix your roof

[livinginallentownpennsylva]

yes it helped my shower leached even after I replaced it totally

[cjl]

Having some issue but dry wall is wet above the tub line. Was your drywall wet above the tub line?

[hswan]

We have a similar issue in our shower and I'm not sure if it's just the caulk issue or also the enclosure frame too. The water damage to the wall is only at the bottom corners on each side of the front of the shower and bottom of the return panel adjacent to the tub. Any advise?

[BT-ktgb]

Nope, it was installed incorrectly. That's the reason it's leaking.

[dzungnguyen]

How did you fix the problem? tear up the wall or caulking with silicon ?

[dzungnguyen]

i have the exact problem, please help!!!!

[acrock]

cant you just recaulk the whole shower?

[perf]

are you saying that before the video there was a baseboard tile only ? and it was leaking?
well