Leaking shower. How to replace the silicone and stop leak with DIY tools.

[@straycat39]

Just about to tackle my leaking shower and this has been a great video to watch. Some really good tips

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Gary. It's no fun but worth doing properly if you don't want to end up replacing the ceiling below. Good luck. b33zo

[@simoncrump9106]

Most helpful. Also, thought you were very brave taking the whole unit out! Thanks!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Simon. Yes, it was probably a two-person job but I wanted to do a 100% job on the enclosure so I didn't have to come back. b33zo

[@simoncrump9106]

@@b33zo just decided to do the very same. Wouldn't have done it without your video so thanks again!

[@gregmccawley2327]

Hi, I watched this with interest as I just completed this job for myself, yesterday. Good job! I would say though that the corners where the enclosure profiles slide into the wall profiles need sealing on the outside of the enclosure - perhaps 4 or 5 inches up from the floor. This saves any water which enters between them exiting the enclosure. It is apparently, important that you don't seal the inside of that joint so that water doesn't collect there. But well done - you must be strong!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Greg. Yes, I agree it would seem like a good idea to just seal everything inside and out but to avoid water getting trapped in the 'cavity' we're told to just seal the outside. The whole idea of the aluminium section just sliding into the wall chanel and forming a seal feels like very old tech. Hope your shower is now watertight. ATB b33zo

[@viviandube7595]

Watched this from the Blue Mountains Australia, very helpful thank you I shall now begin!😁

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Vivian. It's 50 years since I lived in NSW - I take it Paul Hogan is still advertising Wingfield cigarettes on Channel 7...Good luck with your project. b33zo

[@mansoryO]

thank you, i have the exact same one except more of a cubicle, but i have done the exact same and its well sealed now.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching O MYasin we'll keep our fingers crossed that it stays sealed. Cheers b33zo

[@antoniogalluccio4213]

If you are using a profile to smooth sealant up, it is advisable to not use tape! It leaves a lip where bacteria builds up and mold can appear unless you smooth the gap straight after removing the tape! Good job anyway. I'm an Italian plumber in London Uk! You mention that the sealant under the base wasn't going to the back so I think it is ok. I would have invested a few more minutes cleaning the old sealant also from the chrome base of the shower door to get a better adhesion like you did with all of the other surfaces!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Antionio and sharing your knowledge.

[@brianherbert9608]

Very helpful. I have the exact same style of shower, but one of the half moon sliding doors has come out of it's runners at the bottom. I cannot work out how to release the door to get it back on. It won't lift up high enough to get back on! Any help gratefully received. Sorry - complete novice!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Brian. This video was made in a remote proprty so I dont have access any more to offer a remedy. I would work on the assumption that if the door has come out of the runner it must go back. What sequence of events have led to the sliding door coming out of its runners? b33zo

[@stephenquirke9466]

Excellent help. Will tackle this problem tomorrow...

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Stephen. Hope your job was a success! b33zo

[@elgriego6]

From San Diego Ca USA best video I’ve seen on this topic.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Alejandro Miranda. I guess doing the job properly in the forst place is the way to go! Best wishes b33zo

[@beedebawng2556]

Thanks. I enjoyed watching and listening to you.

[@b33zo]

thanks for watching bb and for your kind comment. b33zo

[@Sodany21]

Thank you for your video . I have the same leaking corner but my shower is a square one . Will it fixed if I remove all the old silicone and replaced with the new silicone without having to remove the frame ? Please help. Love 💕 your singing - Nice to be happy 😃

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Maria. I believe it is better to seal from the OUTSIDE of the fitting especially if you don't want to remove the frame. So remove the old silicone, dry the area completely (with a hair dryer), add new silicone and leave to dry for 24 hours. Soon you'll be singing too! b33zo

[@Apio]

?

[@smoll.miniatures]

Silicone to be applied to the exterior of the enclosure only, allowing any water that enters, to run back into the tray rather than collect and go stagnant.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Michael and confirming that silicone should only be applied to the exterior of the enclosure. b33zo

[@eleazarguzmanrn6945]

I didn’t know that. Thanks for the great tip!

[@3619jon]

Unless of course the moron who installed the shower failed to put sealant behind the enclosure rail letting water get behind and run down underneath and because removing the rail would probably pull the wall off I decided to remove the sealant on the out side and seal all Inside to stop water running into this hole.

[@thelog86]

If done properly it should be slopped to the drain

[@YS-sg3uv]

Thanks for the video, My shower tray just had the same leak problem.

[@b33zo]

YS thanks for watching. b33zo

[@alysonw6300]

Very helpful video, currently doing this to my shower. 😊

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Alyson. b33zo

[@phil9533]

What about the water damage though on the ceiling? Could house some fungus flies if not treated.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Phil. Yes if the leak was bad enough and the ceiling below was obviously saturated you might decide to replace it (nice little Saturday morning job). Most of us would take a 'wait and see' approach before pricing up plasterboard. ATB b33zo

[@brianherbert9608]

Thanks for replying. No one has owned up so I’m not sure! I will continue to try and figure it out ( gently)!

[@b33zo]

Good luck Brian.

[@Gabriel_JudgeofHell]

Could you please explain a little more why you had to put the frame on the pencils? Did you put silicone under the frame ?

[@b33zo]

@napastablook22 thanks for watching. Yes, I wanted to sit the frame down onto silicone. It was a two-man job really due to the weight but I applied silicone between the pencils and when I pulled them out the frame dropped onto it forming a seal. Obviously picking the whole frame up and dropping it onto a bead of silicone (at the outer edge) would be the way to go if you have an assistant. b33zo

[@terrellavery9]

Great job. Helped me a lot on my walk-in shower

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Terrell.

[@davidbee3736]

Thanks for your video. Great singing😀

[@b33zo]

ha thanks for watching David!

[@mjstatic77]

Hi, can you apply more of this brand of silicone on top of a fresh layer of silicone? I’ve just resealed but there’s still a slight drip coming through

[@robertpierce8567]

Yup, it'll stick to itself.

[@popitoto]

They had put several times silicone,the workers but it begin again to leak,some months after.So is necessary to take out the door..?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching popi toto. In my opinion adding more and more silicone is not really a substitute for taking the shower enclosure out and redoing everything properly. Yes it is a lot of work but continued leaks are going to lead to further problems with floorboards and the ceiling underneath. b33zo

[@krissyporter]

Nice video and something I need to try myself as I think my channels are the weak spot...did you seal the inside part of the channels? As in - where you didn't seal the inner part of the horizontal interior, do you do the same with vertical part of channels if that makes sense?

[@craigkelly1211]

You dont need to silicone anything the way he does, all the screen instructions tell you only silicone the outside of the screen NEVER THE INSIDE or even under it for that matter is just silly. I've fitted over 600plus bathrooms I've never once siliconed under the screen you don't need to. Just silicone outside profiles then down and around front of tray/shower enclosure Silicone the inside is trapping water inside the profiles causing leaks and damage to any hole left in walls from missing grout, screw holes etc

[@krissyporter]

@@craigkelly1211 very interesting! Thanks

[@krissyporter]

@@craigkelly1211 so take it off, give it a clean and a scrub and then reseal the outside?

[@craigkelly1211]

@@krissyporter you don't need to take screen out at all unless A-screen needs replacing, B-water is getting to back of profiles (due to the bottom. Of the inside of profile not been siliconed) or C-because inside and out side of screen has been sealed Once you take screen out you will see where all the water has been getting into screen which will point you to where its been leaking. 9/10 it leaks on the sides of the outer profile near the bottom because the profiles not been siliconed correctly, some instructions will tell you to silicone 150mm up from the bottom of the profile to where it meets the glass screen if you send me your email I can send you photos of where I mean as I'm currently doing that same job now. Taking the screen out is just asking for damages

[@Gabriel_JudgeofHell]

Great video. Do you have a feedback from the customer? Has this fixed the leak permanently ?

[@b33zo]

@napastablook22 I was in that bathroom only last week tightening up a UPVC window handle and everything looked fine. b33zo

[@chatlow]

i'm about to do the same thing with our shower. Did you end up having to fix the flooring below the shower or just left it to dry?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching chatlow. The bathroom floor was 22mm waterproof plywood and the vinyl was nicely siliconed around the shower so I left the floor alone. ATB b33zo

[@margreatkhalil1867]

What silicon brand did you use here, please? Any recommendations for a brand that doesn't get mouldy, please? Thank you.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Margaret. It's important to use good silicone - usually one that has a strong vinegar smell. Think I used Dow 785 from Screwfix. Not cheap but you only want to do the job once... Good luck with your project b33zo

[@margreatkhalil1867]

Thank you so much 👍👍👍

[@bk4985]

Great video John!

[@b33zo]

Thanks bk4985!

[@dionnemaxwell4275]

Thanks for the help! Loved the song too.

[@b33zo]

Thanks Dionne, singing ability is an essential part of any building DIY. b33zo

[@gabrielwettenstein8659]

I saw a different video that showed how to fix water running down the wall from a loose shower connection to the wall, so I put silicone all around the insides, and it still leaked. So I surrounded the outside connection with silicone, and although there was no leak, I heard a new noise while I was showering, which concerned me that maybe I only diverted a deeper leak, and now there's water building up behind the wall. Where could the leak have originally come from?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Gabriel difficult to say without seeing some pictures but to be honest it sounds as if you could have a nice little weekend job coming up. If the leak is behind tiles etc the water will run down and end up damaging the floor/ceiling below etc. Who did the original plumbing? Think you might have to consider taking the tiles off to see what's going on. Solving the problem now will save further expense later. Good luck b33zo

[@theincrediblesulk5543]

Hi thanks for the video, can I ask do you also silicone around the inside of the door or only outside ?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching. It's recommended to only silicone around the OUTSIDE of the metalwork. I'm not sure why but maybe something to do with trapping water between the inner and outer seal. Cheers b33zo

[@lloydmatthews9439]

@@b33zo It is due to water being trapped behind the inner & outer seal as I found out to my horror, so only seal the outside as you mention.

[@b33zo]

@@lloydmatthews9439 Thanks Lloyd. b33zo

[@shellyelonis9393]

Very nice. I'm working on my unit and took mine apart to redo silicone. Thanks for the tips!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Shelly. Spending the extra few minutes to do a good job is time well spent. ATB b33zo

[@Apio]

How often should be seal it

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Dhavid. Never - until you get a leak. b33zo

[@craigkelly1211]

Every 5-10years silicone will disintegrate or turn mouldy which is recommended to Redo

[@thelog86]

It should be waterproofing behind that tile and stopped towards the drain, and the seal around the drain could be leaking

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Rob.

[@dougmurray8947]

Nice work -How long did that job take?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Doug. There wasn't much change out of the day but the kind lady there did lay on a nice lunch and other treats...b33zo

[@redhottakeaways]

Did it work?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching. Yes, so far so good. b33zo

[@lehlohonolomahlong3075]

No cover ups, proper job done...

[@b33zo]

Lehlohonolo thanks for watching. Hopefully it will last a few years. b33zo

[@eleazarguzmanrn6945]

Nice video, your work looks good but why didn’t you silicone the inside of the shower screen?

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watch EG. It is the normal practice NOT to silicone the inside of the shower screen as apparently it prevents drainage of any water that might get under the base section of the frame. If you seal the outside and the inside it forms a trap. Good luck with your project. b33zo

[@hanshurb5238]

I’ve done this and it didn’t work, still leaking on both side of the enclosure where the Frame meets the wall channels ! D’oh !

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Hans. That's unfortunate. At least you're familiar the fixings now so when you re do it you'll use less time. See Omar's comments (below). b33zo

[@track1009]

Very informative , thank you👍

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Tracker 100. b33zo

[@soyhaji123]

Did the shower leaked after this application??

[@b33zo]

Soy thanks for watching. The shower was 100% sealed. b33zo

[@paulirving2012]

I used to love Victor Meldrew!?

[@yensabi]

Some soapy water in a spray bottle and a silicone profile tool would have made your job easier and would have looked a much better finish , but fair play to ya it ain’t easy doing that kind of job....👍

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching yensabi and for your tips. Never tried soapy water but there's still time..! ATB b33zo

[@ashwinpatelmpharm]

I would second that. I keep a little container of washing up liquid and water in a tub close by and rinse off the profiling tool after each pass. It moves along edges like silk, changed my life! I saw someone else on KZbin doing it and haven't looked back since.

[@b33zo]

@@ashwinpatelmpharm Thanks Ashwin. Great tip. I have a bath to fit soon and will take your advice. b33zo

[@rickydub6950]

Great work 💪think i may need to lift my screen like you have here, sealed mine last week... took hours, looks great but still a small corner leak at a dodgy tiled area under the sink 🤦‍♂️ i'll strip the outside sealant again before i take the screen off though 😂

[@b33zo]

Ricky Dub thanks for watching. Apart from the fact that these corner showers are heavy and a two-man job really to seat nicely in one go, the quality of the silicone is a big issue. For the effort involved going for the top rated rather than the cheapest is probably the best option. Hope it's all sealed now. b33zo

[@paulgriffiths7348]

Scotty Kilmar

[@d3mist0clesgee12]

Great stuff thanks

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching D. Hope you stopped that leak! b33zo

[@mikefox4758]

this video doesn't address the damage that may be done underneath. If the leak has made if through the ceiling the chances are the boards or fixings are sodden. it may fix temporarily but it will re-surface. We had a similar problem but the tray is lifted on feet and so we could see underneath and the boards were all rotten and mouldy.

[@mikefox4758]

I re-siliconed the job 3 times now... gotta do it again i think - oh dear!

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Mike and for your observations. I cant quite see why if you re-silicone properly in the first place there would be further leaks. Yes the floor may be affected and the ceiling below might be damaged - butt that's just another little DIY job! ATB b33zo

[@shuvadey4294]

@@mikefox4758 If there is movement in the floor the shower is sitting on e.g. it flexes when stepping in then the silicone seal will break. It only takes movement of 1 to 2mm to break. Silicone as wonderful as it is just cannot deal with that degree of movement. Is your floor sound and strong enough?

[@thelog86]

I would remove the entire 1st row of tile all the way around, install new backerboard waterproof it and retile it

[@brianknowles1727]

good job but I think I would have changed the enclosure.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Brian.

[@garvielloken3929]

Nooice!

[@b33zo]

GL thanks for watching.

[@robertpierce8567]

Doggone, these folk don't clean the corners very well, do they?! OOF! Every few months I get down and scrub those corners with an old toothbrush.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Robert. Yep once you get your bathroom properly clean the weekly maintenance is easy. I like to use a new 25mm (1") paintbrush to clean the smallest places of the shower and rake out debris. ATB b33zo

[@ralphylad]

Cheap diy top- Buy some acetone for ladies nails to remove your silicone.

[@b33zo]

Thanks for watching Ralph, good tip too! b33zo

[@smoll.miniatures]

That could easily destroy some plastics. Just use silicone remover.

[@seniorzasader4328]

ok bidden

[@Pigchee]

Did it solve the customer’s problem?

[@b33zo]

@Pigchee thanks for watching. Yes 100% solved. b33zo