# tile shower smell



## jaydevries (Jan 29, 2012)

what i see is a shower with improper or no water membrane under shower. you have 2 options in my opinion is first and best tear it out replace rotten wood treat with a mold killer " not just bleach " and start over. the second choice would be to find someone who can put a shower liner in ( bci ,liners direct, luxury bath, re bath, bath fitters, or bath planet )


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Post a shot of the shower itself----You have a failure there----might need replacing---


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## akilinski (Mar 5, 2013)

Here's a shower pic, and a close-up of the "hole".


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Oh,boy-------------I think you are in trouble-----How to build a shower - Building a shower pan with pre-sloped mortar bed, liner and curb.

I think you have an improperly installed liner------in which case you have a tear out.

do a flood test by plugging the drain with an inflatable plug---fill and let it sit for 24 hours.

If that hold water for 24 hours--start looking for a leak in the shower arm---or other water leak above the curb---

I don't think it will pass the flood test----sorry----


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## akilinski (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks, Mike. Both times I plugged the drain to soak the floor, the shower floor was dry within hours...so that fails the test doesn't it?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Yep----you have a leaker----sorry to be the bearer of bag news---

That link shows one method of shower building--

There are a couple of others---

The Schluter system and other like that use a surface membrane---very dependable--

Latacrete has Hydroban---another surface membrane ,but painted on---

You have a tear out----retire that shower until you can get it replaced----


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Get a Lawyer, and take a lot of pictures as the real tile people take the old one apart. All the work I see in your photos was done by a hack, plumbing, carpentry, and tile. What makes a paint manufacturer think they know how to remodel a bathroom?????

Missing grout should not matter a hoot to water tightness.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

That test you did was probably not exactly right---that pan has two drains--one above the tile and one below ,to drain the membrane----so an inflatable drain plug must be used to stop both drains.

That being said----you still have a leaker---I just wanted to tell you that to avoid being told you did the test wrong by the installer----

Some people should not build shower pans-----while not rocket science---they must be done correctly----


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

Tear it out the original installer did not pan the shower correctly... Also sue the seller for not disclosing it. Contact your local code authority and see if permits were issued it will help if they hacked it all in without one.


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## akilinski (Mar 5, 2013)

Sherwin Williams' answer - The installer came by today and said the curb tile needed more of a slope, so they replaced some of the tile. He thought the curb was holding water. He also said the smell was probably because the shower is so enclosed and only has that 23" wide opening (i'm calling BS on this). This guy's english wasn't very good, so I let him do his thing - then i'll push for a tear out and re-do once this happens again in a couple days.


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## akilinski (Mar 5, 2013)

PS - where can I get an inflatable drain plug?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Any plumbing supply house---tell them you are doing a flood test on a shower with a two inch drain---

Very common item-----


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## Ghostmaker (Mar 2, 2013)

Tear it out or one day you will fall through the floor.


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