leaking bath sealant

[cnoar]

Hi all

We have had a problem with a leak coming from the bath/shower through the wall to my daughters bedroom wall next door. There was also water pooled all over the floor under the bath.
Our landlord is saying this is purely down to a hole in the silicone but we don't agree. The silicone has been replaced now so we have no way of proving or disproving this.
I've taken these pictures of the underside of the bath and wondered if these helped shed any light on the situation to the trained eye?! Are the white streaks on the wall from leaking water?
Thanks in advance for any feedback....

 

[denso13]

Looks like the bath wasn't sealed properly. What do you think caused it?

 

[phatboy]

If the sealant has been replaced and the leak has stopped, seems logical that would be the problem. And not an uncommon one either.

 

[cnoar]

Well because there was mould on it last year and it wasn't replaced we wonder if this may have weakened the silicone and possibly caused it to leak, or at least weakened it and contributed to a hole?
Also when the landlords plumber came to replace the silicone he didn't fill the bath with water when he did it which I understand you're meant to do to minimise movement in the joint - so if this was the case last time that could have cause a leak?
Just wondered about the white streaks in the picture and whether there's any evidence here of a leak coming from a single hole in the silicone, or from silicone that's come away from the wall somehow? Or something else?!

 

[cnoar]

Yes it's pretty certain the leak was from the silicone. Replacing it has stopped the leak.
But it's a question of cause - we think it's possible that the silicone could have been leaking because it was faulty, which would explain why a hole had appeared in it. He's blaming the hole on 'overzealous cleaning' which I think we should frame and put on the wall quite honestly!
But do the streaks on the wall suggest a leak along the line of the sealant rather than a leak from one hole?

 

[denso13]

But do the streaks on the wall suggest a leak along the line of the sealant rather than a leak from one hole?

Yes. But why does it matter if it's fixed?

 

[cnoar]

Because our landlord has given us an invoice for the cost of the plumber saying all the blame lies with us, and because he says it's all our fault he expects us to pay to redecorate the adjoining room with the damp patch on the wall.... Obviously we're not keen to do this as we don't accept we're liable, so I'm just trying to work out all the possible causes.

 

[cnoar]

Thanks for all the feedback by the way. Really appreciate it.

 

[Madrab]

Is it acrylic? If it wasn't filled before the sealant was applied then the seal could have been broken over time. An acrylic bath and even a newer steel flexes quite a bit when full of water with a person in it.

 

[Burnerman]

That leak has been there for ages, and its been along the full length of the bath, it seems.
Have you reported this to the landlord before, or did you not realise there was a problem? Easy done with the bath panel in place.
I would guess its not been properly done since the original installation but forgive me - how come its your fault all of a sudden?
Give us a pic from the bath topside, if you will.
John

 

[Madrab]

Doh, didn't even see the pics.

As John says that looks like it's been a longer term issue. It hasn't been sealed properly from the start, there should be sealant on the top edge of the batten, sealant along the inside edge of the bath, the bath placed on the baton and then sealed from above.
Looks like that went in dry.

 

[TeaTime]

Overzealous cleaning? What did he think you were using, a wire coat hanger? What a load..

As the other guys have already said, that leak seems to have been there for some time. Although, it doesn't suprise me that the land lord is adamant that you caused it, he doesn't want to pay out for something that should have been done properly in the first place. Do it nice or do it twice i'm afraid.

They really should have filled the bath with water when they sealed it as well, if they dont, the silicon could pull away from the bath when you use it, which is probably what has been happening.

 

[longdogs]

I agree with all the other replies. definitely looks like a sealant problem. If the bath wasn't filled when it was done then there will almost certainly be some movement over time and the sealant will come away from the bath. It is not always obvious to look at but closer inspection would show it up, probably along most of the length of the bath. That's why the water stains are spread along a large area and not one spot.

Your landlord is being a d*ck.

I would imagine that he extracts enough money from you to be able to pay for a plumber and a bit of decorating. It is HIS property after all.