Mystery Leaking tiles - any advice?

[Paris123]

I have a leak in my bathroom, through the tiles.

I have had a tiler come out and re-silicon the bath (twice), Re-grout the tiles and then re-seal them.

They also took the grout out of the corner join

The tiles are un-glazed porcelain.

The leak seems to be coming through up the wall. if we shower near the base where it meets the bath, there is no leak. If we shower up the wall it comes out of the bottom like a stream.

All of the above steps have done nothing or worsen the leak...

Any ideas on steps to take before re tiling the bathroom?

 

[Bonni]

So it's a pipe behind the tiles leaking?

 

[Paris123]

So it's a pipe behind the tiles leaking?

Hi Bonni,

Thanks for your reply!

No the leak only happens when the shower is sprayed onto the tiles. If the shower head is left in the bath, there is no leak.

So it's not the input or drainage of water...

The leak only occurs from about half way up the wall also. The lower tiles are ok...

 

[opps]

Might sound like a silly question, but where can you see evidence of the leak on the wall behind?

 

[Paris123]

Might sound like a silly question, but where can you see evidence of the leak on the wall behind?

Hi Opps,

So this leak is showing mainly downstairs in the kitchen where it is dribbling out of the sealing and the wall beneath it. The leak is running down the side wall which is external. Then onto the floor beneath the bath and into the two rooms beneath. There is no clear indication on the external wall.

This issue has been a very long story over three years. There was also an external leak near on the outside wall from a gutter that masked this issue.

But I dont know if the external leak could have affected the tiles internally ? could it have damaged a membrane ?

 

[yorksbuilder]

Unfortunatley tiles, tile adhesive and grout are not a guaranteed waterproof barrier.
What are the tiles laid on? Plaster board? Plaster wall? Cement backer board/some other backer board?
Usually only a backer board clad wall with a tanking system applied which seals it to the edge of the bath will be a guarantee-backed way of doing this. If when water hits that wall it may be getting through the grout and/or silicone somewhere and down a void in the tile adhesive, and past the edge of the bath

 

[Paris123]

Unfortunatley tiles, tile adhesive and grout are not a guaranteed waterproof barrier.
What are the tiles laid on? Plaster board? Plaster wall? Cement backer board/some other backer board?
Usually only a backer board clad wall with a tanking system applied which seals it to the edge of the bath will be a guarantee-backed way of doing this. If when water hits that wall it may be getting through the grout and/or silicone somewhere and down a void in the tile adhesive, and past the edge of the bath

Thanks for the information Yorksbuilder!

Unfortunately, the tiles came laid in the house when I bought it. So I don't know what is behind the tiles.

I have included a video below that shows the leak beneath the bath, which is running water, and under there it looks like it is a brick surface?

But I don't know if there would be a different backing above the bath?

Are these layers two way waterproof, or would they be ruined by the external leak flowing back in?

It just seems strange that there is such a bad leak in one area, when the rest is un-affected...

 

[Paris123]

 

[Bonni]

Hi Bonni,

Thanks for your reply!

No the leak only happens when the shower is sprayed onto the tiles. If the shower head is left in the bath, there is no leak.

So it's not the input or drainage of water...

The leak only occurs from about half way up the wall also. The lower tiles are ok...

My advice, remove and replace. Maybe consider boards.

 

[yorksbuilder]

Wow. Is only your shower running when you took that video?
Looks more like a leaking pipe than leak through the tiles, but you say it only happens when spray hits the walls

1. Get a plumber to check the seating of the bath tap, ensure it's properly sealed to the bath and water isn't leaking through there
2. You could get them to put a camera behind as well to check the pipes for leaks at the same time
3. Check for cracks in the bath enamel behind the bath tap

4. If this doesn't work then consider taking all tiles off, add boards tanking etc and replace and reseal as bonni says

 

[Paris123]

My advice, remove and replace. Maybe consider boards.

Thanks Bonni, I was afraid it was going to come to that...

It is just a shame as it is a large tiled wall and bath that is in excellent condition other than this issue...

 

[Paris123]

Wow. Is only your shower running when you took that video?
Looks more like a leaking pipe than leak through the tiles, but you say it only happens when spray hits the walls

1. Get a plumber to check the seating of the bath tap, ensure it's properly sealed to the bath and water isn't leaking through there
2. You could get them to put a camera behind as well to check the pipes for leaks at the same time
3. Check for cracks in the bath enamel behind the bath tap

4. If this doesn't work then consider taking all tiles off, add boards tanking etc and replace and reseal as bonni says

Thanks Yorksbuilder.

I have had a lot of tradesmen out to look at this issue, which has been very tricky

So, to be clear, the wall behind the shower controls goes into a bedroom, the wall down the long side of the bath is an external wall.

So first there was a leak behind the shower in the room, so I tried regrouting and sealing bad spots myself. - no joy

I called a couple of plumbers who said to get tilers.

I got a couple of tilers, one said the tiles had become porous and too re tile, the other said get a roofer.

I got a couple of roofers, one said to do a load of roof work (7k) the other said the clip had come off my gutter and was running down the wall (which would be behind the tiles). fixed the clip and the leak went away.

Two and a half years later, the leak reappears in the rooms underneath (Kitchen beneath bathroom and lounge beneath bedroom), not in the original position.

I again tried to re seal and re grout. No joy

I have then got the builder who fixed the gutter to come back and do the re grouting and sealing.

He is a good guy and I have used him several times in between. He does everything plumbing roofing tiling extensions etc... So I felt whatever it needed he could do - roof gutter tiles plumbing.


The reason that I fill you in on this back story is that I think the leak now is in the same place that the gutter was leaking. So I think it is likely that leak has damaged the backing of the tiles. In the first round of work we did not notice the water coming out under the bath, just the damp patches.

But it seems very strange for so much water to be leaking if it is a backing issue. I would have imagined that a failed backing would create damp spots, but that the silicone and the grout had done the main barrier work?

In regards to checking the taps and bath enamel, I am fairly certain they are ok.

In the picture you can see where the leak starts in red. The second you put the shower on there it leaks straight out like a stream. If I shower on the blue areas there is no issue at all.

This is why I have found it so strange to think it is something like porous tiles as there is so much water so fast. Also, the position is strange as the tiles underneath them are exposed to more water, so why would they be porous?

But if the gutter leak damaged the backing it would explain why there is a leak in that spot at least... Just the amount baffles me, it drips out the kitchen ceiling...

Thanks again for your help

 

[yorksbuilder]

You maybe have cracked tiles or as we said before, incorrect backer board and missing tile adhesive , so water getting through leaks behind and down.
You could try a leak stop tile & grout spray on all the tiles and see if that stops the leak. Look at screwfix/toolstation or amazon, they all have them
If that works its a cheap fix but youll need to keep applying it
Otherwise remove and redo. If tiled onto plasterboard - thats your issue

 

[Paris123]

Thanks again for your advice,

I will discuss it with the builder again today. We just tried a porcelain sealer and it did nothing. I think I will get it re done. I would rather this problem went away for good...

Thanks again

 

[Alec_t]

Off-the-wall thought. Is the shower gravity fed, or mains pressure? If the former, perhaps raising the shower head creates just enough back pressure to cause a pipework joint to leak?