2nd Floor Bath Issues..Please Advise!

[Anthony Nelson]

I have a 2nd floor bathroom at one of my rentals and I visited it yesterday. The tenant showed me that the drywall in the kitchen ceiling (right below 2nd floor bath) had some soft spot. When I went upstairs I noticed that the shower door does show some signs of water on the bottom outside. I also think it has something to do with the tenants getting out of the shower soaking wet and not drying the floor, but I cant prove it.

My question is if anyone has anything that they do to their rentals in order to combat the idea of the tenants getting out of the shower soaking wet? I plan on removing the shower door, cleaning it all up, re-siliconing and re-caulking all around it so it has a good fit. Im just concerned that the tenants will continue to get out of the shower soaking wet. Please advise if anyone has anything they do to fix this issue. Thanks

[Joel Owens]

Yeah I have this same problem.

Make sure you spend an extra couple bucks per tube and get the good stuff.It will be waterproof tight and the good silicone stays pliable and flexes when expands.

This keeps the seal 100% tight.The cheap crap won't flex and then will start cracking and allow water behind it in certain spots.Will slow the leak down but not get rid of it completely.

I would take this time to make sure where the ceiling is soft that there is no leaks coming from the tub drain,shower diverter,or shower head pipe behind the wall.

Also it's not always the tub leaking.The toilet is usually close by to the shower.

The seal at the toilet to the floor for sewer or the bolts from the tank to bowl could be bad or the seal for the flush between the tank and the bowl.The water can slowly run down the outside of the back of the tank under the sub floor.

When you take the drywall off and look at the sub floor underneath you should see darker areas where the leak is more prominent.You can also use a moisture meter to determine the first point of entry for the leak.Make sure control valve and diverter are snug to the wall and sealed properly.Water can get behind there while taking a shower and cause a slow drip.