Shower leak detection
Shower Leak Detection in Wollongong
Water rarely shows up where it gets in. Before anything is repaired, we trace the path it's taking, so you pay to fix the cause, not the stain.
- Diagnosisbefore any repair
- Freeinspection and quote
- LocalIllawarra & South Coast
Start with the symptom
Where Are You Seeing It?
Choose what you've noticed. You'll see where that water usually comes from, what we check, and what the repair tends to be.
Water on the floor outside the shower
Water that ends up outside after every shower is usually escaping at the edge of the recess, not coming up through the floor.
Usually coming from
- Failed silicone along the hob or screen
- A leaking hob, or a screen that doesn't seal on it
- Floor falls pushing water towards the screen line
What we check
- The screen channel and the silicone under it
- The hob, top and sides
- Where the water sits after a shower
Damp or bubbling paint on the other side of the wall
When the wall behind or beside the shower shows it first, water is getting into the wall itself.
Usually coming from
- Cracked or missing grout on the shower walls
- Failed silicone in the internal corners
- Gaps around the mixer, taps or rose
What we check
- Every wall joint and corner
- The seals around tapware and pipes
- Whether the wall membrane is still sound
A stain on the ceiling under the bathroom
In an upstairs bathroom, water that gets through the floor shows up in the room underneath.
Usually coming from
- Cracked or missing floor grout
- A failed seal where the membrane meets the waste
- A floor membrane that has failed
What we check
- The floor grout and the waste
- The water test: drain blocked, base filled, level watched
- Whether the floor tiles sound hollow
Swollen skirting boards or a swollen door frame
Timber next to a wet area soaks up water and swells, often a long time before anything else shows.
Usually coming from
- Water escaping at the hob or screen and running across the floor
- A failed membrane at the edge of the shower
- Water crossing the doorway
What we check
- The hob, screen line and floor joints
- The floor beside the shower
- How water behaves after a shower
Tiles that move or sound hollow
Loose tiles are often a sign that water has been sitting underneath them, or that the adhesive has let go.
Usually coming from
- Water getting under the tiles through failed grout
- Adhesive that has broken down
- A membrane problem below the bed
What we check
- Which tiles sound hollow, and how many
- The grout around them
- Whether the bed underneath is wet
Mould that comes back however often you clean
Mould that returns quickly is usually living inside porous grout or silicone, or being fed by moisture behind the tiles.
Usually coming from
- Porous cement grout that stays damp
- Old silicone that mould has grown into
- Moisture trapped behind the tiles
What we check
- The grout and silicone, joint by joint
- Whether the wall behind is damp
- Ventilation in the room
How we do it
How We Trace a Leak
No guesswork. The same careful checks, in the same order, every time.
Look closely
Grout, silicone, the hob and screen line, every tile, the waste and the seals around pipes and tapware.
The water test
We block the drain, fill the shower base up to the hob and watch the level. If it drops, water is getting out somewhere it shouldn't.
Tap the tiles
Hollow-sounding tiles can mean water or failed adhesive underneath, and show how far a problem has spread.
Follow the damage
We compare where the damp shows with where water can get in, and work back along the path.
Fixing the stain is a guess. Finding the source is the job.
What you get
Answers Before Any Work Starts
- The cause, explainedWhere the water is getting in, in plain words, with photos if it helps.
- The right repairReseal, regrout, a targeted repair or waterproofing, whichever it actually needs.
- A clear quoteFree, with no obligation, before anything is done.
Seen something on this page? Send us a photo of it and we'll tell you what we think.
Send PhotosShower Leak Detection Across the Illawarra
We're based in the Illawarra and work across Wollongong every week, from the northern suburbs down through Shellharbour and Kiama, and along the South Coast from Cronulla to Nowra and the Southern Highlands.
Why not just repair where the water shows?
Because that's rarely where it gets in. Water travels under tiles and along floors before it shows, so fixing the stain, or siliconing over the worst-looking joint, often leaves the real cause untouched.
Is there a charge to find the leak?
Our inspection and quote are free, with no obligation. We'll tell you what we found and what we recommend.
Do you need to remove tiles to find a leak?
Not usually. Most of the time the inspection and the water test point to the cause. If something can only be confirmed by lifting a tile, we'll explain why before doing it.
What if it's a plumbing leak, not the shower?
Sometimes the leak is in a pipe inside the wall rather than the shower itself. If that's what we find, we'll tell you straight, so you can get a plumber to it.
What happens once you've found it?
You'll get a clear explanation of what's causing the leak, the repair we recommend and a quote. Nothing is done until you've agreed to it.
How quickly should I get a leak checked?
Sooner is better. A slow leak can damage timber, plaster and paint and feed mould long before it looks serious, and the repair usually grows with the damage.
Tell Us Where You're Seeing It.
A photo of the damp, the stain or the damage, and one of the shower itself, helps Paul start working out the path before he visits.
- Free, no-obligation quotes
- Send photos so we can come prepared
- 25+ years of local wet-area experience
