Tarter Home Maintenance Blog

Want to Save Thousands? Spend $30 Now…

Over the years, I’ve noticed that projects of the same type tend to come  in spurts.  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had a rash of leaky shower doors and tile shower stalls.  Each bathroom had extensive water damage, and the source of the problem was exactly the same for each one.  In each case, the damage could’ve been easily prevented with a little bit of time and money.

 

Let’s talk about what should’ve been done in each of these situations…

 

 

Shower Doors:  Each shower door had leaked and damaged the drywall,  baseboard and floor tile surrounding the shower pan outside of the door.  All of the doors had been improperly caulked at installation.  The weep holes on the bottom of the track had been caulked AFTER the leaks had started.  The water had nowhere to escape and the doors then leaked more than before, resulting in lots of damage.

 

1.  I  always use 100% silicone caulk in a shower.  A tube of good silicone runs about $6.00

  

2.  If installing a new door, caulk behind the door frame BEFORE screwing the frame to the wall and setting the bottom track on the shower pan.  Run a bead of caulk around the edges, on both sides.

 

3.  NEVER caulk the weep holes on the bottom track.  They are there to let any excess water drain back into the shower.

 

 

Tile Shower Stalls:  Each of the shower stalls had the exact same problem.  The grout had cracked and fallen out ,therefore the drywall behind it had disintegrated over time.  This all could have been avoided with a couple of easy steps.

 

1.  If you notice grout that’s cracked or loose, remove it with a grout removal tool before it’s too late.  This runs about $20.00.  Then, re-grout the area with some premixed grout which is about $10.00.  Let the grout dry for a couple of days before using the shower.

 

For about$30.00, all of these problems would never have existed.

 

 

It really is that easy.  Finding and resolving these problems early will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

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