Shower screen leaks

Leazey

Our bathroom had recently been installed by the previous owners and we are finding that the shower screen leaks badly. It is a hinged glass screen and is leaking between the hinge and the vertical wall mount and also at the point where the plastic seal at the bottom of the screen abuts the hinge. We have replaced the seal but that hasn't made a difference.

We can see that the previous owners attempted to fix this by applying bathroom sealant between the wall mount and the hinge but this hasn't worked as the hinge rotates and has pulled the sealant off the hinge.

My questions are:.
1) Any way of rectifying these issues without replacing the screen completely?
2) if we replace it, we want to ensure it is installed correctly. I presume that plumbers see this kind of problem regularly. Is this kind of job that plumbers would expect to undertake or should I call a general handyman?
3) Any advice on the best kind of shower screen? I can't understand why a new screen is leaking at the hinge as it seems a problem inherent in the screen itself and not the way it has been installed.

Thanks.

Slinky

A bathroom fitter would be a better choice than a 'plumber'. Could you perhaps visit a bathroom showroom, see if you can find something similar there and chat with the staff? Did you get any paperwork/guarantees so you know who made/installed the screen?

MrBluesky_2

Have repaired many of these leaking screens,its quiet easy but more information like close up photos showing the water leak area,photo of the entire shower screen,photo of the sides top to bottom,photo of the bottom rail inside and out,close up of the hinge area and possibly the maker of the screen (just to warn,there are some very poor faked imports around).
It should be fixable without taking it out,photos will show,
There are some sealing areas which are very prone to leaking,sometimes the shower screen is not fitted plumb so the hinges leak,some hinges are very poor and designed to leak water on the outside,these will have different installation procedures to where the screen can be fitted.Some screens are not compatible with some trays or baths,Sometimes the shower tray is at fault being not level,flexing (movement) can all cause leaks.
Good luck.

Kiran

There should have been a silicone bead or mastic tape behind the U channel mounted to the wall which the shower screen sits in. There should also be a vertical silicone bead against the tiles and the U channel.


Is the screen low enough down so the flap on the bottom touches the bath edge? If you pull the bath screen all the way into the bath and then push it back to the correct position the flap should be in the right place. If its not making contact then the screen needs to be dropped down.


The other possibility is that your wall is not at 90 degrees to the top of the bath and the gap is bigger in the corner adjoining the frame?

Leazey

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry for not replying sooner - I didn't have the notifications turned on so didn't think I'd received any responses! I will take a look at the advice and come back if I have further questions.

ajbajb98

Hi,


did you get your leak issue resolved? I have the same issue and have done for years and can see when you research it there are 100s if not 1000s of people with the same issue. I personally don't think the issue is caused by bad installation of faulty screens, I believe it is due to bad design. basically on all the screens that pivot there will always be a gap even its it is tiny and you manage to push the screen seal as close as you can to the fixed hinge, it is still not water tight and can't simply be resolved by putting lots of silicon in the gap (I have tried). I currently have a clear shower curtain duct taped over my screen door and to the tiled wall as I was fed up with it leaking though my kitchen ceiling (its not pretty to look at but works). Anyway the point of my message is I believe I have designed a solution and looking to get it patented, some I am just after some feedback, if I was to make this item which would be easily installed by a novice DIYer would people buy it? I would be looking to sell it for roughly £15 and it would guarantee no more leaks and would be universal so work with all screens. any feed back will be greatly appreciated.


Many thanks