Bathroom leaking below?
Showers, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry and balconies under tile.
Signs you'll see
- Damp or mould on the ceiling of the room below
- Loose or hollow-sounding tiles around the shower
- Damp skirting next to the bathroom wall
- Musty smell that does not go away
Why it happens
- No waterproofing layer under the tiles, only grout
- Unsealed pipe penetrations and floor drains
- Cracked corners where the floor meets the wall
How we fix it
Strip and prepare
Lift tiles in the wet zone, repair the screed and prime the substrate.
Flexible slurry with tape
Two coats of flexible cementitious waterproofing, with sealing tape at corners, drains and pipes.
Re-tile
Tile with a flexible adhesive and seal movement joints with sanitary silicone.
Products for bathrooms & wet areas
Bathrooms & Wet Areas waterproofing questions
Why is my bathroom leaking into the room below?
Tiles and grout are not waterproof. Without a waterproofing layer under the tiles, water from the shower soaks through grout lines, unsealed floor drains and pipe entries into the slab and shows up as damp or mould on the ceiling below.
Can a bathroom be waterproofed without removing the tiles?
Sealing grout and silicone joints can slow a minor leak, but it is not a lasting fix. A proper repair lifts the tiles in the wet zone, applies a flexible waterproofing membrane with sealing tape at corners, drains and pipes, then re-tiles.
Which areas of a bathroom need waterproofing?
The whole floor, turned up the walls by at least 15cm, plus the full height of the shower walls. Floor drains, pipe penetrations and wall-floor corners need reinforcing tape or collars because that is where most leaks start.
How long before I can tile over bathroom waterproofing?
Most cementitious and liquid membranes are ready to tile after they have fully cured, usually 24 to 48 hours depending on the product and the weather. Check the product datasheet for the exact time.
Want bathrooms & wet areas done for you?
Book a site survey. We inspect, find the source of the leak and give you a written quote.