Possible start of a leaky shower

Lori Gay
by Lori Gay
I have a question about my shower. I have a fairly new home - 3 years old and I noticed a hole in the shower floor (about the size of a pinhead). At our old house, our shower leaked through to our kitchen, so I am paranoid and if I remember correctly it started as a pinhole. Has anyone had experience with this? Is there a way to seal the hole up?
  10 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 01, 2016
    Since your home is fairly new I would call the installer and not second guess any situation. There should be no reason for this to be happening.
  • How did you find such a small hole? is it a tile floor? before anyone can give advice we need more information. since your house is 3 yrs old, most builders only give a year warranty. If anything, I would get a home warranty to cover any future problems. I have home warranty on my fixer upper for the big stuff that I cannot do myself any more and for appliances and the heat pump/air.
  • MN Mom MN Mom on Feb 01, 2016
    I agree with the information above, that a typical warranty from a builder doesn't extend much past one year.
  • Dfm Dfm on Feb 01, 2016
    yikes! i would check on warranty and insurance for water damage and mold remediation. is the bath in an area that can be seen from below? ie go to the basement and check ceiling for water damage? do you have another bath in the house to use? if the pin hole bothers you.....you could use a piece of plumbers putty or silicon caulk..to cover the pin hole..but it's only a band-aid.
  • Jeanette S Jeanette S on Feb 02, 2016
    The first thing to do is stop using that shower! There are possibly ways to seal this. Consult a professional if you are not aware of how to do it...google it on line...talk to a handy man, etc. Check every avenue. You will need to tell them the material of your shower pan!
  • Johnchip Johnchip on Feb 02, 2016
    Even if builder warranty is not in effect I see no reason not to call them to ask how they suggest it be addressed. You may have to pay their man to come out and seal it, but it then is done by the guy who did it in the first place. If they are still building in the neighborhood, they will not want the bad press. It can be fixed easily, but do it ASAP and if possible don't use until it is fixed right. Be leery of a 'quick fix' with a tube of something from the store. You need a ceramic person to do it right. I I assume it is ceramic tile and grout, if acrylic, it is even easier to fix, ask an acrylic installer).
  • Peg Peg on Feb 02, 2016
    We bought an older home that had 2 small cracks in the shower pan. My husband filled it in with epoxy. It was an ugly, obvious patch but it lasted for several more years until we were ready to remodel.
  • It all depends on what the shower floor is made of. If tile then your pinhole would probably be in the grout, which can be repaired easily. If a fiberglas pan floor then you'll go to the hardware store to find a suitable (rated for a wet area) material to do the repair. Good news - newer shower floors will probable have another water-proofing layer in the floor, such as a vinyl liner, for added protection. If in doubt call a handyman but does not sound too difficult.
  • Sheri L. Putnam-Cline Sheri L. Putnam-Cline on Feb 02, 2016
    DFM is correct to use silicon caulk but you need to clean the area of soap scum and dry it with rubbing alcohol first. You also might want to check and see if the underlayment is saturated. Not all subflooring has been waterproofed. When you step onto the shower pan, by the hole, press with your foot to check and see if water bubbles up out of it. If it does you might want to leave it alone for a bit to dry out. When it stops bubbling out you can seal it it up. If you have the use of another shower use that for a week. I have a neighbor who had a problem and did not correct it, she's replacing whole walls on 2 levels now.
  • Cindi Cindi on Feb 03, 2016
    It seems like you could put some caulk in that hole, if it's that small. We caulk our showers and tubs to keep water out, so I would think that would work.