Showers are waterproof but never water-resistant.
Artisans stone and porcelain installers seek to prevent showers from water infiltration, but the materials' structural settling is beyond their control. Over time structures develop fissures on joints leading to water and other impurities infiltrating beneath the materials, starting the water- saturation. Minor fissures begin to develop into more significant cracks, grout breaking loose, stains, tiles shifting, or falling off.
There is a misconception that water gets through the porous grout or, depending on the type of stone materials. However, we have found through our years on the field that this is not the case. Water intrudes beneath the materials through micro-fissures on seams, caused by the new materials naturally settling in place.
The stone or porcelain shower enclosure
Based on our experience, the areas prone to settling movements are the corner perimeters, soap niches, benches, and drain perimeter. Also, glass enclosure wall corners are the primary source of water-saturation, spreading up approximately one foot and outwards the bathroom floor as far as it can go.
Common Shower Deterioration Stages:
New: Water infiltrates under the tile substrate.
Severe: Starts to develop fissures, loose tiles, discoloration, stains, shower fluorescence, etc.
Leaks: Oversaturated water under the tiles substrate.
Water-saturation leads to leaks outside the shower protective pan liner with each passing day in use. It is essential to repair any structural tile movement as soon as it appears by identifying the following:
Minor fissures on grout lines
cracks on shower corner perimeter
calcium/efflorescence bleeding on the shower floor grout seams.
grout discoloration
stone discoloration
Loose tiles must permanently be secure in place because any new repairs or grout repairs may cause them to break loose again soon. If you have shower leaks, consult with a plumbing specialist to make sure leaks are not related to slow plumbing leaks behind the shower wall enclosure. Be cautious not to diagnose a leak as a damaged shower pan liner.
Glass enclosure and around plumbing fixtures
Showers have many moving parts; you can focus on the marble, stone, or porcelain materials and look for deteriorated silicone around the glass enclosure, plastic seal strips—plumbing fixtures such as escutcheon, knob gaskets. Many older hollowed framed shower enclosures tend to trap water directing towards the walls enclosure or fissures on the threshold leading to leaks outside the shower's enclosure. Properly sealing all enclosures is a must.
Silicone around a hollowed framed glass enclosure will not resolve leaks. It is best to remove the glass frame to examine and repair any damage caused before reinstalling the frame and glass. Consult with a glass specialist to update to a modern frameless glass enclosure.
TERSO MR® has packaged the solutions to stop and resolve the typical deterioration cycle of showers completely. With years of experimentation with real shower challenges, we have developed processes that prepare the shower enclosures for durability and are backed by our lifetime warranty.
We highly recommend homeowners with premium materials to invest in our specialized solution systems as the ultimate result is a reinforced, water-resistant, and more durable shower. If you are already experiencing shower leaks, we will refer you to a Shower Leaks Diagnosis to help you rule out any plumbing-related issues before implementing our solution system.
Contact us for a shower enclosure evaluation.
Visit our website for water-saturated ESSENTIAL Waterlogged Shower™ solutions, PREVENTIVE for brand new showers, and PRESERVE for surface treatments.