Rotting shower wall boards
Chris R
proprietary waterproof boards - plywood with a laminate surface. The bottom
edges are within the upstands that surround the shower tray. They were
sealed with silicone sealant, but it seems inadequately - it seems that all
three boards are rotting from the bottom, in one case with evidence of mould
about 12" up on the edge (I removed the shower door frame to inspect) but
most of the way round I suspect the problem in in the bottom inch of plywood
which is sodden, black and crumbling. When all is put back no problem is
visible - the laminate surface is not damaged.
It would cost well over £1,000 to strip it all out and replace the boards.
Question is, do I need to have this work done? I think I can remove the
source of the water penetration, eg by fixing a well-sealed plastic trim to
the bottom edges of the boards. If there is no further water leakage, am I
still storing up problems as rot spreads within the stud wall cavity, eg to
the studs or joists? The laminate surface is strong enough to maintain the
integrity of the boards even if the bottom edge is rotted behind.
I specified these boards as they were supposed to need less maintenance than
tiles!
Chris R
Ret.
You have me worried now!
I replaced our bathroom three years ago, and put in a corner 'offset
quadrant' shower cubicle (which replaced the old airing cupboard).
Wanting to avoid discoloured grout, I also used laminated boards (Mermaid)
for the two internal shower walls. The boards extend outside the edges of
the shower by about 1/2" and the bottom of the boards sit on proprietary
Mermaid 'Transeal' profiles:
This profile keeps the bottom of the boards well up from the shower tray and
so the lower edge of the boards are never 'sat in water'. The slight gap
between the bottom of the boards and the Transeal profile is sealed with
silicone.
I cannot see any way that I could check to see if water is getting in and
rotting the plywood. The outer vertical edges of the boards have aluminium
'end caps' covering them from top to bottom and I have tiled up to those end
caps.
So if my boards are rotting - I would have no way of knowing!!
--
Kev
Ret.
Further to the above. I note that Mermaid panels have a ten-year guarantee:
2. What does the ten year guarantee cover?
Mermaid panels have a high-performance laminate surface which is guaranteed
to remain waterproof. We also guarantee that the panels will not crack or
delaminate during the ten-year period. The substrate of Mermaid panels is
WBP plywood, which is moisture-resistant and provided that all joints and
cut edges are correctly sealed when fitted, Mermaid panels are also
guaranteed to be watertight. Full details of the warranty are available on
request.
I don't know what make of panels you have - but it would be worth a check to
see what guarantee they have.
--
Kev
Chris R
"Ret." wrote in message news:4ddbd34b$0$5316$882e...@usenet-news.net...
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Thanks, but it's the "correctly installed" bit that will be the problem. The
boards are installed inside the shower tray with no bottom edge (or rear)
protection other than a bit of sealant.
Chris R
Ret.
OK
--
Kev