Having your shower re-sealed is a normal maintenance procedure after the initial installation, and this is because over time the sealant will break down slowly – very similar to grout in your tiles!
Sealant in your shower is what stops water leaking through your tiles, and into the floors of your home and foundations below, so it’s a very important consideration.
When it’s time to replace the sealant in your shower, it’s always a good time to assess whether you need re-grouting as well to save yourself time and money – why pay for labour twice when you can get it all done at once?
Over time the sealant in your shower will gradually break down, and this is completely normal and expected. It can be because the material breaks down, but it can also be caused by tiny shifts in your home foundations that cause the sealant between the tiles to break. These shifts in your home happen due to expansion and contraction in summer and winter, as well as the natural settling that a home goes through after being built. Either way – it’ll be time to refresh them at some point!
Some signs that you need to consider tile re-sealing your shower include:
Missing grout between tiles
Cracks in bathroom floor and wall tiles – it might be time to replace your tiles too!
Mould in cupboards and drawers close to the bathroom
Swelling skirting boards near the bathroom
Wet carpet or damp floors in the bathroom or nearby
Peeling paint – the ceiling, walls or paint on the outside walls of the bathroom
Stained timber or floors underneath the home and bathroom
Grout with excessive and persistent mould (comes back quickly even after cleaning)
Grout disintegration – sections make have dissolved or broken away completely
Water-logged timber floors which can sag or expand, causing changes in the walls of your home, and floor stability
Damp home foundations, which can attract termites and can also cause your home to shift if the leak is concentrated enough
The development of mold, which can become invasive in the home and can cause serious health issues
Damp and water logged walls, which may then require replacement
Damage to the paint in affected rooms
While it is entirely possible to re-seal your shower yourself, we will always recommend hiring a professional to do it for you. There are many reasons for this, and these include getting the job done correctly and to a quality degree, the sealant products used will be high quality and industry approved, our qualified tradespeople will be able to pick up if there are any further issues that need attention – such as re-grouting or re-tiling – and the job will be completed in a much shorter time-frame than what the home handy-man can manage!
The team at Rila Tile and Waterproofing are made up of qualified tradespeople and professionals and have been in business together for 20 years now. Our focus is on bathroom renovations and services, and that makes us specialists in the world of shower sealing and all things bathroom-related. We take immense pride in delivering top quality service to our clients in the Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie areas and have created thousands of beautiful bathrooms for them. But we don’t just create them, we also look after them long-term, with ongoing maintenance services available to make sure you keep your bathroom gorgeous and safe for the rest of your time with it.
If you think it might be time to re-seal your shower, and you’re not sure if it needs any other services to boot – make sure to bring some pictures when you meet with our friendly team to discuss it. You can also email the photos through if you can’t make it into the store – we love it when we can see pictures, because it makes assessing and planning your job much easier and more accurate for everyone! As many clients do, considering design changes can come up when it’s time to do maintenance, so having pictures can help our team see what kinds of products and designs would work well for you. No matter what you need, the awesome team at Rila Tile and Waterproofing will get it done for you and be there to support you all the way – give us a call today to get started!
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