Lesson 8
Why the Bath Edge Leaks
See why the joint between bath and wall moves every time you fill the bath, and tell a failed bead from failed grout, a loose bath or a leak somewhere else.
Builds on
A small joint with a big job
Along the back of your bath runs a bead of sealant, usually silicone, a centimetre or so wide. It closes the gap between two things that are fixed in different ways: a wall, which doesn’t move, and a bath standing on feet and a frame, which does. Every shower sends water at that joint. When it fails, the water goes down behind the bath and into the floor and ceiling below, often for weeks before anyone sees a stain.
If you already suspect the bath is leaking, because of a stain below, a soft floor or a smell of damp, stop using it until it has been looked at.