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A Question For Our Plumbers Out There


Calamity Kris

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I have water damage on the wall adjacent to the tub, at the exact height as the top edge of the tub. During the walk through with the owner, he said it was caused by the shower curtain not being adequately closed. I'm having a difficult time believing that because the damage extends horizontally along the wall about 6 inches, with very little damage down the side of the tub. It looks to me like something is leaking behind the plastic enclosure and following a path along a stud. Also, the paint appears to be "bubbling" up from behind the wall. Is my thought process reasonable? If so, I'll pay a couple of plumbers to come out and verify. If I'm "all wet", I'll let the owner keep my deposit to cover the cost of the repairs.

 

Thoughts?

 

I'll take a picture this evening, if anyone wants to see it.

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Doesn't sound good... a picture would help.

 

Not a plumber, but I've had a similar experience that led to a studs-out repair of the entire bathroom in addition to the plumbing. :mellow:

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not a plumber but i bought a house, inspector found a leak in the shower. called for repair and the plumber discovered the shower was built in sheet rock. as they went to fix the leak, the shower tile crumbled off the wall and the rotten sheetrock was revealed.

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not a plumber but i bought a house, inspector found a leak in the shower. called for repair and the plumber discovered the shower was built in sheet rock. as they went to fix the leak, the shower tile crumbled off the wall and the rotten sheetrock was revealed.

Working on the exact same thing now. The floor is done. Had to strip the floor and shower completely down and start over.

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Water splashed off a shower curtain that then ran horizontally? Really?

 

Your instincts are working perfectly. It's not just the paint that's messed up. Don't accept any resolution until the area that obviously needs repair has been looked at by someone reputable who repairs water damage.

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Rented a house once. It had sat empty for a winter. The shower pipe about the handles had not been drained and the pipe cracked in a few places. The house sat on a slab. After a few months we noticed mildew. the owner discovered the problem and fixed everything.

 

Last week my friend in NY had a water problem. Tub on 6th floor flooded FOR HOURS. Her ceiling on the 5th floor came down and poked some holes in the wall also.

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I have water damage on the wall adjacent to the tub, at the exact height as the top edge of the tub. During the walk through with the owner, he said it was caused by the shower curtain not being adequately closed. I'm having a difficult time believing that because the damage extends horizontally along the wall about 6 inches, with very little damage down the side of the tub. It looks to me like something is leaking behind the plastic enclosure and following a path along a stud. Also, the paint appears to be "bubbling" up from behind the wall. Is my thought process reasonable? If so, I'll pay a couple of plumbers to come out and verify. If I'm "all wet", I'll let the owner keep my deposit to cover the cost of the repairs.

 

Thoughts?

 

I'll take a picture this evening, if anyone wants to see it.

Ya got a leak in the wall at the very least....

 

JJJ-D

:ph34r: :ph34r:

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Kris-I'm think'n(scary, ain't it :P)that homeowner is a 'used car' salesman. <_<

OLG

 

You've got that right, OLG. He told the realtor accompanying him that it was only dry wall damage....... I realize I should let things be revealed in the home inspection when he puts it on the market, but I want my deposit back and I don't want the buyers coming after me when the wall crumbles around them because he just patched things up. "Well the tenant didn't tell us......."

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Sounds like leak to me. Be ready for any possible mold behind everything. Seen it a few times. Not a plumber, but have helped a few folks with what sounds like that same problem.

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Kris, are you a renter doing a checkout inspection with the landlord? I'm a little confused about everyone's status here.

 

In any case, there is a leak behind the wall. Water is like people and electricity in that it takes the path of least resistance. On a wall, that means dripping straight down. If it is running on a horizontal line, that means something behind the wall is forcing it to do so.

 

Just my dos centavos. A picture word be worth a peso or two.

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The paint should repel any moisture on the outside of the drywall. If the drywall is soft the source of moisture is internal and is coming from behind the drywall. Moisture resistant drywall (greenboard or blueboard) should be used in bathrooms. I'd just cut a hole in the drywall, do an inspection, make the repair, patch the hole and repaint. Not a big deal. If a land lord gets butt hurt over something that simple he should get out of the rental business. It happens in every bathroom, just part of having indoor plumbing.

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Kris, are you a renter doing a checkout inspection with the landlord? I'm a little confused about everyone's status here.

 

In any case, there is a leak behind the wall. Water is like people and electricity in that it takes the path of least resistance. On a wall, that means dripping straight down. If it is running on a horizontal line, that means something behind the wall is forcing it to do so.

 

Just my dos centavos. A picture word be worth a peso or two.

 

Yes I am just the renter. The owner brought his real estate agent over to survey repairs etc. needed on the house prior to him putting it on the market. No one from the management company was present. He said the reason for the sale was because his wife is being transferred to another city and they couldn't see having a rental house far away from where they live. {If you have a good management company, that shouldn't be an issue................} Not my concern. I want to do everything I can to make sure I get my deposit back. I also don't want the purchasers coming after me, if they can, for things that happen to the house because the owner tells them they weren't revealed by the tenant. A good home inspector should be able to find those things but not always.

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The only way to know for sure is to open up the wall.

Has to be done anyway to repair the damage,

not to mention possible mold..

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Looks like a leak to me...

 

Is the wall kinda soft and mushy? :huh:

 

Yes. At the bottom of the picture, you can see where the owner pulled a small piece of the wall away.

 

Is this the front(faucet side)or the back of the tub?

Front-leaky pipes.

Back-sealant is not do'n it's job.

OLG

 

Yes this is the faucet end of the tub.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll get a couple of plumbers out to take a look.

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Yes. At the bottom of the picture, you can see where the owner pulled a small piece of the wall away.

 

 

Yes this is the faucet end of the tub.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll get a couple of plumbers out to take a look.

Have a camera ready also. ;)

OLG

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The wall

 

Thank you to Hardpan for posting this for me!!!! :wub: :wub: :wub:

 

http://s121.photobucket.com/user/Hardpan/media/Water%20Damage_zpsafgmb9dj.jpg.html

Kris I was a carpenter for close to 30 years and I am telling you that is not a show curtain splash back, that is a leak that has been going for longer then you have lived there.

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