How can I fix up a sinking shower drain pipe until the entire thing can be renovated?

[wrymoss]

Hi Workshop crowd, 

We've got a house that was built in 2003 and in the main shower it has one of those dodgy white plastic shower drains. Unfortunately, at some point it's started sinking into the ground, and gaps have appeared. 

Shower drain, note the holes around the edge. May have been grouted at one point but perhaps the grout has fallen away?

There might have been grout around it at one point that's pushed away over time. It wouldn't surprise me to learn it was a bad job done when it was built, as there are other.. questionable things about the house that we've been learning over time.

As you can see above, the drain cap pops out relatively easily. I'm not sure if it's meant to do that.

I'm assuming it's meant to be concrete under the tiling, and it appears that it's been eroding away over time, likely due to the holes in the grout. 

And then when you put the drain cap part back in, you can see it doesn't sit flush to the pipe. 

My inclination is to silicone the heck out of it and see what happens, but I figured I best ask if anyone knows if that will cause more issues down the track. 

Ideally, I'm looking for a DIY fix that only needs to last a couple of months. The bathroom needs renovating anyway, and I'd rather have it ripped out and replaced altogether along with the rest of the bathroom. 

Is this something that I can just silicone and call a day for a few months until it gets junked? Or, if not silicone, is there some other DIY option that's feasible without ripping out the tiles and having it retiled? 

[EricL]

Hello @wrymoss 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about fixing your shower drain.

The sinking drain in your shower is a bit concerning and I'm glad you're having it repaired. If you are having the drain repaired sometime in the future, I suggest putting adhesive on the drain assembly using Protek 125ml Type N Blue Cement Solvent so that it anchors itself onto the PVC pipework. However, if the PVC itself is loose and sinking, don't glue it on.

I suggest using Selleys 310g Clear Glass Silicone Sealant. It has both sealing and adhesive properties which should in theory anchor it to any object in that floor that is still stable. I recommend using it generously around the area and near the tiles so that it is fully immersed. 

Please note that this is a temporary solution, and some sinking might still be felt when stepping on the waste. I suggest telling everyone in the household to try and avoid stepping directly on the shower waste.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves and goggles when applying the silicone to your shower waste.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric