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Desperately after advice on how I fix this. It's inside the shower. The plaster is wet(not soaking) behind the tiles so it's obviously been leaking for awhile. How do I fix this with little to no money. I know (I think) I need remove that whole wall but ???? I can figure out most things but this is a bit above my pay grade
Hi @Jeanagh,
It would be a struggle to fix this issue on a very tight budget. Showers are constructed firstly by creating the timberwork frame, and then cement boards are installed over them. Next, the cement boards are waterproofed, and then the tiles go on. Unfortunately, you've either had a leak from pipework in the wall, or the shower membrane has been compromised and let water through from inside the shower. At this stage, at a minimum, you'd be looking at removing the tiles and cement sheet on that short wall and replacing them. The problem is trying to find someone who would be willing to waterproof that short wall, as waterproofing can't be done in just one area; all the tiles need to come off the whole shower, and the waterproofing must be completed in one homogenous layer.
There's a possibility that the membrane was compromised from those original cracked tiles and their replacement.
I would suggest the best course of action would be to have a few waterproofing specialists come in and quote on the repair. From their approach to the repair, you'll be able to decide whether this is something you can achieve yourself on a budget.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Afternoon @Jeanagh
😕 Ohhh I feel your pain. I had the same thing happen to my old bathroom. Not really understanding or thinking it through I replaced the tile that had fallen off (I just presumed it was because it was a shoddy job...)
Fast forward a couple of months and it fell off again... And I could push the wall of tiles and it would flex 
Yeah I tried waterproofing it myself over the tiles (I prob bought the product from Bunnings but I am talking 15 years ago so there may be newer ones. I knew it was going to a be a rip out and replace 😕 Good or bad my relationship went South and I left. So never crossed that path Tho know it well.
I would follow @MitchellMc 's suggestion. There is no easy fix 😕 If you nee dto use it between now and when you get it fixed maybe you could hang a shower curtain down that wall so the water wont enter. The wetness inside could be coming from somewhere and prob needs to be made sure it was the previous cracked tiles 😕
Dave
My apologies for taking so long. Not sure if these photos help but the way I see it the beams are still good. Obviously the plaster is knackered so I'm really hoping I can get away with just fixing that wall
Hello @Jeanagh
Thank you for sharing those extra pictures of your wall. Somewhere along that wall the waterproofing membrane has failed. This has then allowed the water to pass through the grout and go directly to the plasterboard. You can clearly see from the tiles that someone tried to repair it awhile back but did not bother to waterproof the plasterboard.
Unfortunately, this is not an easy patch repair job. The tiles will need to be removed and a new wet area plasterboard will need to be put in. You then need to engage the services of a certified waterproofing agent to seal the wall and sign off on it. Once the waterproofing cures, you can then tile over it. Those will be the general steps needed to fix your wall.
I suggest posting the repair job on Airtasker or Hipages and make sure to include photos. It's important to put in as much information as you can and what you want done to repair it. This will at least give you a general idea of how much the repair job will cost you.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @Jeanagh,
@EricL's comment harks back to what I mentioned earlier "The problem is trying to find someone who would be willing to waterproof that short wall". Most licensed waterproofers will not want to take on this job if it's just a localised repair. The bottom line is that you can't warrant a partial job like this; the tiles in the entire shower recess need to come off, the wall repaired, and the entire shower cubicle waterproofed in one layer and then re-tiled. It's not possible to patch waterproofing in just one area, and that is why you'll find it hard to get someone to put their name to the work. For insurance purposes, you'd typically need the work signed off, which a licensed waterproof would be reluctant to do.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
