How to repair rotted wood and waterproof corner?

[monkeyspearfish]

 

  

Hi all

I have a shower room where the skirting/trim around the doorframe is now rotting from water damage.

Do I need to treat the existing damage and prevent further rotting of the wood? Could I just silicon the rotted area?

I thought about removing the skirting and replacing it with a corner piece made of metal to prevent further water damage.

Appreciate any ideas or advice thanks

[Akanksha]

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @monkeyspearfish! We're delighted to have you join us and hope you're finding the site a great resource for handy D.I.Y. advice and inspiring ideas. 

Many thanks for your question. I'm sure our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist once he's back online later today. Also tagging our helpful members @stelz, @JoeAzza and @Adam_W to see if they have any thoughts.

While waiting, I recommend checking out this popular discussion which addresses a similar issue: How to fix rotten door moulding? You might also find this Best Advice article useful: How do you waterproof a bathroom?

Good luck with your project.

Akanksha

[JoeAzza]

Hi @monkeyspearfish it looks like it’s been damaged for a while, if you have building insurance you cou call the insurance provider and tell them that you have water damage from a shower water leak and rotted the studs. They should send out an assessor and let you know if it is covered in your policy. Otherwise you will have to replace  a section of the stud and new architrave, then re seal with silicone

[Dave-1]

Good afternoon @monkeyspearfish 

Ouch 😕 I second what @JoeAzza says about talking to your insurer.

If it isnt covered by insurance you possible could have some work to do. Can you get under the house and in particular under the bathrom to see what type of water damage can be seen? (water lines on the floor joists type deal) As the post that is rotted backs onto the tiled area you are going to have to redo that area waterproof wise. 

I had a similar type issue years ago (tiles were falling off the shower wall ) and the water damage wasnt covered by my insurance. I moved out before I had to deal with it but the insurer told me the steps they check to see what type of issue it is. 

I would suggest if the insurer isnt going to work on it, you see how far the damage is yourself by opening up the other side of the tiled wall. As in pull off some plaster. (that doorframe will have to be replaced so the plaster will have to be redone anyway) to see how far the watar damaged has traveled. As soon as you touch the tiles then whatever waterproofing is left will be degraded. 

😕 Water issues are never good news I am afraid.

Dave

[EricL]

Hi @monkeyspearfish 

I totally agree with @JoeAzza and @Dave-1 on having an inspector come over to assess the damage. If the damage goes much deeper, it might be necessary to carry out a more in-depth repair job. 

However, if the damage is not so critical the rotted timber can be removed and patched up. I suggest having a look at this discussion - How to fix rotten door frame in bathroom? by @Fefe1578.

The general steps to repair the damage are to cut out the rotted pieces either using a timber chisel or a Multi-Tool with a timber plunging blade. Once the damage section has been removed the gap can be patched with similar sized timber and sealed with a waterproofing agent. Once the waterproofing cures you can then paint it and then the edges sealed with a wet area silicone.

In regards to using steel, it's definitely possible but you would need to have this custom made. The only issue that comes to mind is how to permanently seal the steel so that it does not start rusting in such a heavy moisture environment.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

[monkeyspearfish]

 

Thanks all for the helpful advice.

I found this corner piece to install once I remove the door trim. Any thoughts on if this would be a good idea and how would I mount and secure this?

https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-50-x-50-x-4mm-x-1m-galvanised-steel-angle-bar_p1130487

I thought this would be an easier solution compared to tiling the corner.

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @monkeyspearfish 

😕 I would recomend against it. trying to match supports like that to the fllor/wall and plaster would be a pain. I would probarly go alongthe lines of what @EricL has suggested if you want to have a go at repair verse replace. Its stuck between a rock and hard place I know. 😕

Dave

[monkeyspearfish]

If I repair it, I’m concerned the same thing will happen again or would it be ok if I water proof over the wood/skirting and then paint it?

I just don’t want any wood near the shower area. I’m afraid if I don’t remove or cover the wood, it will eventually mould and rot again. 

[Dave-1]

Good afternoon @monkeyspearfish 

Repairing can work, and depending on your confidance level plus knowledge of products would be how I rate the job for you.

When things rot I find it best to find out why they have rotted before I attempt a repair. If you find where the water is coming from it can change how you approach the job. Just looking through your pictures again and I wonder if that door way isnt really a shower screen deal but straight painted timber. 

We can see the trim has rotted but that solid door post looks rotted as well (Or I may be mistaken) 

Waterproofing over damaged anything will fail I am afraid. 

Possibly if you can get a builder have a look they may be able to suggest a clear path for you. 

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @monkeyspearfish 

Unfortunately, your door frame is right next to your shower area, if it was free standing then you could remove the frame and turn it into concrete and tile over it. If the original cover for the timber was just paint and no water proofing was placed over it, then it's bound to rot again.

However, if you take precautions with your repair job and waterproof the surface before painting it, the timber frame will have a much better chance of withstanding the heavy moisture. As I mentioned in my last post, once it's been waterproofed and painted over make sure to add that first line of defence which is to silicone all the timber joints exposed to the shower.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric