A stain on the ceiling directly under the shower
For the written restoration scope, escaped pan water follows the joist bay and drops at the first low point it finds, which is rarely under the drain itself.
Source of the water
Mapleton, OR
Our restoration specialists clean up shower leaks and overflows, including moisture behind tile, beneath flooring, and inside nearby wall cavities.
Signs to look for
For the written restoration scope, if you notice any of these problems, call us before water has more time to spread into nearby materials.
For the written restoration scope, escaped pan water follows the joist bay and drops at the first low point it finds, which is rarely under the drain itself.
For the written restoration scope, water that gets past the pan runs to the edge of the mortar bed and into the subfloor at the threshold.
For the written restoration scope, run a knuckle across the shower floor and listen for the tone to change from solid to empty.
During our assessment, corners and the curb move slightly with the building, so rigid grout there cracks and reopens.
As our specialists document the loss, a shower curb is waterproofed over the top and down both faces, and its two ends are where that wrap is hardest to finish.
During our assessment, a shower curb is built to shed water back inward, and a door sweep or threshold seal keeps the rest in.
What happens
Our restoration specialists adjust the work to the areas and materials involved, the measured reach of the water, and the materials that can be saved.
From the first moisture reading, before we look at the pan we rule out the toilet, the sink and the supply lines feeding the shower.
From the first moisture reading, the drain is plugged and the pan is filled to just below the curb, then watched over a set period.
During our assessment, if the pan holds, water is directed at the curb, the corners, the door sweep and the valve trim in turn.
As our specialists document the loss, a traditional pan drains twice: once through the visible drain and once through weep holes at the base of the drain body.
From the first moisture reading, a moisture meter reads the framing, subfloor, wall base and the ceiling underneath, and a thermal imaging camera shows the shape of the impacted area.
For the written restoration scope, we tap the shower floor and the lower walls and mark what has debonded. During our assessment, hollow sounding areas in many cases come off in the repair anyway.
Talk with a restoration specialist
Describe the source, the impacted rooms, and when you first noticed the damage.
What to expect
Here is how we in many cases handle shower leak cleanup near Mapleton, OR.
From the first moisture reading, on the call we ask one question first: does the water appear during a shower, or with nothing running.
Your callFrom the first moisture reading, stop using it and use another bathroom if you have one. For the written restoration scope, every additional shower adds water to a structure that is already wet.
+5 minutesFrom the first moisture reading, if a ceiling is stained or bulging underneath, keep people out from under it and leave the area lit from a doorway.
+10 minutesFrom the first moisture reading, a crew arrives, meters the impacted area and sets up a flood test on the pan. As our specialists document the loss, while it sits, the walls, curb, door and valve trim are examined.
On arrivalFor the written restoration scope, we show you where access is needed and why, and we identify the least visible wall wherever the drying allows it.
First hours on siteDuring our assessment, air movers deliver air into the wall cavity and under the flooring rather than across the room.
Day 1As our specialists document the loss, the three places that stay wet longest are the subfloor at the shower threshold, the framing behind the surround, and the ceiling below.
Day 2 to 4Understanding the cost
We review with you the written restoration scope and price before you approve the job. These examples show what may change the estimate.
| Common situation | What the estimate may include | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Shower leak caught early, drying the floor and wall base only | As our specialists document the loss, national estimate for diagnosis, testing, drying equipment and monitoring where nothing needs removal. | $500 to $1,500 |
| Wet wall cavity drying behind a tub or shower, one bathroom | For the written restoration scope, national estimate for controlled openings, cavity drying and daily readings behind the surround. | $450 to $1,200 |
| Shower leak that reached the subfloor and the ceiling below | During our assessment, national estimate covering both rooms, including ceiling material removal, drying and cleaning. | $2,500 to $8,000 |
| Drying priced by affected area, clean water | National estimate used when the impacted area is measured rather than priced as a room. | $3 to $7 per square foot |
| Tile and mortar bed removal, per square foot | For the written restoration scope, national estimate for removal and disposal of tile with a mortar setting bed. | $3.00 to $8.00 |
| Shower pan flood test performed on its own | For the written restoration scope, national estimate when the test is the only service requested. | $150 to $400 |
| Shower pan or membrane rebuild by a tile contractor | During our assessment, national estimate for the rebuild trade, not our work plan. During our assessment, included so you can see the whole picture. | $1,000 to $4,000 |
How long the shower has been leaking
As our specialists document the loss, a few weeks means wet framing and a drying work plan.
Whether the tile and mortar bed have to come off
Drying can commonly be done through a small opening in an adjacent wall or from the ceiling below.
Which component actually failed
From the first moisture reading, a door sweep or a caulk joint is a cheap fix once it is proven.
Access to the space under the bathroom
A basement or crawl space under the shower lets us dry the subfloor and joist bay from below, which is faster and cheaper.
How much of the room below is involved
During our assessment, a single stain is a small work plan.
Equipment days in a small closed space
As our specialists document the loss, bathrooms dry well because they are small, but tile and mortar release moisture slowly.
Why timing matters
Moisture can keep moving into nearby materials even when the surface looks dry.
For the written restoration scope, unlike a burst pipe, this leak is switched on by the household.
For the written restoration scope, plywood that goes through repeated wet and dry cycles delaminates in layers.
For the written restoration scope, a mortar bed sitting on a failed liner acts like a sponge that never gets to dry.
From the first moisture reading, a wall cavity behind a shower is warm, dark and repeatedly rewetted, which is a favorable set of conditions.
Helpful service information
First identify the short explanation. Open a card if you want a little more detail.
As our specialists document the loss, at the bottom sits the preslope, a sloped bed that sends water toward the drain.
As our specialists document the loss, a tile shower is a stack of layers, and knowing the stack explains every failure.
From the first moisture reading, grout and tile are the wear surface, not the seal, and water passes through both slowly by design.
From the first moisture reading, the grout myth costs homeowners more money than any other idea in bathroom repair.
During our assessment, mortar and tile hold moisture and release it gradually, so the room air can read normal while the setting bed is still saturated.
For the written restoration scope, drying a shower leak is different from drying a burst pipe, because the wet material is enclosed and slow.
Help near you
Identify your area below, or call (866) 318-2986 and describe how the loss began.
Common questions
During our assessment, timing is the first clue. As our specialists document the loss, if water appears during or shortly after a shower and nothing shows with the water off, the assembly is leaking rather than a pipe.
During our assessment, no, and this is the most common misunderstanding in shower repair. From the first moisture reading, grout is a filler between tiles and it is porous by design.
For the written restoration scope, sometimes the leak is at the curb, the door sweep, the valve trim or a corner joint, and those are repaired without touching the floor.
From the first moisture reading, the drain is plugged, the pan is filled with water to just below the curb, and the level is marked and watched over a set period.
During our assessment, a traditional shower drain has small openings at its base that let water sitting on the pan liner escape into the drain.
As our specialists document the loss, check whether it darkens after a shower and fades between them, which points at the shower rather than a pipe.
As our specialists document the loss, three to five days is typical once the source is stopped and the equipment is in.
Talk with a restoration specialist
Describe the source, the impacted rooms, and when you first noticed the damage.
Areas we serve
Our restoration specialists assess homes, businesses, and managed properties throughout Mapleton, OR and nearby communities.
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