New Shower Leaks

Good day, need a little direction.
I have recently renowed our bathroom. Had it down to the studs and replaced the moldy MR drywall with CB in the entire shower/bath area. New Acrylic tub and of course new tile job with Kerdi behind the tiles. However I missed one important step with the kerdi install. The tub did not have a lip and I only ran the kerdi down to the top of the tub. I regretfully did not use a dilex trim piece at the top of the tub.
My problem is I have a leak.... only when someone is taking a shower. It leaks in between the tiles and the CB. Its not allot of water but any water is allot. I have checked the spout all looks good. I have checked the shower stem all looks good. I have replaced the cocking around the escutcheons and the at the tub. (Left a 1/8" gap between the tiles and tub) Also I have used a couple of coats of grout sealer. I was able to open up the wall behind the shower to check the plumbing. (No problems there).

Any suggestions ?!?!?!
Some pics to help out..
http://www3.sympatico.ca/m___mcgowan/pics/IMG_1889.JPG
http://www3.sympatico.ca/m___mcgowan/pics/IMG_1891.JPG
http://www3.sympatico.ca/m___mcgowan/pics/IMG_1892.JPG

Clearer please, where?

You did a lot of good work. Too bad now you have a leak.

gazza9797 said:

... It leaks in between the tiles and the CB. ...

Click to expand...

Where is this exactly? "In between" doesn't mean much to me. Please use more words.

2nd question: did you mean to say the tub had no tiling flange?

David

Thanks,

Yes, the tub did not have tile flange. Secondly the leak occurs when someone is taking a shower on the wall with the plumbing fixtures. When I look at the shower from where I have opened up the wall there are drips of water leaking down the CB onto the backside of the tub. Not in one particular spot. It would appear about 4 different spots. But it is probably one error that is causing the headache.

gazza9797 said:

... the leak occurs when someone is taking a shower on the wall with the plumbing fixtures. When I look at the shower from where I have opened up the wall there are drips of water leaking down the CB onto the backside of the tub. ...

Click to expand...

i'll try to rephrase what you may have said, and then you comment as to whether i got it or not, OK?

1. Behind the shower wall, you see the backside of the CBU.
2. This concrete board shows wetness at a certain height.
3. water drips down the CBU backside, over the silicone caulking in the gap separating the CBU from the tub, down onto the rough backside of the tub and then onto the floor or subfloor.

david

geniescience said:

i'll try to rephrase what you may have said, and then you comment as to whether i got it or not, OK?

1. Behind the shower wall, you see the backside of the CBU.
2. This concrete board shows wetness at a certain height.
3. water drips down the CBU backside, over the silicone caulking in the gap separating the CBU from the tub, down onto the rough backside of the tub and then onto the floor or subfloor.

david

Click to expand...

The CB goes below the tub about 1". Water is dripping down CB side that faces the tub/shower. My first thoughts are where the tub and the tiles meet it is not siliconed enough or properly.

Well, at least two mistakes were made here...there should be a vapor barrier behind the cbu, and the cbu and vapor barrier should be on the inside of the tub tiling flange. If it didn't come with a tiling flange, the manufacturer sells an add-on one which should have been installed prior to installation of the tile. I think you'll have problems with this forever...

Is the tub set level? if any of the ledges slope back towards the wall, it will make it worse.

Jim,
What do you think I can do to prevent the leak?

gazza9797 said:

The CB goes below the tub about 1". ....

Click to expand...

CBU goes down beside the tub, an inch below the tub edge. What makes you think that :

gazza9797 said:

... where the tub and the tiles meet it is not siliconed enough or properly.

Click to expand...

that silicone on its side will prevent water from sliding through this porous CBU down to the bottom edge of this same CBU? From there it drips out.

david

tub

If the tub did not have a tile flange, it must have been a "drop in" tub designed to sit on top of the tile, and needed a flange kit to make it usable as a recess tub. Since you did not use that, there may be no good way to prevent the leak, because the joint between the tub and tile will probably always "open up" due to expansion and contraction.

Having a little trouble understanding where the leak is coming from.

What happens when you throw a bucket of water directly AT the tub/tile seam on the fixture wall - with the shower off? Do you still get the leak? If yes, then yr suspicions are confirmed: faulty tub/tile seam. You could also take a tarp or sheet of plastic and tape it above the shower head down over the lip of the tub on the head wall. Duct tape it to the tub, and make a small penetration for the shower head. Leave it loose so you can work the valve without making a hole there. Then run the shower for a few mins and see if the leak resumes. If yes, then it has to be coming from the plumbing.

Have you checked the threaded connection of the shower head arm to the rough stub? That's a tricky connection bkz you want the arm to point down, while simultaneously being threaded tightly enough into the rough elbow.

Jadnashua, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think if he used Kerdi, he doesn't need a vapor barrier. Shoot, according to Schluter, you don't even need CBU; you coulda just used drywall (like me).

Also, I think dilex is for joint movement; it's not a flange replacement

My instinct (not a pro) is that the a relatively small amount of water will penetrate the newly groutsealed, caulked tub/shower. You might see a DROP of penetration, but not multiple failures. I'd think the leak yr seeing wld be coming from a leak BEHIND the tile.

If you use Kerdi, you need to bring it down to and onto the tub edge. They also show an additional band of Kerdi behind. Then the Dilex goes in. Silicon, thinset, or Kerdifix can be used to attach the Kerdi to the tub surface, with the Kerdifix probably the best choice. the Dilex gets mounted with the double-stick tape and the thinset. the combinations are designed to keep things water tight with the Dilex trim flexing rather than cracking grout or stressing caulk that needs to be replaced. http://www.schluter.com/4_10_dilex_as.aspx to view an example.

I should've known not to question you...