Private
A good example of a typical issue within rented property where the single shower/bath area is subject to very high use. In this particular case the property was occupied by two single working professionals. This meaning the shower/bath area was used up to four times per day, with each tenant using the shower once in the morning and once in the evening.
The walls immediately surrounding the bath in this case were tiled. Naturally with the high use here the tile grout and seals were susceptible to perishing and washing out, this of course requires high maintenance of the course of a 6-12 month tenancy.
On attending this issue in the first instance the tiles were in fact found to be loose (boss) from the wall. This in turn had allowed a large amount of moisture to ingress into the substrate, which in this case was lath and plaster.
The first step in the remedial process was to thoroughly protect the bath as remedial works were to take place with the bath in situ.
The water supply was then isolated before carefully removing and setting aside the wall mounted shower valve, shower-head, shower riser kit, bath-taps, bath filler and the bath screen (Bath screen was disposed of as it was in poor condition).
At this point the tiles were then carefully stripped from the walls. This exposed the saturated lath & plaster substrate. This substrate was then thoroughly stripped back to the brick. All rubble, tiles and waste was removed and disposed of safely and in an environmentally friendly manor.
The final wall substrate was now brick. The brick was then double coated with a PVA bonding. This to provide the appropriate adhesion before the new plasterboard boards were neatly adhered to the wall. The final wall covering was then installed. It was suggested to the client that with the unavoidable high use of the shower area, the most appropriate wall covering would be high quality, durable ‘PVC-WET-WALL’ shower boards. This eliminates the need for grout and leaves the only perishable substance required to be a silicone seal around the bath top. Here the client opted for ‘midnight black-pearl’ finish.
The shower valve, riser kit, shower head and taps were then carefully refitted to the walls before reinstating the water supply and testing all outlets. All were found to be ok. The new bath screen was then fitted.
The final task was to fill the bath with water to simulate the bath in use (using the weight of the water to take up any movement in the bath feet and floor boards) and thoroughly and neatly sealing around the bath top with anti-fungicidal, sanitary silicone.