Attempted Robbery In Cape Town
ChatterBank1 min ago
Diy
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A leak from my shower is seeping into my neighbors apartment below me, (we have the same layout) I knew that I had tiles with missing grout but didn't do anything about it. When I checked my shower tiles, I pressed on the tiles and I could feel them 'breathing' ... I was able to removed them by hand. Now what I want to know is how do I proseed? I'm not going to use the shower and I'm going to leave the extracter fan on 24/7... Is there anything else l can do to speed up the drying?.. I'd also like to know how long it will take for the wall to dry out before it can be retiled
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If it was me, I'd hire a dehumidifier to help dry out the bathroom. That's how I dried out my living room (including a soggy carpet) after a water leak.
e.g. here:
https:/
However I should point out that you shouldn't really use portable mains appliances in a bathroom, so you'll need to take extra care over safety. (e.g. as you'd need to plug it into a socket elsewhere in your apartment, possibly using an extension lead, you should unplug it from that socket before entering the bathroom to bathe).
A day or two's use should be all that you'd need from the dehumidifier to get rid of the worst of the moisture but I'd leave it at least a fortnight (and possibly quite a bit longer) before getting any retiling done. A quick bit of googling suggests that fresh plaster should be left to dry for at least 4 weeks before applying any tiles, so it might be best to allow just as much time in your situation.
e.g. here:
https:/
However I should point out that you shouldn't really use portable mains appliances in a bathroom, so you'll need to take extra care over safety. (e.g. as you'd need to plug it into a socket elsewhere in your apartment, possibly using an extension lead, you should unplug it from that socket before entering the bathroom to bathe).
A day or two's use should be all that you'd need from the dehumidifier to get rid of the worst of the moisture but I'd leave it at least a fortnight (and possibly quite a bit longer) before getting any retiling done. A quick bit of googling suggests that fresh plaster should be left to dry for at least 4 weeks before applying any tiles, so it might be best to allow just as much time in your situation.
It's a solid concrete wall. Is an extractor fan not the same as a duhumfipher?
The neighbour's ceiling has water stains, there is also damage to the other side of the shower wall, the other side of the the wall is internal, a hallway, there is peeling /blistering on the paint work directly in line where the tile grout is missing.
The neighbour's ceiling has water stains, there is also damage to the other side of the shower wall, the other side of the the wall is internal, a hallway, there is peeling /blistering on the paint work directly in line where the tile grout is missing.
Extractor and dehumidifier are not the same but I don't know what the actual different is.
I had a bad leak and we were supplied with an industrial dehumidifier that was on 24/7 for over two weeks. This was supplied by our insurance company. The came round a few times to probe the walls to check for moisture.
I had a bad leak and we were supplied with an industrial dehumidifier that was on 24/7 for over two weeks. This was supplied by our insurance company. The came round a few times to probe the walls to check for moisture.
An extractor removes air from a room.. usually a fan fitted over a hole in a wall taking air from inside to outside. Not a lot of use in Luca's situation.
The better bet would be a dehumidifier which removes moisture from the surrounding air (by condensing) and deposits it in a resevoir within the dehumidifier.
If you do get the latter .. block off the extractor hole, close the windows and close the door when you use it .. otherwise you will be attempting to dehumidify the southern hemisphere and not just your bathroom !
The better bet would be a dehumidifier which removes moisture from the surrounding air (by condensing) and deposits it in a resevoir within the dehumidifier.
If you do get the latter .. block off the extractor hole, close the windows and close the door when you use it .. otherwise you will be attempting to dehumidify the southern hemisphere and not just your bathroom !
Note to jno...
Give it up, honestly. ;o)
You'll be sucking in damp air forever. Just look out of the window to see the weather we have in this country. Homer's right in his post.
Luca, the best way to dry out is with a little gentle background heat.
It doesn't need to be toasty. You just need to raise the room temperature to something above the point where damp can exist in the air.
Maybe a small electric heater, or one of those oil-filled ones. An electric panel heater, maybe around 200 watts is all that's needed to dry things out within a couple of days, if you leave it on.
The wall looks fine from here. Please take care over re-tiling.
Despite what folk think, tiling in showers is really not a DIY job, unless you are very competent. (Again, ask Homer.)
When all dried out, empty a tube of sanitary silicone around the junction of the walls and the tray.... before you even think of tiling.
The idea is to be as near as possible, completely watertight even without tiles in place. It's a mistake to rely solely on tiling to achieve this. After tiling, finish with a small neat bead of silicone around the junction.
I hope it all goes well. :o)
Give it up, honestly. ;o)
You'll be sucking in damp air forever. Just look out of the window to see the weather we have in this country. Homer's right in his post.
Luca, the best way to dry out is with a little gentle background heat.
It doesn't need to be toasty. You just need to raise the room temperature to something above the point where damp can exist in the air.
Maybe a small electric heater, or one of those oil-filled ones. An electric panel heater, maybe around 200 watts is all that's needed to dry things out within a couple of days, if you leave it on.
The wall looks fine from here. Please take care over re-tiling.
Despite what folk think, tiling in showers is really not a DIY job, unless you are very competent. (Again, ask Homer.)
When all dried out, empty a tube of sanitary silicone around the junction of the walls and the tray.... before you even think of tiling.
The idea is to be as near as possible, completely watertight even without tiles in place. It's a mistake to rely solely on tiling to achieve this. After tiling, finish with a small neat bead of silicone around the junction.
I hope it all goes well. :o)
A lot of the time diy installers make the mistake of tiling down beyond the outer edge of a bath/shower tray placing the bath/shower tray up against the tiles,and adding a bead of silicone. Water runs down the tiles and eventually finds its way through the silicone bead. The correct way is to fit bath/shower tray into a slight recess in any wall they abut Then tile down to the top edge of bath/shower tray.
No, I haven't rang the insurance company yet, but from reading my policy it's saying something like, 'I'm not covered if I neglect' (which I did, that's obvious) the leak has to be happening for a long time for it seep into a 2 ft concrete wall. As for the neighbors below me, they're renting and not bothered. I think I may have to get in touch with the owner of the apartment below me. Or should I wait for the owner to come to me? Really don't know what to do.
Your neighbours ceiling damage is their problem and may be covered by the Landlords insurance.
Sounds callous I know .. but they may well get away with a coat of stain block and a couple of coats of emulsion.
Were I in your position I would most definitely be removing the shower tray and drying that area before I would think of tiling. The whole area needs to me dry before prep work can start.
Sounds callous I know .. but they may well get away with a coat of stain block and a couple of coats of emulsion.
Were I in your position I would most definitely be removing the shower tray and drying that area before I would think of tiling. The whole area needs to me dry before prep work can start.
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