Shower stall leaking around drain

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Techmonkey

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Hello,

I think I know the answer to this, but wanted to check in here first. I live in a town home with one of those cheap fiberglass shower stalls in the master bathroom. The bathroom is directly above the garage. I noticed the drywall ceiling sagging in the garage directly under the shower. I cut all the soggy garbage out and went about finding the leak. The water is leaking from around the drain. Where the drain fits into the bottom of the shower. Is there a caulk I can apply to this, or do I need to rip it out and put a new shower stall in?

Thanks in advance,
Mark
 
Probably don't need a whole new shower unless this is the excuse you have been looking for to buy one. The drains sometimes have seals that can age and leak. They can also be repaired in most cases. If you do decide to take the path of least resistance first and (only) caulk the drain then be sure all the water that may be lingering is gone. The fixture must be 100% totally dry for any caulk to work and last more than a week.:) Use a fan or a hair dryer to dry the area totally. Any water you won't be able to see must also be dried up. Yow I know I know!:)
 
Do you know where it's leaking from exactly? Caulking it really isn't the best solution, more of the ghetto solution!
 
Most of the shower drain problems I see come from the shower pan not being bedded properly and the floor flexing when stepped on.

This coupled with drain pipes that are well secured usually running through a joist unable to flex with the floor either loosens the connection of the pipe to the shower drain or the drain to the shower connection.

I have found this drain made by Davke to be an enormous help in getting the drain well secured to the shower pan and because it connects with a no hub connector allows enough flex to last. Davke 3000 Shower Drain
Sioux Chief makes a similar product called the Jack Rabbit but it doesn't connect with a no-hub. Sioux Chief Jack Rabbit Shower Drain
The jacking screws allow the drain to be tightened where it is usually very difficult due to clearances with the flooring.

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Thanks very much for the replies! As a temporary solution, I did dry the drain area and ring it with silicon based caulk. I'm giving it the full 24 hours to cure and then will see how long it lasts.

Redwood is spot on about the source of the problem. Like I mentioned earlier, I cut away the ruined ceiling and can see the everything from under there. The floor under the pan is cut away by approximately a 1x1 square with the drain at the center. That means no support and flexing when stepping on/around the drain. I checked and the fiberglass looks noticeably stressed (whitened). In short, a new shower is unavoidable, but I will use the caulking solution to hold it over in the short term until we are ready for gutting the bathroom to just redo the whole thing DIY-style. Probably make for a nice winter project. :)

Mark
 
We had one of those fiberglass stalls in our bath and it cracked by the drain. We had the replace the entire stall. When you do remodel, hope it goes well.
 
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