How to fix wood rot near pipe and bathroom?

[Sean12]

Hi, we recently moved into a house. It seems to be concrete slab foundation, because I cannot find a crawlspace entrance. There is a bedroom adjacent to a bathroom and a pipe (not sure what the pipe is for, but it's in a storage room adjacent to the same bathroom. We found that there was significant dampness in the gyprock boards between the store room and bedroom, so we removed it. We then found really bad wet wood rot in the wooden frame (see pictures). I'm not sure whether it's due to a hidden leak in the pipe, or leaks in the bathroom. Although the shower was leaking a bit in the bathroom and some wall tiles had cracks. 

Just wondering, how would I get rid of the dampness and wood rot? My plan currently consists of the following:

1. Fixing the leaking shower head

2. Removing the bottom bathroom tiles around the shower and reapplying waterproofing membrane. 

3. Hopefully the pipe isn't leaking, so that should resolve the issue. Then I'll remove the wet rot from the wood frames, apply wood hardener and wood filler. 

Is this the right approach? Should I consult a plumber prior to all this? Thanks. 

 

 

 

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @Sean12 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your shower.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your shower has sprung a significant leak. This technically means that your water proofing membrane has failed and has allowed water to pass through your walls and cause significant damage. When your waterproofing membrane fails it can't be patched, and you can't link new waterproofing over it. It must be installed as a single homogenous layer.

This means that all of your shower tiles will need to be removed. Any wallboards that have been affected by the leak or has started to rot will need to be replaced. This includes plasterboard/timber boards in the other room. Repairing it is not an option as it could become a source of mould infestation. The affected sections must be replaced.

The leak from your plumbing will need to be addressed. But once that is fixed the rest of the damage will need to be addressed and repaired. In this particular instance, I suggest engaging the services of a builder who has experience in bathroom renovations and getting a quote for the repairs.

Let me call on our experienced members @Nailbag and @AlanM52 for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[AlanM52]

Hi @Sean12,

That is not a repair job and I agree with @EricL's suggestions.

Regards

[Nailbag]

Hi @Sean12 

Again as with both @EricL and @AlanM52 the shower is a right-off and would need to be completely replaced I'm sorry to say. This would/should have been picked up in a pre-purchase building inspection if you initiated one.

Nailbag