When to Replace a Shower

Knowing when to replace a shower can save you a lot of money and frustration.  The time to replace a shower is not when water is dripping into the kitchen below or damaging the walls outside of the shower.  A leaky shower can cause enormous damage and greatly increases the cost to replace.  Over the years, I’ve visited many homes where replacing the shower is years overdue.  Let’s look at the signs of a shower needing replacement.

How Long Should My Shower Last?

Your shower is one of the longest-lasting features in your bathroom – but it won’t last forever.  Although every home is different, most showers have a life expectancy of 20-30 years depending on the material.  How your shower is constructed matters – a lot!  Fiberglass and acrylic showers last about 10-15 years.  Tiled showers constructed using a cement float and hot mop application can easily last 50+ years without any trouble.

Factors that Influence the Longevity of Your Shower Are:

• How often do you use the shower. Do you take one or more showers a day?  How long is your shower – 5, 10, 30 minutes?  Are your showers steamy hot or lukewarm?  What personal care products do you use in the shower?  When you shower, do you have a window open or the exhaust fan on?
• What is the shower made of? Is it acrylic, tile, or have panels?  Do the walls behind the shower have the proper waterproofing?  Is the tile, stone, ceramic, or porcelain?  If tiled, how big are the grout joints?  What type of grout was used and how was it applied?  Was the grout properly sealed when originally installed?  Was the shower pan hot mopped and applied correctly?
• How often is the shower cleaned? What type of cleaning materials are used when cleaning the shower?  Is mold and/or mildew present on any surface inside or outside the shower?
• Shower fixtures. Are they high quality solid brass or something from a home improvement store?  Were they purchased off the internet?  Are the sediment/debris screens in the shower head and valves regularly cleaned and checked for signs of wear?  Are they leaking or have become discolored or full of lime and mineral scale deposits?  Have you noticed a reduction in water pressure and/or the water not getting as hot as it used to?

The Number One Reason When to Replace a Shower

The number one reason to replace a shower is if you see cracked tiles.  Tiles cracked outside or inside the shower is a clear sign there is trouble.  Any cracking in the shower pan tiles or if the shower pan perimeter tiles (where the shower pan tiles meet the wall tiles) are cracked can be serious.

Cracked tiles typically signal there is water damage behind the tiles.  When water gets behind the tiles, it can quickly spread to your wall cavities.  If left unresolved, the water causes wood rot, mold, insulation, stucco, siding, and insect damage.  Over time, the damage to the structure of your home can be severe.  If you see any cracked tiles in your shower, especially in the shower pan, your shower should be replaced to avoid further and expensive damage to your home.

A Strong Number Two Reason When to Replace a Shower

It’s time to replace your shower if there is damage to the drywall or baseboards outside of the shower.  When there is water damage to the drywall or baseboards outside of the shower, it’s usually due to a faulty enclosure or cracked dam and/or pan.  If there is water damage outside of the shower, there is probably damage under the floor covering (carpet, tile, linoleum, LVF, etc.).  This floor damage is not always visible. 

Almost without exception, by the time you see damage to the tile, drywall, baseboards, or flooring outside of the shower, you already have mold, mildew, and rot conditions.  The longer this goes without repair, the more damage and expensive the eventual replacement will cost.

Shower enclosures that are off the shelf, inexpensive, flimsy, low quality, or more than 10-15 years old will leak.  Unfortunately, these leaks tend to be slow.  Most people will not notice drywall or baseboard damage because it typically starts behind the paint.  By the time the leak is visible, the damage is already done.

The Number Three Reason When to Replace a Shower

Visible black or green mold growth, especially where the walls meet the shower pan (aka the shower receptor).  Moisture and steam are your shower’s worst enemies because they create the perfect environment for mold growth.  Once mold gets behind the tile, shower pan, drywall, baseboards, or under the floor, it’s almost impossible to remove.

Even with a strict cleaning routine, tiny mold spores can become airborne and turn your entire shower into a mold colony. Once that happens, it’s tough to control without taking drastic measures.

Mold and mildew can seriously affect your health, so it’s best to get rid of it the moment you see any signs of growth.  Once black mold has gotten into porous surfaces like grout, caulk, drywall, and insulation, trying to fix it using surface remedies practically never works.  It can be expensive and merely covers up the problem, allowing mold to continue damaging your health and home.

In such cases, it is more cost-effective to replace the whole shower instead of just trying to remove the mold.  Mold can find its way behind shower tiles and into the interior of fixtures, and once it’s there, you’re better off giving your shower a complete overhaul.  Most grout, stone, and low-quality tile is negatively affected by harsh cleaning products.  Ammonia, bleach, phosphates, and some peroxides will penetrate, soften, and destroy these materials, especially stone and grout.

Moisture Damage to the Walls or Ceiling Surrounding the Shower

It may not seem like it, but if you have moisture damage to the ceiling or wall areas surrounding your shower, it may be time to replace your shower.  Why?  When paint is peeling off the surface of drywall around a shower, water has penetrated behind the surface of the paint, and it is lifting and curling off.  If you look closely, when this condition is present, you will likely see black and/or green mold behind the curling/peeling paint.  Over a very short period, this mold will eat its way into the walls behind the shower.  Here, the structure of the walls becomes infested and starts to rot and decay.  Over years, the damage can be extensive and incredibly costly to repair.

Simply painting over it will not work.  This merely traps the mold behind the paint and allows it to continue burrowing into your walls.  Think about this for a moment.  Paint is a mixture of water, pigments, and other elements.  In essence, you are feeding the mold by painting over it.

When to Replace a Shower May be Because it’s Simply Time to Update

Feeling like your shower is stuck in the 70s, 80s, or 90s?  Perhaps your family arrangements or lifestyles have changed.  The colors, fixtures, and overall image may clash with your personal design style.  The materials and fixtures have lost their luster and appeal and have become harder to clean and maintain.

Maybe you need more space, a different layout, or better functionality.  Perhaps a curbless shower, seat, hand shower, body sprays, steam shower, or lighting are desirable upgrades.   Whatever the reason, if your current shower is outdated or you simply no longer like it, it’s time to replace your shower.

Replacing your shower will make your showering experience more satisfying and pleasurable.  Depending on your mobility, replacing your shower could make bathing much safer.  Replacing your shower with upgraded fixtures will reduce water consumption and save on the water bill.  A new shower will add to the enjoyment of your home and future buyers will also see the benefit.

Always Hire a Reliable and Dependable Contractor to Remodel your Bathroom

Always work with a trustworthy contractor like DAD’s Construction.  We are experts in bathroom remodeling who can manage projects in an efficient manner.  DAD’s Construction will do everything to minimize the possibility of change orders.  Our team will make sure we have all the necessary information to prepare a proposal that meets your requirements.  Rest assured that we will provide you with a detailed, by line-item contract.  We will make sure that the contents of this agreement are properly and clearly communicated to you.  If you have questions or need updates regarding your project, we will always answer your inquiries.

How Can I Receive More Information on Remodeling my Bathroom?

If you would like more information on enjoying the best bathroom, kitchen, and interior remodeling experience in Orange County, call Dan at (949) 380-0177 or at dan@dadsconstruction.com for a free in home consultation.  DAD’s serves all of South Orange County California.  This includes Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Mission Viejo,  Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Ladera Ranch, Irvine, San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Dove Canyon, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Orange, and Aliso Viejo.