How important is to seal the tub or shower?

This morning, a client reached out to us about a leak in the bathroom on her second floor that was damaging the ceiling below. She had already hired a plumber, who suspected the problem was coming from the drain pipes connected to the upstairs bathtub.

To investigate, the plumber made a huge cut in her downstairs ceiling, only to find that the pipes were not the source of the leak.

The client insisted we take a second look and we’re glad she did.

After a careful inspection, we discovered that the caulking around the bathtub was missing entirely. The only barrier between water and the structure was grout, which had been used during the original tile installation. Grout alone is not designed to seal water, it cracks over time and allows moisture to seep through.