Shower leaking through the wall of a Sydney CBD unit
A shower in a Sydney CBD strata unit was leaking through the wall: the paint on the other side was stained and bubbling. We regrouted the shower walls and floor, replaced every silicone joint and sealed the shower in about 2 hours, without removing any tiles. Both the strata and the property owner signed off the repair.
The job at a glance
- Location: Sydney CBD, NSW 2000
- Property: unit in a strata building
- Problem: shower leaking through the wall, with stained and bubbling paint on the other side
- Work: degrouted and regrouted the walls and floor, replaced all the silicone and sealed the shower
- Time on site: about 2 hours
- Back in use: after 24 hours of curing
- Tiles removed: none
- Sign-off: strata and the property owner
- Completed: September 2026
The problem
The paint on the wall behind the shower was stained and starting to bubble. That's a typical sign of a shower leaking sideways through the wall, rather than down through the floor.
What we found
The grout on both the shower walls and the floor had deteriorated, and the silicone in the corners and along the floor junctions was stained and breaking down. Water was getting into the joints and travelling through the wall to the room next door.
The tiles were still sound, so there was no need to strip the shower out.
What we did
- Raked out the old grout from the shower walls and floor.
- Cut out all the old silicone.
- Regrouted the walls and floor.
- Replaced every silicone joint in the corners and at the floor junctions.
- Sealed the shower and left it to cure for 24 hours.
The work took about 2 hours. The shower was ready to use again after 24 hours.
The result
The repair was signed off by both the strata and the property owner.
Paint bubbling on the wall behind your shower?
Bubbling or flaking paint, stains or a musty smell on the other side of a shower wall usually means water is getting through the grout and silicone. Caught early, it can often be fixed in a couple of hours without removing tiles. In a strata building, we can give the strata manager and the owner the findings they need. See our leaking shower repairs
Every shower is different. We'll inspect yours first and tell you honestly whether a non-invasive repair is right for it.
Leaking shower or balcony?
We'll inspect it and quote for free, anywhere in Sydney. If the tiles are sound, we can usually stop the leak without lifting them. The sealing product we use carries a manufacturer's product warranty of up to 25 years, under the manufacturer's terms.