by Ralph Trayfalgar

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Nothing ruins one's day quite like something around the house breaking, and of all of the things around the house that can break, none are quite as difficult to deal with as a leaking shower. Now, a shower leak can start from one of its many different components, such as the shower head, the shower hose, the faucet, or the screws and nuts that hold it all together.

Leaks from these parts are not too difficult to repair (one can do it at home with basic tools and a replacement part) – but shower leaks that happen from within the walls are a different story.

Besides the parts of the shower that you see and use, there are a lot of other parts that allow the shower to do its job from behind the tiles. A typical hot and cold shower will have two pipes, each for hot and cold water, that will converge in a valve that will mix both to the desired temperature. This entire assembly will be set inside the wall, behind a couple layers of cement, tiles, and grout.

Unless your shower is of the modular stall type, there won't be much that protects the walls of your tiled shower from potential leaks from the plumbing inside the wall. That is why your shower will usually be constructed with a membrane that covers the entire shower area, which will be placed underneath the tiles, grout, and another layer of cement. This will, under normal circumstances, waterproof the shower area and prevent leaks.

However, wear and tear over many years, plumbing breakage, or not having a waterproofing membrane installed in the first place will cause water from the shower to leak through the tiles and grout and into the layers underneath. If this is left unchecked, the water leaking through the underlying layers could cause further damage to the wall structure, the plumbing, and possibly even leak to lower floors.

How do I fix a leaking shower?

The way one would normally go about fixing a leaking shower is the main reason why many homeowners tend to avoid phoning in for repairs in the first place.

The traditional method would be to grind away the grout, tiles, cement, waterproofing membrane, and any additional layers until the leaking area is reached.

Then, the leaking water is removed, steps are taken to waterproof the area, and any faulty plumbing is repaired or replaced.

The last general step is putting everything back together – re-applying the cement, applying a new waterproofing membrane, then replacing the tiles and grout.

Depending on the extent of the damage, the cost of repairs might not be that big of a problem. But as you can imagine from the repair process we've discussed, the real cost of repairing a shower leak is in the time – which becomes an even bigger problem if you only have the one shower in your home.

Isn't there a better way?

If the title of this article is any indication, there is, in fact, a "secret sauce" that can stop shower leaks, protect seal your shower tiles, and protect the walls and floors of your bathroom – and all without even needing to remove a single tile from the wall.

This "secret sauce" is called epoxy grout, and though what it can do might seem like magic, science is what makes it all possible.

The typical grout used in your bathroom is called cement grout, which is partly made out of cement (as its name implies). Unlike the cement used to build your home, however, the paste made from cement grout is a lot thinner than that of regular cement and can therefore seep through gaps, such as the gaps between tiles in your bathroom, a lot more easily.

However, cement itself is composed mainly of crushed limestone, a rock found in nature that is known for having a lot of tiny pores – a characteristic that is also passed down to cement and cement grout. This results in cement and cement grout being prone to staining, as dirt and bacteria can enter these tiny pores, which are very difficult to remove afterwards.

These pores also allow water to seep through the cement grout, becoming the very cause of shower leakage in the first place. To remedy this problem, there will usually be a sealant applied over the grout to waterproof it; but this is only a temporary solution as the grout itself can break down and be washed away with ordinary bathroom cleaning chemicals.

Epoxy grout fixes all of the problems of cement grout thanks to its composition. Unlike cement grout, epoxy grout is a liquid paste made up of three parts – an epoxy resin, a curing agent, and a filler to thicken the entire mixture. Unlike the typical cement grout however, epoxy grout does a lot more under the surface thanks to its unique formulation.

How do you install epoxy grout?

As mentioned earlier, epoxy grout is able to create a waterproof seal for your tiles to fix shower leaks without needing to remove the tiles.

The process for doing this first involves grinding away the existing grout covering the gaps between the tiles, then cleaning out those gaps. The epoxy grout is then poured into the gaps and let dry.

The liquid epoxy grout can seep into much smaller and deeper gaps and cracks in the cement underneath the tiles, helping to ensure more thorough coverage of the grout. As the epoxy grout dries, the curing agent in the mixture starts to activate and allow the epoxy resin to harden and cure.

Once the curing process is complete, the powerful adhesive power of the epoxy resin creates a strong seal that waterproofs your shower walls and prevents further leakage – all without removing a single bathroom tile.

Conclusion — Is epoxy grout right for your bathroom?

While epoxy grout does have a bit of a "secret sauce" quality to it, it isn't the solution for everyone. For example, those who are still in the process of building or remodeling their bathrooms will find the traditional method more effective over the long run.

But as mentioned before, epoxy grout definitely has its uses. And if your bathroom happens to need an effective yet remarkably easy fix, then epoxy grout might just be what you need.