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Hole in my Shower Pan

Gribley

Member
I believe that crack is actualy a piece of dog hair. We haven’t used the shower so some dust etc has collected in there. But lol now I’m going to drive over to my storage unit to double check.
 
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RockDr896

Well-known member
I just noticed that I did not post the picture of my shower pan, once I removed the shower walls. If your pan is cut like mine was, then there is no waterproof barrier (The Pan LIP) to backup the silicone if it should fail. It goes right to the wood paneling and below.

The least expensive thing to do, is to dig out the silicone there and see if the pan area that my picture shows being cut, is actually cut or notched. If it is not notched or cut there, then you will be fine. Fill it back in and call it a day.
 

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Gribley

Member
It is cut there. On both sides of the frame. It was on my fix-it list and the Blue Compass guy thought he fixed it by caulking the dry side of the frame and didn’t bother to look inside the shower where it actually gets wet.
 

Jwtsg

Well-known member
It’s not a crack. It’s an 1/8” cut from a saw. Maybe a table saw, maybe a skilsaw. And that cut is at the junction of the wall panel and the shower pan.
Clearly we are talking about two different issues, do you not see the hairline crack in the shower pan?
I agree w Bryan,,,clearly the pan has a hairline crack, that, imho, is warrrantable,,,and Imho,,,the major concern moving forward of future problems. Worked for 45 years in commercial construction, and there are firms that specialize in,,,in place fiberglass repairs. Recommend you find one & get their assessment of the hairline crack. Believe the “ notch is solvable & they can probably help in the notch areas as well for assessment, advice, and suggestions. Good luck,,,👍🍀
 

Gribley

Member
The other thing, is the wall panel is slightly crooked. You can see how it is flush with the shower pan in the corner at the left side of this photo. But it has a gap at the corner with the notch so there’s no overlap. Kevin with Alliance is saying this cut is supposed to be there to allow the door frame to sit tighter against the wall. Is that possible? Thank you all for help in the matter. If caulk is sufficient I’ll do it. But what the one guy at Blue Compass said makes sense.IMG_4308.jpeg
 

RockDr896

Well-known member
So the pan is notched and like mine was. There is no reason for it to be that way in my opinion. You now know what you are dealing with and have a choice. Since there is no water damage, then the easiest is to silicone it back up.

Other ideas:
--Perhaps you can shim up the base and close the gap a bit. It looks like the pan is not level or placed to have some fall
--Put in some expansion foam.....dig out enough for silicone

The other problem I haven't mentioned. I circled the area, where the shower door track is joined. The side wall track doesn't extend to the base...the floor track does and most likely has no END CAP. Mine had silicone inside the track to seal the joint. If the shower pan lip had not been notched, then everything would have been fine. However, the water in your bottom track can possibly find it's way out and down that notch (On both ends). I am pretty sure this problem is on both sides now. Make sure you look at how the tracks are joined.

Possible fix: Possibly J&B weld?? Can't believe I just typed that...LOL
 

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BryanValRox

Elite Member

BryanValRox

Elite Member
The other thing, is the wall panel is slightly crooked. You can see how it is flush with the shower pan in the corner at the left side of this photo. But it has a gap at the corner with the notch so there’s no overlap. Kevin with Alliance is saying this cut is supposed to be there to allow the door frame to sit tighter against the wall. Is that possible? Thank you all for help in the matter. If caulk is sufficient I’ll do it. But what the one guy at Blue Compass said makes sense.View attachment 5527
So, I can’t determine how much ledge is on the pan to work with, but how about using a small piece of composite/pvc quarter round readily available at Lowes to trim it out and cover the area, obviously using a silicone adhesive to hold it in place and seal things up.

Or, do a couple of layers of silicon, letting it dry in between layers for backing purposes before adding the final cosmetic layer.

While clearly poor workmanship, I don’t think the fix is that difficult, IMHO of course.
 

Gribley

Member
I agree silicone isn’t difficult. My only hesitation is what the guy at Blue Compass said about the shower pan and wall panel flexing independently causing the caulk to eventually leak. If that’s just dealer BS then I’ll just do it. Is what he said legit?
 

BryanValRox

Elite Member
I agree silicone isn’t difficult. My only hesitation is what the guy at Blue Compass said about the shower pan and wall panel flexing independently causing the caulk to eventually leak. If that’s just dealer BS then I’ll just do it. Is what he said legit?
I think he had his opinion, just like many of us. You are in a risk/ reward situation.
Personally, I think a good quality sealant will do the job, but on the other hand, I would certainly keep an eye on it to ensure it maintains its integrity. It is entirely possible that you might have to reseal it on occasion.
Decide on a solution, implement it, and start enjoying your rig! However monitor its effectiveness on a regular basis.
 

RockDr896

Well-known member

If it’s a Lippert pan, it looks like it’s intentionally designed that way.
I'll be darn...interesting....I am going to call it bad design when paired with a shower door track system with no end caps on the bottom track. If silicone fails at the end and inside of the track, it will be hard to detect.

I went with the retractable shower doors and got rid of the glass. I also extended the shower panels over the lip and well past the shower pan. I really like the new shower door. Makes the bathroom feel bigger and the two end rails go all the way to the shower pan.

I am still recommending seal it up at this point. I had to go deeper, because of a fixture issue leak as well. I also needed a job for the winter...LOL.

As for Blue Compass advice, yes it is going to flex. Will it flex enough to break the caulking? Fill it up and enjoy your rig. Watch the area and then make a decision. There are too many showers out there, that would be failing if flex was really an issue.
 

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M and E

Prominent Member
I'll be darn...interesting....I am going to call it bad design when paired with a shower door track system with no end caps on the bottom track. If silicone fails at the end and inside of the track, it will be hard to detect.

I went with the retractable shower doors and got rid of the glass. I also extended the shower panels over the lip and well past the shower pan. I really like the new shower door. Makes the bathroom feel bigger and the two end rails go all the way to the shower pan.

I am still recommending seal it up at this point. I had to go deeper, because of a fixture issue leak as well. I also needed a job for the winter...LOL.

As for Blue Compass advice, yes it is going to flex. Will it flex enough to break the caulking? Fill it up and enjoy your rig. Watch the area and then make a decision. There are too many showers out there, that would be failing if flex was really an issue.
We have that shower door at home. I’ve had it since January but haven’t gotten around to installing it. Looks really good!
 

RockDr896

Well-known member
We have that shower door at home. I’ve had it since January but haven’t gotten around to installing it. Looks really good!
FYI about removing the 3 pane glass doors.......They are heavy and cannot be removed one glass pane at a time. I had to lift all three along with upper track......lean it against the wall and remove the glass stops in the upper track ends. It would have been easier with another set of hands but manageable.

Another fun fact. When throwing them into the dumpster and our county landfill station (Dropping them at least 10 feet) only 1 out of three glass panes broke......now that is tough stuff.
 

M and E

Prominent Member
Another fun fact. When throwing them into the dumpster and our county landfill station (Dropping them at least 10 feet) only 1 out of three glass panes broke......now that is tough stuff.
That is interesting. It seems like one a week is broken just rolling down the road. Actually, besides it being a PITA to keep clean, and their weight, it was one of the reasons we decided to go with the retractable.
 
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