Shower tray and pan leak detection across London

Shower tray and pan leaks are the most common hidden water source in modern London bathrooms, and they almost always present as a stain somewhere other than the shower itself. The water exits through one of four predictable failure modes: a perished silicone bead at the tray-to-tile interface, micro-cracked grout, a slipped waste connector beneath the tray, or a flexed acrylic or stone-resin tray that has lost contact with its bedding compound. Each failure mode needs a different diagnostic, and getting it wrong means re-tiling a perfectly good wall for nothing.

Our team trace-tests every shower as a system, not as a single component. We use Protimeter Surveymaster moisture meters on the surrounding floor and walls, a FLIR E76 or E96 thermal camera to watch evaporative cooling patterns develop while the shower runs, and a dye trace against the waste fittings to confirm pan integrity. Where reseal is the answer, we use Geocel Sanitary Silicone for the tray bead and Mapei UltraColor Plus for failed grout; where the tray itself has failed, we replace with Watertight Direct Linear or Mira low-profile trays bedded on a full-contact bond.

How we deliver

No surprises, no upselling. The exact path every job follows.

1. 1
   Dry-state baseline reading
   Before any water runs, we take Protimeter readings on the floor outside the enclosure, the wall behind the tray, and the ceiling below. The baseline proves the change is shower-driven, not historic.
2. 2
   Silicone and grout inspection
   We probe the tray-to-tile bead and the lower three courses of grout for soft, missing, or hairline-cracked material. Most pan leaks are eliminated or confirmed here within the first 15 minutes.
3. 3
   Targeted spray test
   We run the shower head against each interface in turn (wall, tray edge, floor gully), 5 minutes per zone with a moisture re-read between each. The first zone that triggers a reading change is the failure point.
4. 4
   Thermal imaging during run
   A FLIR sweep of the floor void and ceiling below, taken while the shower is running, shows hot-water plumes spreading along joists, locating the exit point of the leak as it tracks.
5. 5
   Waste and trap dye test
   If the spray test points to the waste, we cap the shower and pour a measured dye solution into the tray, then watch the suspect joint or ceiling face for staining over 20 to 30 minutes.
6. 6
   Repair scoping and quote
   We separate the diagnostic invoice (trace-and-access) from the repair quote so insurers can settle the right line items. Reseal is typically same-day; tray replacement is a half-day return visit.
7. 7
   Reseal or replace
   Geocel Sanitary Silicone for tray beads, Mapei UltraColor Plus for grout, and Watertight Direct Linear or Mira trays where the tray itself has failed.