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geriatric_fruitfly t1_j6ictqq wrote

Normally those surrounds have flanges at the top where they should have screws into supports to keep it from falling forward...

If it's falling forward it makes me wonder what happened behind the shower panels to have screws/nails pop out

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JonArvedon t1_j6ild3q wrote

It's attached well in many places, including at the top by the drywall. It's a few spots in the middle that are pulling away. I wouldn't necessarily call it "falling forward" -- it's more like there are some air bubbles in the middle.

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nin10doking t1_j6ia8gd wrote

As long as you're 100% sure no water is getting in behind then it's just an aesthetics thing.

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JonArvedon t1_j6ilrp5 wrote

I'm as sure as I can be without ripping it all down, haha. It's sealed up tight and I check often to ensure the silicone hasn't cracked. There are no odors or soft spots that would lead me to believe there's water/mildew/mold, and it's been like this for a few years so I have to imagine it's dry back there -- at least until something happens that suggests it's not.

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mayonaise t1_j6igz8s wrote

I'm not experienced with these showers, just sharing my personal experience. One of the showers in my house had this problem, and the HOA said it was common in our complex because the builder didn't correctly attach the panels to the wall. They didn't use enough adhesive and didn't brace them as the adhesive was drying. So ~5-10 years after they were built, many started doing exactly what yours is doing. The HOA said they would keep pulling away more and more, and could possibly completely fall off. If this is indeed the problem, it's not a hard fix. Get the right adhesive, apply plenty to the panels, and brace them with 2x4s at several points. Let it dry for at least as long as the adhesive recommends, and you should be good.

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pyrophire t1_j6j6966 wrote

This happened at an apartment I was in. It ends up that water was making its way behind the panels and eventually rotted away the drywall and wood framing. It took the maintenance crew 3 days to repair it all because there was nothing behind the panels.

I was told they had to do a similar repair to the bottom 2 units as water had made its way down the walls.

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winnipegsmost t1_j6ik0rq wrote

Do you have a draft coming from your exhaust above?

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JonArvedon t1_j6ilxbx wrote

The exhaust isn't directly above the shower, it's more in the center of the bathroom. That said, there isn't really a draft coming from it. If you stick your hand right over it, you can sometimes feel cooler air from the attic above, but not a draft.

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winnipegsmost t1_j6iqkuj wrote

Okay I gotchaaa.

So from what I learned (the hard way) is there should not be a draft from there, like ever! Lol

You can look up backdrafting effects and walls cracking from cold air meeting hot air is definitely one of the issues people get!

I’d take a peek at that exhaust! I bet it’s that, I highly doubt it has anything to do with the install because that’s something that’s not rocket science hahah

1st- you can take the plastic cover off and check for gaps around the fans metal housing. Any spots that would let hot air into the attic are no good. Happens commonly when a smaller fan is put in where a larger fan was and not sealed properly.

You’d wanna seal any open space around there with caulk or a can of window/door gap foam from the store is what I did

2nd- check the attic for signs of indoor air infiltration. Look for condensation, frost or a smell of moisture. Seal any gaps around the attic entry so it closes tight.

I learned that the attic should be pressure sealed from the house and you don’t want warm air up there at all. I watched lots of YouTube videos too about pressure in houses. It makes alot of sense now

3rd- prob MOST IMPORTANT, find the bathroom vent pipe in the attic, and make sure it’s not exhausting into the attic! If it is, redirect that outside, stat!

If it’s directed outside, follow that pipe to the outside now, and check if you have a little flapper damper. It could be partially broken or stuck, only letting in a draft on some windy days. Don’t want animals in there either building homes.

Dampers are cheap like $10-15 and suuper easy to put on. I did it myself no problem.

Saved lots of money on hydro after that lol! and no walls pulling back and forth from the temp difference . Let me know what you find if you can! I’m curious!

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JonArvedon t1_j6izthz wrote

It's possible that's what caused it initially, to be honest. Between 2021-2022, I was dealing with some pink mold on the bathroom ceiling due to condensation. I ended up replacing the exhaust fan hose, upgrading from a 50cfm motor to a 70cfm one, piling many layers of insulation in the attic above the bathroom and around the fan housing and repainting the ceiling with semi-gloss mold-killing/mold-resistant paint.

Needless to say, all of that helped the previous issue, haha. On a freezing cold day, I can feel a slight temperature change if my hand is literally right on the fan vent, but again, it's not what I'd classify as a draft.

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winnipegsmost t1_j6j0aoa wrote

Damnnn you’re a pro! Come fix my fans next time! Lol! That’s awesome tho. Houses are so much work. Always weird random crap haha. I hope at least that comment is helpful for someone else who doesnt know LOL. Good luck with the shower surround, hope it sorts out!

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ChiefInspector69 t1_j6j97bh wrote

That's cuz most of them are built like shit

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winnipegsmost t1_j6jivi6 wrote

You think so too for old houses??

I find them not bad , up until people start fucking around and doing renovations that they don’t know how to do.

So important to know the whole “ecosystem” of a house before you start doing things !

or neglecting certain things - lots of people would choose to paint the whole interior for aesthetics, other than seal their exterior window trim with paint for necessity. Or check the eaves . Or not shove pillows up against the glass so the condensation makes the frame rot out.

It’s always dumb shit like that hahah.

But I’ll see people who are in their 70’s, being the original owner of house, and while that house definitely looks original, it’s in absolute pristine condition. And upgrades like the furnace, windows, exterior , etc are always taken care of!

Tell me what you think! Also are you a home inspector? From your name? Im really interested in the trade lately , if you are what do you think of it?

I was thinking I need to start getting paid soon for figuring out all these problems ahaha

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winnipegsmost t1_j6j08ww wrote

Damnnn you’re a pro! Come fix my fans next time! Lol! That’s awesome tho. Houses are so much work. Always weird random crap haha. I hope at least that comment is helpful for someone else who doesnt know LOL

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ChiefInspector69 t1_j6kb175 wrote

Yeah I'm home and 4 trade residential and commercial building inspector. Here in Florida houses are built on slabs which essentially means your plumbing is buried under that. Even if the plumber slopes the pipes correctly the concrete people many times Disturbed the pipes so you don't even get proper flow from the beginning. Wood was a much better quality years ago now it is very weak. The wind and seismic provisions in houses are much much better than the past. But here shingles only laugh seven or eight years and HVAC heat pumps only last from 5 to 12 years. Stucco is a massive problem because it is not applied correctly per ASTM standards and even if it was stucco on wood frame is a bad idea.

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ChiefInspector69 t1_j6kbkv9 wrote

Also when I was in Canada on both coasts I never really looked at the new construction but I assume it's 2x6 construction with r13 in the walls and maybe r45 in the attic .You don't have the mold and moisture problems we have here which is almost tropical. Anything wood rots here. But it was 84° here today Fahrenheit

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[deleted] OP t1_j6huwwu wrote

[deleted]

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rpapafox t1_j6hy9zp wrote

expanding foam will push and distort the walls.

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