Ponca City Oklahoma home inspector finds more leaking shower pans with thermal imaging camera anywhere in the State of Oklahoma than Oklahoma Certified Master Inspectors find:D
You sure that’s not splash from you running the shower?
You can tell it’s a been a long term problem by the water that’s been wicking up through the door trim.
Positive, I don’t let a drop fall on the floor not one single drop;-)
Oh, yes. I didn’t look at that photo earlier.
Gotta lift that lid first…
Sorry, CMI the home had been vacant for weeks nice try but no cigar:p
Interesting, Charley. May I ask - what is your inspection method with these pans?
I’d like to see if I can improve my shower inspections.
Thanks!
When I get my camera and spend some time training, I’m gonna have to drive out and buy you a good breakfast in trade for some schooling .
You have to think outside the standard SOP I fill the stall with water no more than 2 inches and let it set for at least 30 minutes sometimes longer if I get busy with something else. If the stall is old looking I do a before and after scan of all the walls that are exposed. Sometimes in Okla I get lucky and have 4 walls surrounding the shower like a walk in closet surrounding the stall, if not I scan what is available sometimes its just the front opening below the stall. If I find a suspicious area I back my IR findings with a moisture meter I take a digital of the moisture meter. Thermal images and digital all go in the report. Very important to stay consistent as to your reporting thus if there is a tiled shower in the home and I have no leaks the images proving no leaks are still in the report.
A little known fact about working with stalls on a slab if you have carpet joining any wall to the shower caution should be taken concerning the carpet tack boards as the boards can in some instances wick enough moisture through the concrete slab to register a higher than normal moisture reading on your meter. This was taught to me in the school of hard knocks Keep in mind bathroom are hard to work with in IR because of the shiny tile and mirrors reflective material
BTW my motto is do more charge more
Bring your horse and we will ride Cedar Lake 70 miles of trails:D
I don’t wait around 30 minutes. After it starts spilling over, I’m done.
Code: “P2503.6 Shower liner test. Where shower floors and receptors
are made water tight by the application of materials
required by Section P2709.2, the completed liner installation
shall be tested. The pipe from the shower drain shall be
plugged water tight for the test. The floor and receptor area
shall be filled with potable water to a depth of not less than 2
inches (51 mm) measured at the threshold. Where a threshold
of at least 2 inches high does not exist, a temporary threshold
shall be constructed to retain the test water in the lined floor
or receptor area to a level not less than 2 inches deep measured
at the threshold. The water shall be retained for a test
period of not less than 15 minutes and there shall be no evidence
of leakage.”
Yea I used to buy those too @ 25 a pop and got to leaving them behind flat ones are a $1.00 per one
Probably should clarify, that testing protocol is for a plumbing rough-in inspection of the pan liner (no wall finish present during these).
leaking shower pans are only uncommon to the unequipped
just did a 13,000+sqft house with 5 leaking pans identified with infrared thermography & verified with moisture meters & their contractors invasive evaluation of the walls & ceilings proved the inspection & report 100% conclusive
owners of over 6yrs were not aware and there were no visible signs-stains at said walls or ceilings
many are found pre-leaking during phase inspection of new DFW residential construction note the wet slab along both sides of adjacent walls
these were found to still be leaking during the 1 year warranty inspection
Charlie, that sounds great!..heading to Tennessee in March for a ride that includes staying in a cowboy retreat area that you can only get to by horse. Log cabins, no electric, wood stove heat and they province home cooked breakfast and dinner and pack your lunch for the trail. Can’t wait, overdue break needed … Phones don’t work their either!!! Oh yeah!
Bring a cow, and Charley will show you how it ate the cabbage…:|.)
I won’t lie, I had to look that one up.
lol, Juan. Cool article.
There are many ways a shower can leak and a shower pan leak is probably the most costly. It makes good sense then to determine if the leak you are getting from your shower stall is actually your pan.The shower pan could be leaking on your shower seat if the pan was installed improperly and your shower pan test proved negative. It may be possible to tear out this area only to repair the leak. In some cases, you may need to replace the whole shower pan. there are no weep holes on this type of pan you can also measure the height of the water inside the shower pan and look for any changes in depth during the test. For more info hope this helps you more. EPDM Rubber Technical Details