Shower drain is not sealed , how to fix?

[redhexagonal]

I have a walk in shower with this drain, which is not sealed at all along the back edge and the left end. There is a void visible, which water is potentially going into. The drain flexes downwards if I press it on the left side. The shower is on the ground floor, and I haven’t found any damp in the basement which is nearby but not below.
Also the drain cover doesn’t fit properly because the tiles are unevenly cut and the drain is set slightly underneath them on the left side.

How do I fix this so its safe to use the shower without water going into this void? The shower was in use for 5 years like this but I haven’t used it since I moved in

 

[Madrab]

If it moves then unfortunately the only way to fix it properly is to remove it and see how it should be fitted properly. Anything else would just be a bodge as it would really only involve heaps of silicone. If the waste moves then even that would only be a temporary solution.

Only problem with removing is that the wall covering may get in the way while lifting it, so hard to say how it would be repaired without being there I'm afraid.

 

[redhexagonal]

If it moves then unfortunately the only way to fix it properly is to remove it and see how it should be fitted properly. Anything else would just be a bodge as it would really only involve heaps of silicone. If the waste moves then even that would only be a temporary solution.

Only problem with removing is that the wall covering may get in the way while lifting it, so hard to say how it would be repaired without being there I'm afraid.

I was considering squirting some expanding foam in the void to hopefully hold the tray in place and then siliconing. Is that a bad idea?

 

[Madrab]

I was considering squirting some expanding foam in the void to hopefully hold the tray in place and then siliconing. Is that a bad idea?

Not exactly a bad idea but you have no way of knowing whether it's actually sealed or not, it would be just a best endeavour hence a bodge/fudge I'm afraid.

What's the sub floor made of?

 

[redhexagonal]

Not exactly a bad idea but you have no way of knowing whether it's actually sealed or not, it would be just a best endeavour hence a bodge/fudge I'm afraid.

What's the sub floor made of?

Not sure but it feels like concrete, its on the ground floor. The drain goes to the left and into a timber/chipboard subfloor above the basement which has the soil pipe going down another floor through it (its a split level house on a hill)

 

[redhexagonal]

Can anyone suggest how this could be fixed?

 

[Madrab]

If it moves then unfortunately the only way to fix it properly is to remove it and see how it should be fitted properly. Anything else would just be a bodge

 

[redhexagonal]

Madrab said:
If it moves then unfortunately the only way to fix it properly is to remove it and see how it should be fitted properly. Anything else would just be a bodge

I don’t know how to remove the drain though

 

[Madrab]

Appreciate that but it really is the only way to get to the bottom of it and sort it properly. Do you know the make of the drain, any makers names on it anywhere? If you can't find a makers name etc then it'll be nigh on impossible to figure out how it's meant to be installed, without looking at it close up. as there's far too many makers these days and they all seem to invent their own way of doing things.

 

[redhexagonal]

Appreciate that but it really is the only way to get to the bottom of it and sort it properly. Do you know the make of the drain, any makers names on it anywhere? If you can't find a makers name etc then it'll be nigh on impossible to figure out how it's meant to be installed, without looking at it close up. as there's far too many makers these days and they all seem to invent their own way of doing things.

There is no branding or writing anywhere on the drain unfortunately, and I can’t find it with an image search either

 

[Madrab]

Yeah, that's usually the issue, there's so many unbranded items about that it's never easy to know which is which and how it might be fitted. The only way to be sure is to see how it comes out and then retrofit it back in once it's can be seen how it all fits together. It's one of the nightmares us installers have with so many weird and wonderful manufacturers, none of which seem to have any idea of how to standardise these things.

Can't do much about that on an online forum I'm afraid

 

[redhexagonal]

Yeah, that's usually the issue, there's so many unbranded items about that it's never easy to know which is which and how it might be fitted. The only way to be sure is to see how it comes out and then retrofit it back in once it's can be seen how it all fits together. It's one of the nightmares us installers have with so many weird and wonderful manufacturers, none of which seem to have any idea of how to standardise these things.

Can't do much about that on an online forum I'm afraid

So basically it's not a DIY job and I need to get a plumber out to look at it ?

 

[Madrab]

Wish I could say, not able to really comment as I'm not there. if you want it fixed properly though, my advise would be to get someone in that's prepared to work through the problem, not all in the trade are. The less professional amongst us would just say rip it out and put a new one in.

 

[redhexagonal]

Wish I could say, not able to really comment as I'm not there. if you want it fixed properly though, my advise would be to get someone in that's prepared to work through the problem, not all in the trade are. The less professional amongst us would just say rip it out and put a new one in.

Sorry , a bit confused, if the least professional
Is to rip it out and put a new one in, what would the more professional fix be? I thought the least professional would be to put massive amounts of silicon sealant in there (which is what has been suggested to me so far)

 

[Madrab]

Nope, to me the most professional would be to attempt to repair that linear waste and what is currently there, as the client requested. The least professional would be to take a quick look, say it can't be fixed without even having a good look and seeing if it could be repaired and then say the only option is ripping it all out and fitting a new tray, which happens all to often.

Piling in loads of silicone doesn't even get to the level of using professional in any way IMO