Housing Giants - May 23, 2008 - (Page 14)

PROCESS By Michael Dickens, BuildIQ COMBAT COSTLY WATER INTRUSION IN SHOWERS IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE, custom tile showers are in high demand; they add beauty and value to any home. However, while tile showers are some of the most attractive spaces, they definitely fall among the ugliest when it comes to wasting money and drowning customer satisfaction ratings and company reputation. Shifting from preformed surrounds to custom designs has led to a significant increase in the possibility of — what else — water intrusion. And the costs could surprise you. WHY SHOWERS? The bathroom is one of the harshest environments in a home. Building materials constantly battle water and moisture from multiple sources; however, no source is more problematic than the shower, placing this area of the home on the list of common warranty callbacks. 14 HOUSING GIANTS.5.23.08 Bad shower installations can affect your business in more ways than one. Do you have a prevention strategy in place? Showers experience a high concentration of water at once — on average, 2.5 gallons per minute. There are multiple transitions from one material to another, such as glass to tile. There are also multiple instances where one plane intersects another, such as at a shower seat. These tricky areas have to be treated with care to prevent water from entering the building assembly. WARNING SIGNS OF WATER INTRUSION The top two signs of water intrusion that homeowners notice are water stains and a musty smell. However, water stains and smells are only a few signs that water management may have gone awry during the shower installation. It’s important not to assume a shower is waterproof simply because there are no visible signs of damage. A lot may be going on behind the scenes before mold grows on the WWW.HOUSINGGIANTS.COM http://www.buildiq.com http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/plumbing/custom-shower-pan/water-intrusion-behind-shower-pan-liner-at-sidewalls.aspx http://jobsite.buildiq.com/articles/risk-management/moisture-movement.aspx http://WWW.HOUSINGGIANTS.COM

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Housing Giants - May 23, 2008 Contents Viewpoint & Letters News & Moves Process The Top 25

Housing Giants - May 23, 2008

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