What makes steam different
A conventional shower mostly sheds liquid water down the walls. A steam shower fills the enclosure with hot vapor under slight pressure, and vapor moves through any gap it finds, including the ceiling, which in an ordinary shower barely gets wet. Steam enclosures are usually built with a sloped ceiling, a vapor-tight door and a continuous membrane on walls and ceiling for that reason.
In large primary baths, steam units are often installed during a remodel of an older shower. If the original wall assembly was reused, or the membrane stops short at the ceiling, warm vapor can condense inside the wall on the cold side. The closet, dressing room or attic space beside the shower is where the evidence tends to appear first.
Signs worth investigating
- Musty smell in a walk-in closet that shares a wall with the shower
- Peeling paint or a brown halo on the ceiling just outside the enclosure
- Grout that stays dark long after the shower has been used
- Loose or hollow-sounding tiles, especially high on the walls
- Rust on the steam head or water marks below the steam generator's location
- Dark staining on attic framing directly above the bathroom
Repair options and what each actually addresses
- Approach
- Regrout and reseal
- What it fixes
- Surface grout wear
- What it leaves
- Any failure in the membrane behind the tile
- Approach
- Spot removal of a few tiles for inspection
- What it fixes
- Lets moisture readings be taken inside the wall
- What it leaves
- Does not repair anything by itself
- Approach
- Remove tile and backer on the affected walls
- What it fixes
- Allows contaminated materials to be removed and the membrane rebuilt
- What it leaves
- Requires matching or replacing tile
- Approach
- Full enclosure tear-out and rebuild
- What it fixes
- Replaces the entire assembly with a continuous vapor barrier
- What it leaves
- Largest disruption; needs a tile setter and possibly a plumber
Questions for the remediation contractor and the tile installer
- What moisture readings did you take in the adjacent closet or attic, and where?
- Is the steam generator and its drain part of the inspection?
- If the shower is opened, who decides how far the removal goes?
- What membrane or vapor barrier will be used in the rebuild, and does it cover the ceiling?
- Will the steam unit's manufacturer requirements be followed for enclosure design?
General information for Cherry Hills Village, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.