Have you ever used five-star hotels bathrooms? They are so clean and dry! Whether it is household or commercial hotels, keeping the shower floor dry is important to ensure hygiene conditions and avoid slippery issues.
Why a shower floor doesn’t dry? It can happen for different reasons such as incorrectly installing the shower tiles, lack of sloped toward the drain, clogged drain, and many other things.
Let’s see what causes a shower floor to remain to wait and how to solve this problem.
Why Shower Floor Doesn’t Dry?
Apart from severe slippery issues, a wet shower floor doesn’t look good either. Keeping your shower floor a good condition and dry is necessary to prevent various problems in the future.
You can check out these issues if your shower floor doesn’t remain dry when you don’t use it.
Reason: 1 — Shower Floor Not Sloped Toward Drain
Have you recently installed new shower tiles? If your shower floor tiles are not sloped appropriately toward the drain, some water will remain on the floor.
Solution: Maintaining an Ideal Level of Slope
According to many professional plumbers, you have to maintain one quarter (1/4) of an inch per foot to make the floor perfectly sloped. This will ensure smooth water carrying toward the drain.
Reason: 2 — Clogged Shower Drain
If you have perfectly sloped the shower floor but still experiencing water on the floor, give a check to the shower drain.
Hair and dead skin cells, trash and debris, soap buildup, etc., can cause clogging issues for a shower drain.
A blocked shower drain won’t let the water smoothly, so some portion of water will stay on the floor for a long time.
Solution: Unclogging the Shower Drain
If the clog is not too deep, you can use a natural and simple solution instead of chemical-based products. Here are the steps to follow
- Grab a medium-size container, pour 1/3 cup of vinegar and add 1/3 cup of baking soda. Then mix them evenly.
- After proper mixing, pour the mixture inside the clogged drain immediately. Wait at least 45 minutes. This will make the clogging substances weaker.
- Now, pour some hot water inside the drain pipe for proper flushing of the mixture.
- This will be more likely to remove clogging issues by letting grimes and other substances go in the pipe.
Here is an explainer video on unclogging your shower drain.
Reason: 3 — Leakage In Shower Floor Or Walls
If your shower floor or walls have any leakage issues, you can’t achieve a completely dry floor. You can try filling water in the shower from a different water source to see from where the water is coming.
Alternatively, you may see leakage issues from the grout, which is located between the shower tiles and walls. Inspect several areas of the grouts to find the leaks.
Solution: Regrouting the Area or Fixing the Shower Base
If there is any leakage among the grout areas, you need to regrout it. Regrouting the leakage area is simple.
You just need to mix the solution properly. Then apply it to the leaking area after scraping the loose material.
However, the shower floor has any leakage; it is better to hire a professional to handle it effectively.
Reason: 4 — Water Supply Leaks
When is the last time you have changed the tub or shower valves? Too old shower valves may have leakage issues since their functionality has been compromised due to wear and tear.
Or, did you install the shower valves correctly? If the screw of the valve is not tightened correctly, it may cause pinhole leaks at its connection.
Solution: Tightening or Replacing the Shower Valve
If you notice the screws of the shower valve are not adequately tightened, immediately tighten it and check if the problem is still popping up.
Otherwise, replacing the old shower valve appears the practical solution to handle this problem. Follow the instruction manual to install it correctly or hire a professional if you don’t have the basic installation skills.
How To Keep Bathroom Floor Dry After Shower?
Some house owners often struggle to maintain a dry condition on their bathroom floor after a shower. Check out these impactful tips to ensure no soaking issues after bathing.
- Setup a Shower Enclosure
A shower enclosure can effectively prevent water from touching your shower walls.
Hence, the water won’t come down to the bathroom floor.
However, make sure to choose a functional shower enclosure instead of stylish options.
Stylish shower enclosures may not be effective in restricting water spillage problems.
- Ensure Sufficient Airflow
If your bathroom is located in a restricted area, the bathroom floor may take more time to dry. That’s why ensure sufficient ventilation inside the room.
If possible, you can consider opening up the window so that free airflow occurs. Alternatively, setting up an exhaust fan will solve the problem.
The fan will suck up the moisture and ensure a dry bathroom floor. Also, it will remove any unpleasant smell that may develop from mold and bacteria growth.
- Install Moisture-resistant Tiles
Our bathroom tiles play a key role in keeping the floor surface free from water. You can consider installing water-resistant tiles to restrict moisture from developing on the surface.
Also, they can create a safer environment since they have slip-resistant and skid-resistant. But make sure it is compatible with your bathroom floor and looks good.
- Include A Bath Mat
Our under feet area has a lot of moisture when we take a shower. Placing a bath mat right outside the shower appears a realistic solution to prevent excessive water from spilling around the bathroom floor.
Choose a microfiber or cotton mat that feels comfortable when you keep your feet on them. Plus, they are effective in absorbing more moisture from your feet.
- Utilize a Dehumidifier
If you want to manually remove excess moisture from your bathroom floor, a dehumidifier appears like a decent solution. More importantly, it is an affordable solution.
But make sure you know the right way of using it. Generally, you will turn on the dehumidifier a few minutes before entering the bathroom and keep it on for a few minutes, even after leaving the room.
Since dehumidifiers come in several sizes, you want to consider your bathroom size. When your bathroom size is excessively large, you may need a large dehumidifier or multiple small dehumidifiers for the entire space.
- Practice Using A Dry Mop
You can fully remove all moisture from your bathroom since they are prone to reach here and there. That’s why practice using a dry mop to remove water from the floor whenever you notice.
This type of mop is automatic, so you don’t have to stress your hands and backs to wring it. Instead, it features a spinning function, automatically working to remove moisture and dampness from the floor surface.
Conclusion
Keeping your shower floor in tip-top and a water-free condition is important to ensure a tidy and hygiene condition. If you regularly notice your shower floor is always storing water on its surface, it is necessary to address the problem soonest to prevent further issues.
I have already mentioned the main causes that can lead to wet or moisture conditions in your shower floor.
Hopefully, you got a clear idea of why a shower floor doesn’t dry and what protective steps you can apply to prevent this problem.