Shower Leak Detection Melbourne Specialists

Water stain or brown mark on the ceiling below

This is water that’s escaped your shower base or floor and worked its way through to the ceiling below. It needs fixing now, not next week.

Mould on the ceiling or walls near the shower

Surface mould you keep wiping off is being fed by moisture trapped inside the wall. Wiping it won’t stop it finding and fixing the leak will.

Tiles cracking or grout breaking down

When water repeatedly gets behind your tiles, it undermines the adhesive. Cracking grout and lifting tiles are a clear sign the waterproofing underneath has given up.

Soft, spongy or bouncy floor outside the shower

That bounce underfoot means the subfloor is wet. Timber subfloors that stay wet long enough start to rot. Don’t leave it.

Water bill going up with no explanation

A leaking shower mixer or faulty valve can waste hundreds of litres daily. You’ll see it on your bill before you see it on the floor.

Damp or musty smell coming from the bathroom

A persistent musty smell in a bathroom is almost always moisture building up somewhere you can’t see. That’s exactly what we’re built to find.

Peeling paint or bubbling plaster on bathroom walls

Paint doesn’t bubble without moisture behind it. If it’s near the shower, water is getting into the wall through the tiles, through the mixer, or through the shower screen seal.

Water pooling on the shower floor instead of draining

A shower base that doesn’t drain properly puts constant water pressure on your waterproofing membrane. Over time, it fails and the leak starts.

Failed Waterproof Membrane

The membrane under your tiles is what stops water from getting into the structure. When it fails — from age, movement, or poor installation — every shower becomes a slow flood behind your walls.

• Membrane cracking at floor-to-wall junctions
• Inadequate coverage during original installation
• Membrane damage from tile movement
• Failure around penetrations (taps, waste)

Shower Waste and Drain Fitting

The shower drain is one of the most common leak points — yet one of the most overlooked. A failed drain seal sends water straight into the subfloor, not down the pipe.

• Drain seal failure or deterioration
• Missing or failed puddle flange
• Drain body loose or cracked
• Incorrect drain gradient causing pooling

Shower Mixer and Tapware

A dripping shower mixer isn’t just annoying — it’s wasting water and potentially leaking into the wall cavity through the tap penetration.

• Worn mixer cartridge or valve seat
• Failed tapware penetration seal (AS 3740)
• Leaking connection behind the mixer
• High water pressure damaging internal components

Grout and Tile Bed

Cracked grout doesn’t cause leaks on its own — but it creates a pathway for water to reach the membrane underneath. Once water breaches the tile bed, the damage compounds quickly.

• Cracked grout joints at movement points
• Missing or failed silicone at internal corners
• Hollow tile bed absorbing water
• Debonded tiles creating water traps

Shower Screen and Door Seal

Shower screens that don’t seal properly send water onto the bathroom floor with every use. Over time, that water works into the floor structure at the perimeter.

• Worn or cracked door seal strip
• Gap between screen and wall
• Incorrect screen installation
• Screen frame seal failure at base

Hot and Cold Supply Lines

The pipes that bring water to your shower run inside the wall. A pinhole leak, a failed joint, or a cracked fitting leaks continuously — not just when the shower is running.

• Copper pipe pinhole leaks (common in older Melbourne homes)
• Joint failure behind the shower wall
• Flexible hose deterioration
• Corrosion at elbow fittings

Thermal Infrared Imaging

Our thermal cameras detect temperature changes caused by moisture movement inside walls and floors.

Acoustic Leak Detection

Pressurised water escaping through a crack or faulty fitting makes sound. Our acoustic listening devices amplify those vibrations.

Moisture Mapping

Calibrated moisture meters measure the moisture content inside walls, behind tiles, and under floors.

Pressure Testing

We isolate sections of your shower plumbing and test for pressure loss. A pressure drop confirms an active leak in that section.

Shower Flood and Gradient Testing

We flood the shower base and check gradient (as per AS 3740) to confirm whether the shower drain and base are functioning correctly.

Tracer Gas Detection

For hard-to-locate leaks in concealed pipes, we introduce a safe hydrogen and nitrogen tracer gas into the pipe.

Fixed price before we start

Your quote is locked in before any work begins. Nothing added on afterwards.

Written report included

Every inspection comes with a detailed written report — for insurance, strata, or your records.

Fully licensed plumbers

Every VIC Leak Detection technician is a licensed plumbing professional. No contractors, no cowboys.

Same-day across all Melbourne

Call before noon and we’ll be there the same day — inner city, eastern, western, northern or southern suburbs.

No tiles pulled to detect

We use thermal imaging and acoustic sensors first. Zero unnecessary demolition.