The Shower Floor Feels Squishy

Does the floor feel soft or squishy.

The shower floor feels squishy.

Not to mention i have to battle mildew growing on parts of the grout even though we wipe down the shower after every use and leave the fan on. After the shower is used and the floor has dried stepping on some of the tiles results in a squish noise and a little water comes up through the grout. If this material is subject to moisture or hidden leaks the plywood will rot and the floor will start to feel soft or spongy in places. Normal amount of flex few prefabricated shower pans will feel as rock solid as a tiled shower base.

If the floor deflects a 1 2 of an inch there may be a concern. The master bathroom has a tile shower. If left unattended eventually the entire flooring system under the bathroom will collapse. Some bathtubs commonly develop soft spongy floors over time that lead to cracking and sometimes will cause leaks underneath the bathtub.

If the sub floor is not strong enough to span the distance between the floor joist trusses or supporting beams then sponginess may occur. Shower pans hollowness can be perceived as weakness and this is not necessarily the case. I ve noticed a soft spot on the tub floor about 3 round. There are no visible cracks and no water damage to the floor underneath it s over a second bathroom.

If you are accustomed to a tiled shower base you will immediately sense the difference. Does your bathtub or shower have a crack in the floor. No jets so no access panel. A spongy feel underfoot might indicate that the subfloor is not securely attached to the floor joists.

As an aside the caulking where the shower tub meets the floor looks like it needs to be replaced which is on the to do list but we don t shower in this bathroom and the tile that is squishy isn t next to this area. We noticed that our shower floor is sinking. I cannot see it with my eyes its that shallow. If we press down on certain areas it makes a squishy sound some small pieces of grout are missing.

Fiberglass bathtubs cultured marble tubs plastic bathtubs etc. This condition allows the floor to give slightly when you step. Basically undersized floor joists or trusses or spacing too far apart may lead to sponginess. Best is to remove the tub shower unit rip out and throw away the rotted.

Your toilet may also feel unstable rocking when you sit down. Thank you for any help. If there s a crawl space under the house you could brace it from underneath but that s not the right thing to do. I just bought the house 4 months ago.