Shower Floor Cracks Are Almost Always A Sign Of A Bigger Problem. Here's Why

As homes get older, they settle, and there are usually signs that your home's foundation is settling. Moisture levels change or the soil shifts beneath the home. The rafters in the attic may let out a muffled squeal, or maybe the load-bearing joists will groan as they shift ever so slightly. This is most noticeable at night, when everyone in your family is asleep and the home is quiet. Visually, the issue manifests with cracking or buckling floors. Typically, this isn't anything to worry about, but too much damage to your floors can be a sign that your house is structurally unsound. It can affect fixtures inside your home, resulting in issues like a cracked shower pan.

The plastic base in your shower is most likely acrylic, a waterproof material that can break when subjected to a lot of pressure. The shower floor might also be made of composite materials like resin or engineered stone. Fiberglass, another common shower pan material, can also crack as your home shifts. Tile and marble pricier and more luxurious shower flooring materials, but are still crack-prone. It's important to diagnose the reason for this cracking and repair it quickly before your home sustains serious damage.

When your shower pan cracks, you should start by investigating whether the cause is some abnormal settling. If this is the case, your home's foundation may have developed cracks. In the worst cases, walls may have started to fissure. Windows and doors might also stick when you try to open and close them. Sometimes these problems manifest when homes are built on soil that is too soft or when a home is not equipped to withstand earthquakes. Repairs can cost thousands of dollars, but they are worth it to protect your home from further damage. For homes built on soft ground, steel piers provide extra support. Retrofitting jobs protect houses from slipping off their foundations when the earth shifts.

Cracks in shower floors can also come from far less drastic issues. For instance, your shower floor may have just been installed incorrectly. The subfloor beneath the tiles or plastic base may be uneven, causing it to flex and eventually snap when you exert pressure on it. The material might also just be wearing out quicker than you thought because the builder opted for a cheaper material. Whatever the cause may be, it's important to diagnose and fix the problem immediately, because a cracked shower floor can allow leaks, which can cause dangerous mold to grow and even decay load-bearing beams. If the repair process seems too involved, you can also just replace your shower floors with natural stone tile, which does have some disadvantages; for one thing, you'll have to be okay with cleaning it regularly.