Recent research conducted on behalf of Mapei — the company behind one of the UK's leading all-in-one shower waterproofing kits — has revealed some startling facts about the state of the nation's showers.
A ranking of the top five locations in the UK suffering from mouldy showers put Belfast right at number one — with 64.39% of people questioned regularly experiencing this problem. Brighton came second with 63.39%, and Plymouth third with 63.09%. Glasgow and Cardiff came in fourth and fifth respectively — with slightly lower ratings of 54.09% and 52.39%.
And mould isn't the only problem we seem to be facing — the survey also looked into the countries leakiest showers, and Brighton triumphed with a rating of 46.79%. Belfast hit second place with 42.99% and Plymouth followed with 40.79%. Leeds and Cardiff then took the last two spots with 39.59% and 38.59%.
In the past 12 months, more than half of British homeowners have experienced thousands of pounds worth of household damage caused by problem showers.
The biggest culprits for causing damage are grout corrosion by mould and leaking showers — with 45% of people questioned having experienced the former and 33% having fallen foul of the latter. The disruption caused by these problems is huge, and can result in ruined floors, wood rots to walls and in severe cases collapsed ceilings — not to mention the number of shower users who end up out of pocket as a result.
To prevent further damage and costs to UK households, Mapei has launched an easy to use, all-in-one shower waterproofing kit that will allow homeowners to accomplish a secure, watertight shower or wet room environment providing peace of mind in a few simple steps.
The new kit includes:
- Mapegum WPS: a fast drying liquid membrane used for waterproofing interior bathroom and shower walls prior to tilling.
- A Shower Waterproofing Primer: used for treating porous substrates.
- A Waterproofing PVC Tape: formed using a liquid membrane to provide a highly flexible waterproofing seal to internal corners and joints.
The entire kit comes in a ready to use tub and is available to buy from Armatile.