Should I seal the enclosure on the inside as well?

No. Manufacturers are explicit that the enclosure is sealed on the outside only. Sealing the inside traps any water that gets into the frame, and it eventually escapes somewhere worse.

Is this the screen or the tray leaking?

Timing tells you. A screen leak wets the bathroom floor while the shower is running and stops when you turn it off. A tray or waste leak shows below, often on a ceiling, and keeps going after you have finished.

Can I buy replacement seals?

Yes. Seals are model specific, and the installation and user guide normally carries an exploded parts diagram with part numbers to quote to the manufacturer's customer service.

Why does it only leak from one corner?

That corner is the low point. An out-of-level tray moves all the water to one end, and the door seal there is the first place it finds a way out.

Low risk

Updated 30 August 2026

Shower Screen Leaking

Water escapes past the door or the frame while you are showering and puddles on the bathroom floor.

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Bathroom fitting work, illustrative image

What's happening?

A leaking screen wets the floor during the shower and stops when you turn it off — that timing is what separates it from a tray or waste leak, which carries on afterwards and shows up below. Enclosures are not watertight assemblies; they are designed to shed water back into the tray using magnetic strips, drip fins and rubber seals, all of which depend on the frame being plumb and the tray being level. When the tray is out of level, the door no longer meets its seal along its full length and water runs out of the low corner. Manufacturers are also specific about sealing: an enclosure should be sealed on the outside only, so that any water inside the frame drains back into the tray instead of being trapped in it.

What usually causes it?

The tray not level, so the door and the closing seal no longer meet along their length
Split, torn, hardened or missing rubber seals and drip fins on the door and side panels
A seal fitted with the fin facing outwards instead of into the enclosure
The enclosure sealed on the inside as well as the outside, trapping water inside the frame until it finds a way out
Wall channels not vertical, or fixed short of the front edge of the tray, so water runs past the end of the tray
Worn rollers or dropped hinges letting a sliding or pivot door sit low and out of line
The shower head aimed straight at the door join, overwhelming a seal that would otherwise cope

Is it dangerous?

Not directly, but water on a bathroom floor is a slip risk and, on a timber floor, a slow soaking of the boards and the ceiling below. Standing water at the edge of a vinyl or laminate floor will lift the covering and swell the substrate. Keep a mat down and dry the floor while the fault is outstanding.

Can I fix it myself?

Most of it. Put a spirit level on the tray front to back and side to side, and on the wall channels. Check every seal for splits and for the fin pointing into the enclosure, and replace the ones that have hardened — manufacturers sell them as spares against the exploded diagram in the installation guide. Check that the silicone is on the outside only, and cut out any bead someone has run on the inside. Adjust roller height on a sliding door where the adjustment exists. Aim the head away from the door join as a test to confirm the diagnosis.

When should you call a bathroom fitter?

Call a bathroom fitter if the tray is out of level, if the wall channels are not plumb, or if the leak carries on with new seals and correct sealing. Levelling a tray means taking the enclosure off and re-bedding it, which is a fitting job. Call sooner if the floor beside the shower feels soft underfoot or the ceiling below is marked, because by then it is not only the screen.

What will the bathroom fitter actually do?

Level the tray and check the wall channels for plumb, front to back and side to side
Identify the enclosure and replace the correct seals, splash guards and drip fins for that model
Strip any internal sealant and reseal the enclosure to the manufacturer's pattern, outside only
Adjust or replace rollers, hinges and door alignment so the door meets its closing seal along its full length
Re-bed the tray where levelling cannot be achieved with the enclosure in place
Water-test the finished enclosure with the door closed and the head at working pressure

Checks before you buy anything

Level the tray front to back and side to side and note any fall.
Check both wall channels are vertical.
Run a finger along every seal, looking for splits, hardening and missing sections.
Confirm each seal fin points into the enclosure, not out of it.
Look for silicone on the inside of the frame and cut it out if it is there.
Shower with the head aimed away from the door join and see whether the floor stays dry.

Frequently asked questions

We’re happy to answer all your questions.

Sources & References

Leaking Shower TrayCaution Damp Patch On The Ceiling Below The BathroomCaution Mouldy Sealant Round The BathLow risk Wet Room Floor LeakingHigh risk

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