Five minutes and $10 can save you $1,000

I had no idea what a little damage in a shower can lead to and is easily preventable. Steve Cloninger Special to the Post-Dispatch has written an article that we all should read if we are responsible for the maintenance of our abode. He writes:

A small hole in the grout will allow water from the shower to get in. It may not be much at first, but chances are the damage is already beginning. Water getting to the drywall behind the tile will damage the drywall, even if it is “water resistant” drywall. When drywall continues to get wet, it has a consistency of something like wet cardboard. When it gets to that point, the tile won’t be able to stick to it any longer and your shower wall will feel soft and moving somewhat. At this point, the only thing keeping the tiles from falling down is the small amount of grout that surrounds the tile. But, this won’t last long, and the tiles will begin falling.

I am grabbing my flashlight before the Blazers play tonight.