How Often Should You Reseal a Shower?

There's no single right answer for how often to reseal a shower — it depends on use, ventilation, materials and installation quality. But there is a useful range: for most residential showers, joints benefit from being reseated every 5–8 years.

Family bathrooms used every day sit at the shorter end of that range. Ensuites in guest bathrooms with light use sit at the longer end. Poor ventilation compresses the timeline in both cases — a windowless ensuite may need attention in as little as 4 years.

The problem with 'when it looks bad' is that it's later than the right time. Failed silicone doesn't just look worse — it stops functioning as a seal, which is when water starts getting behind it. A reseal at the right time is preventive maintenance; a reseal after failure often needs to include repair to the substrate as well.

The other reason to reseal on a schedule is cost. Preventive reseals are quick and cheap. Reactive repairs after a leak are neither.