A damp bathroom wall is rarely a surface problem. Something behind it is letting water through, and identifying which is the whole task.
The likely causes
Concealed supply pipe. Pipes run inside bathroom walls to feed showers and basins. A failed joint releases water continuously under pressure.
Failed waterproofing. Shower walls should be waterproofed behind the tiles. If the membrane failed or was never applied properly, water passes through the grout and into the wall.
Poor sealing. Gaps at the base of a shower or around fittings let water track behind the tile.
Drainage leaks. A leaking waste connection releases water each time the fixture is used.
How the cause is identified
Each system is tested independently. Pressurising the supply with everything closed identifies a pipe leak. Running only the shower tests the waterproofing. Filling and releasing the waste tests drainage. Because each test isolates one system, the result is conclusive rather than inferred.
Why it must not be ignored
Water in a bathroom wall spreads into adjoining rooms, saturates the slab and reaches the apartment below. It also feeds mould, which becomes a health issue as well as a building one.
The repair
With the source located, the opening is targeted — a defined section rather than a stripped bathroom. Where waterproofing has failed, the affected area is re-waterproofed properly before re-tiling.
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