Trivia Tuesday: What Should I Do?

I need some advice. In late 2010, we noticed water damage on our dining room ceiling due to a leak coming from our shower. In talking with our insurance company and a company we’ve used to do previous work (let’s call them company #1), we determined that the shower would need to be replaced. While company #1 replaced the shower and tile in January 2011, company #2 installed the frameless glass door in February 2011. I’m not using either company name at the moment, but I reserve the right to do so at a later date.

Anyway, in October of this year, we noticed that the spots in the ceiling below the master bathroom shower returned with part of the bathroom carpet stained and possibly other areas of the bathroom that we cannot see damaged. Company #1 determined that the seal that company #2 installed was worn and was no longer water tight. Specifically, the company indicated that "the section of the seal that goes below the fixed pane of glass is loose and long. When you splash water in the corner, you see the leak coming out where the door meets the seal." Company #2 visited our home and also noticed that a piece was out of place. Therefore, they took the piece, stated that they would order a new part, repair the shower, and be in touch in a few days.

After nearly three weeks of leaving numerous phone messages, company #2 finally returned, recaulked part of the shower and left without replacing the seal. Although there is no visible leak, we think that the leak is still there, though not as prominent as before.

So that’s where we are. I’m not sure what to do next. Essentially, company #1 blames #2 for the leak while company #2 blames #1. While I don’t trust company #2 since they failed to return my calls, I’m not convinced that the leak is their fault. I'm also not pleased with company #1 since they did an awful job caulking the tile outside the shower. Any suggestions on what to do? Should we get a third opinion? If so, does anyone have suggestions about folks in Northern Virginia we could ask? Feel free to provide any advice in the comments section below or e-mail me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com.

Sorry that this isn't an entertaining Trivia Tuesday!