We are sorry to hear that you continue to have issues with this shower install. To clarify, we understand that water is going to come in contact with the hinges and seams. What the manual is warning against is the direct flow of water from shower head, to be shooting directly on these areas. If this is the case, a little leaking may be unavoidable. However, there is always an adjustment that can be made to the shower set up as a whole, to avoid such issues. Please feel free to get back in contact with Vigo technical support to continue assisting you in working through this issue.