Tile and bathrooms

Tile showers and bathrooms

Showers rebuilt from the studs: KERDI-BOARD membrane, sealed seams, niches, a tiled pan, then tile, hardware and glass doors.

Call (478) 334-9344Get a free estimate

Where a grout-only shower goes wrong

Tile and grout shed water, but they do not stop it. A shower set straight onto drywall or cement board looks exactly the same on the day it is finished as one built properly, and the difference only shows up later.

Water gets through a hairline in the grout and into the wall, and nobody sees it. By the time a tile loosens, a corner stains or the floor outside the shower feels soft, the damage is already behind the wall.

That is why a shower that was tiled over the wrong layers is rarely a tile problem. It is a wall problem, and the fix starts with opening the wall.

How the wall is built, from the studs out

On a rebuild the old shower comes out to the studs. Schluter KERDI-BOARD panels go onto the framing, and the seams are sealed so the whole wall works as one moisture barrier before any tile is picked up.

Then the shower takes its shape: niches cut and finished so shampoo has somewhere to sit, and a tiled pan that slopes where it should. The field tile goes up last of the wall work, with accent bands where the homeowner wants them.

Peter and the crew finish the job instead of handing it off. Annette Solis described a shower that came out beautiful, with the hardware installed and the sliding glass doors hung, and the mess the job made cleaned up before he left.

Keeping it clean, and what to watch for

A tiled shower asks very little. Clean the grout with a mild cleaner on the regular, wipe the glass, and leave the seams around the niches and the pan alone unless something changes.

A cracked grout line is worth a photo. A tile that sounds hollow, a spot that feels soft underfoot, or a stain that keeps coming back along one wall means water has found a way in, and it is better to look early than to wait.

If any of that sounds familiar, call or text Peter at (478) 334-9344 with a picture. He will tell you whether it is a quick repair or time to open the wall, and the estimate is free.

Finished tiled shower with travertine-look field tile, a teal glass hex band and three stacked niches

Finished tiled shower with travertine-look field tile, a teal glass hex band and three stacked niches

Annette Solis wrote that Peter tiled their shower, installed the hardware and sliding glass doors, and cleaned up after the job.

Around the shower

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