The work done before the tile installation needs to be precise and effective to ensure any water that makes it past the tile and grout goes down the drain and not into your walls and subfloor. This can cause major damage to your home! Most people and sadly even some contractors believe that tile and grout are waterproof, however, that is not the case. If steps are skipped during the preparation of the shower and waterproofing, you could find yourself with a leaking shower.
Unfortunately, many of our clients call us after they start to notice excessive mildew growing on their grout joints or see damage to the sheetrock or baseboard directly next to their new shower. This is often the result of a shower not properly prepared for tile installation. Unfortunately, if you can see water damage from a leaking shower, in most cases the only fix is a complete remodel. It can sometimes take years for a leaky shower to show itself on the surface, meanwhile, the damage is taking place inside the walls.
There are multiple acceptable and TCNA (Tile Council of N. America) approved ways to prepare a shower for tile installation. We are familiar with all of them and depending on your tile choice, location, and budget we will always use one of the approved and time tested methods for shower tile installation and waterproofing. Many of the materials manufacturers offer great warranties when using their complete product line and we are happy to help you register for the warranty.
Building a shower is like making a cake. You cannot skip steps and expect it to be beautiful and delicious. Some people can make a tasty cake but the presentation is poor, on the other hand, some might make their cake look good on the outside, but the taste leaves a lot to be desired! Just like it takes a real professional to bake both a good looking and delicious cake, it also takes a real professional to build a functional and beautiful tiled shower.
When considering a large investment like a tiled shower, we urge you to take your time when choosing both the tile itself and the contractor you will hire. Take into consideration these 5 points.
- Does the contractor specialize in shower tile installation?
- What materials are being used for the waterproofing of the substrate?
- Will a Flood Test be performed on the shower pan?
- Does the manufacturer of the installation products offer a warranty?
- Does the contractor offer a warranty on the workmanship?
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