Importance of Waterproofing a Shower....

Being a Professional Tile Contractor/Installer in Tampa, Florida and helping out on tile help forums I have noticed people are always asking about info on damaged showers and tubs for water damage, rot, grout discoloration, efflorescence, leaks or black mold.

The lack of a pan liner or surface membrane is usually the main reason these problems occur. Professional tile contractors who know the importance of a properly built shower with a pan liner & pre-slope, a bonded waterproofing sheet membrane or a liquid applied membrane.

Mold and rot occur when water gets absorbed into the grout and then seeps into the cementboard or drywall and then starts rotting the studs. Also when drywall is used the problems are even worse because the mold feeds on the paper face of the drywall. Mold loves cellulose and spreads throughout the damp wet area behind your wall.
As the leak goes unnoticed the damage and mold become worse.

When a shower liner is used without a pre-slope the water sits in the mud pan and slowly deteriorates/breaks down the mud bed and fills with mold/sludge. Sometimes the weep holes then become clogged with calcium deposits and efflorescence forms on the grout joints from the water drying up through the grout to the surface. A bonded surface membrane will solve these problems.

While we still do and have been doing traditional pan liners for as long back as I have been doing tile for (21 years), newer, updated ways of waterproofing a shower have been developed like Schluter Kerdi, Noble TS, Laticrete HydroBan Laticrete Hydro Barrier & Custom Building Products Redgard.
All excellent surface applied waterproofing membranes.

I tell customers it's good to spend the extra money now to do it right or you will spend 3 times the money tearing it out a few years later by doing it wrong.

What to look for when hiring a Tile Contractor

I have recently came across a lot of homeowners only looking at the bottom dollar amount when hiring a flooring contractor.
Would you rather spend $2000 and it may last a year,
or spend $3500 and get a lifetime of enjoyment out of your purchase?
You would be wise to do your homework when choosing your contractor. In the past few weeks Ceramictec has torn out 2 showers, that have leaked within the year of being completed. One shower was installed by a concrete contractor.
I think he figured putting thin set under the tiles or pouring concrete was about the same.
The homeowners aren’t thinking so now. Just because they did a nice job on your floor, or kitchen back splash, don’t take it for granted that they can do the same with your shower.

Make sure you ask questions.

Ask them if they put a preslope in?
How do they waterproof the shower?
What type of adhesive do they use?
Mastic or thinset?
How do they keep the weep holes around the drain clean?
How do they fasten the liner on the curb?
How many inches above the pan are they nailing the liner?
Are they using drywall or cement board?

These are just a few simple questions that can save
you a lot of Time, Money & Grief in the near future.