The starting point
The shower had started leaking. It was also tight to use, and the tile throughout was the original builder-grade finish. The homeowners wanted a bigger, brighter shower that wouldn't leak again.
Drag to compare. The tub and shower stayed where they were. Everything else changed.
Why it went down to the studs
With a leak, you have to know what's behind the wall. We opened the shower up and gutted the room to the studs, then a licensed plumber redid the plumbing before anything went back.
How it was rebuilt
- Floor: Schluter DITRA uncoupling membrane under the tile, to help keep the tile from cracking if the slab moves.
- Shower walls: DensShield board with Schluter KERDI waterproofing membrane.
- Shower floor: a custom mortar shower pan.
- Tile: large-format porcelain set with a leveling system, a hex mosaic shower floor, and the tub deck wrapped to match.
- Finishing: new LED lighting in place of the old cans, the vanity repainted, and a frameless glass enclosure.
The finished room
The shower is bigger and brighter, with full-height porcelain, a hex floor and frameless glass. Behind the tile it's built on a proper waterproofing system, which was the point from the start.
