Bathroom Remodeling

A Bathroom Is A Waterproofing Job With Tile On Top

Bathrooms are the most-renovated room in the house and the most commonly renovated badly. The reason is simple: the part that determines whether it lasts is completely invisible when the job is done.

Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. Water passes through both and is stopped — or not — by what sits behind them. A shower built on green board with no membrane will look beautiful for two years and then quietly rot the framing and the subfloor beneath it. We see it constantly, usually when someone calls about a stain on a ceiling downstairs.

Every wet area we build gets a proper waterproofing system: a sloped mortar bed or pre-formed pan, a bonded membrane over cement board, and sealed corners and penetrations. It costs more than green board. It is the whole job.

Questions Worth Asking Any Bathroom Contractor

• What waterproofing system are you using? — if the answer is "we use green board" or they cannot name a system, keep calling.
• Is there blocking behind the grab bars? — grab bars screwed into tile and drywall will pull out under the load they exist for.
• Where does the fan vent to? — it must exit the roof or a wall — venting into the attic is a mould problem waiting to happen, and we find it often.
• Is the scope in writing? — fixtures, tile allowance and finishes listed, so "upgrade" conversations happen before demolition.