Waterproofing done right

What sheet and liquid membranes actually cover

Tile does not stop water. Grout does not stop water. The part that does the work sits behind the tile and under the pan. On a shower we use a sheet membrane or a liquid applied membrane, and sometimes both in different spots. A sheet membrane is a thin, factory made layer we stick to the walls and fold into the pan. A liquid applied membrane is painted or rolled on in coats until it builds a continuous film. Either way the goal is the same. Water that gets through the grout has to hit a sealed layer and run to the drain, not into the studs.

Bonded systems mean the membrane is stuck to the substrate and the tile thinset bonds to the face of that membrane. That is different from an old loose liner that hangs in a recess and hopes the mortar bed stays put. Corners get preformed pieces or careful folds so there is no raw cut sitting in a wet spot. Niches, benches, and half walls get the same treatment. If the board behind the membrane is wrong, the membrane cannot save it. We look at the room first, measure the actual space, and decide the system before anyone picks grout color.

Seams, corners, the flange, and the drain connection

The weak points are never the middle of a flat wall. They are the seams between sheets, the inside corners, the curb, and the ring around the drain. Sheet membranes get overlapped and sealed with the manufacturer's band or sealant. Liquid membranes need extra coats at those same lines because a thin film likes to pull away from a sharp inside corner. The drain has a flange. The membrane has to clamp into that flange or bond onto it so water on top of the membrane can only go one place, down the pipe. If that connection is caulk on tile, it is not a waterproofing connection.

• Overlaps on sheet membrane sealed, not just taped dry
• Inside corners folded or fitted, never left as a raw cut
• Curb wrapped over the top and down the face
• Membrane clamped or bonded at the drain flange, not sealed after the fact with caulk

Why we flood test before any tile goes on

A flood test is simple. We plug the drain, fill the pan with water, and wait. On a job like this it tends to run overnight so we can see if the level drops. If the membrane, the seams, and the flange are right, the water sits there. If they are not, we find it while the walls are still open. Tile on top of a leaking pan hides the leak until the ceiling below stains or the baseboard swells. That is why the test happens before tile, grout, or sealant.

Slope in the pan has to carry water to the drain. We set that as a fraction of an inch per foot, not by eye. Too flat and water ponds. Too steep and the tile lip looks wrong at the curb. After the test passes, we set tile. You pick the tile, bring your own or come to the Temple supply house with us, and what you pick is what gets set. Then we grout, seal, and clean up behind us. The same people who quoted the room are the people on the floor.

What you see years later when this step was skipped

Skipped waterproofing does not fail on day one. Grout looks fine. The glass door still closes. Then the grout darkens at the floor, the caulk line at the tub or curb stays wet, and a musty smell shows up in the closet on the other side of the wall. Soft drywall, rusty screws, and a subfloor that gives underfoot come later. A half done job is often worse to find because the leak is slow. Someone painted a liquid on the walls and forgot the curb. Someone used a sheet on the walls and caulked the drain. Water found the gap.

Repair means tearing tile off to get back to the membrane, or to the place a membrane should have been. That is a bigger mess than doing the layer right the first time. We do not invent a number for that kind of rebuild. Call for a straight quote after we look at the damage and the room. A new shower with a proper pan is also quoted that way. A tiled tub surround is a different job at $2,000 flat. Walk in showers with a membrane, curb, and drain flange are not that job. Genaro Merlan will tell you which one you have once he sees the space.

Getting a straight quote on shower waterproofing from Killeen

This page has no published price because every pan, every drain height, and every wall stack is different. Call (512) 297-7493 or email info@merlanstile.com and we will look at the room. Service runs out from Killeen to Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Nolanville, Belton, Temple, Salado, Georgetown, Round Rock, Waco and Austin. Scheduling is arranged on the phone. We do not promise a start date in writing on a website. The quote comes from the same people who will set the membrane and the tile.

Every installation carries a written one-year limited labor warranty from the date of completion. It covers issues arising from the original installation. It does not cover materials, those fall under the manufacturer's own warranty, and it does not cover modifications made after the installation is complete. Tile work on the shower after the membrane can be zellige, marble, porcelain, ceramic, terrazzo or mosaic, with brass and satin edge profiles if that is what you picked. Flooring in the rest of the bath can be tile or vinyl plank with reducers, stair nose, and thresholds where the heights change. Roofing is a separate trade we also do, not part of a shower pan.