Bathroom & Shower Tile

Waterproofing is the job before the tile job

A shower that fails is not usually a tile problem. It is a waterproofing problem that shows up as a tile problem three years later. Water gets behind the tile, into the framing, and you end up with mold, rot, and a full demo before you can start over.

We use membrane waterproofing systems on every shower installation. Our go-to products include Schluter Kerdi sheet membrane and RedGard liquid membrane, both of which are applied to the substrate before any tile touches the wall. The membrane laps up behind the curb, wraps all corners, and gets a flood test before we tile over it on shower pan applications. This is not optional on our jobs.

Scope of work we handle

Shower surrounds from scratch — demo of old tile or fiberglass surround, backer board, membrane, tile, grout, and caulk at movement joints. Full bathroom floor and wall tile. Wet room builds with linear drains. Standalone tub surrounds. Niche construction in shower walls (these need careful waterproofing at all four corners). Mosaic floor tile in shower pans, where smaller tiles allow the floor to pitch properly toward the drain.

We also do bathroom floor tile only, without touching the shower — common in Tahoe Park homes where the original bathtub surround is still serviceable but the floor tile is dated or damaged.

Materials and choices for bathrooms

Porcelain is the default recommendation for shower walls and floors — it is dense, low-absorption, and holds up to cleaning products. Natural stone (marble, travertine) is a viable choice but requires more maintenance: sealing before grouting, sealing after, and ongoing annual sealing. Epoxy grout on shower floors is worth the additional cost because it does not stain and does not need re-sealing. Standard grout on a shower floor needs annual sealer application to stay clean-looking.

For niche shelves and floor-to-ceiling feature walls, large-format tiles with minimal grout joints give a clean, contemporary result. We plan the layout so the feature element lines up symmetrically with the niche opening or the valve trim.

Available in these areas