The Part You Never See (and Should Care About Most)
Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. The thing that keeps water out of your walls is the membrane behind the tile — and in Florida's humidity, it is the single most important part of your shower.
We have opened up Florida showers built with paint-on waterproofing alone, or worse, plain drywall behind tile. What we find: black mold through the studs, rotted framing, and a repair bill many times what proper waterproofing would have cost. Every one of those showers looked fine from the outside — until it did not.
How We Waterproof
We use bonded sheet-membrane systems — Schluter-KERDI is the best-known — on every wet surface: walls, floor, bench, niche, and curb. Here is why sheet membrane beats the alternatives:
It is a physical sheet, not a coating. Paint-on membranes work only if applied at exactly the right thickness on every square inch — something almost nobody verifies. A sheet is the same thickness everywhere by manufacturing, not by hope.
Seams are the system. Corners, pipe openings, and drain connections get pre-formed seals, not caulk wishes. Water finds every shortcut; the membrane system closes them all.
Tile bonds directly to it. No second layer of cement board needed over the membrane in most assemblies, which means fewer layers and fewer failure points.
The Flood Test
Before any tile goes down, we plug the drain and fill the pan with water — then wait 24 hours and check for any drop. This is the only proof that matters, and we do it on every shower. If a contractor will not flood-test, that tells you everything about their waterproofing.
Waterproofing adds real cost to a shower build — membrane materials and the labor to install them right. But it is the cheapest insurance in the whole project. A shower that leaks inside the wall will cost ten times the membrane to fix later.
Call (407) 434-9297 for a free in-home estimate. Ask us how we waterproof — we love that question.
What to Ask Any Contractor
Waterproofing is invisible after tile goes up, which is why you should ask about it before you hire. Three questions separate real waterproofers from the rest:
What membrane system do you use? You want a named sheet-membrane system (Schluter-KERDI or equivalent), not "we paint on waterproofing" with no brand.
Do you flood-test every shower? The answer must be yes. No test, no proof.
How do you seal corners and penetrations? Pre-formed seals and bonded flanges are the right answer. "We caulk it" is not.
A contractor who answers all three confidently is a contractor who waterproofs right. One who gets vague is telling you everything.