Bathroom Tile Remodeling in Wethersfield, CT

Yes. It is the natural upgrade for this housing stock. The tub alcove becomes a tiled shower with a bonded waterproofing system and either a low curb or, if the joists allow it, a curbless entry. Moving the floor tile under a smaller vanity and using larger-format wall tile makes a five-by-eight room read much bigger.

Yes, and they are planned differently: we assume out-of-level floors, plaster walls and framing that moves with the seasons, and we choose materials and layouts that tolerate it: an uncoupling membrane on the floor, a bonded membrane on the walls, movement joints at the corners, and tile formats that do not telegraph every irregularity.

Porcelain for the floor, with a matte or textured finish rated for wet areas, and porcelain or ceramic on the walls. For grout we recommend a high-performance cementitious grout with a sealer or an epoxy grout on the floor and in the shower, and silicone rather than grout at every corner and at the tub or pan line.

Tile, vanities and countertops are exempt from a building permit under the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code when nothing structural changes. A new valve, a changed drain or added electrical needs a trade permit from the Wethersfield Building Department at 505 Silas Deane Highway, now filed through the town's online permit system. Historic-district review applies to exterior work only.

We build the pan, then go over it with a bonded waterproofing membrane such as a Schluter-KERDI style sheet or a liquid-applied one where the geometry calls for it. The membrane runs over the pan, up the walls, around the curb, and over every seam, corner and valve penetration, and we hold a twenty-four-hour flood test before any tile goes down. If a drop moves, we find it while it is still inexpensive to fix.

Only sometimes, and only when the old tile passes the checks: solidly bonded everywhere when you tap it, flat, and structurally sound, with enough give at the outlets, counters and doors to absorb the added thickness. When it fails any of those, tiling over it locks the problem in. On a wet area we almost always take it down to the substrate instead.