Shower Waterproofing in Bristol, CT

A sloped pan (pre-formed foam or a hand-built mortar pre-slope) bonded to a drain with a bonding flange; cement board or foam board on the walls; a bonded sheet or liquid membrane over both, with sealed inside and outside corners, seams and pipe penetrations; a curb wrapped in membrane; a 24-hour flood test; and only then thin-set and tile. The tile is the finish, not the waterproofing.

Both work when installed to the manufacturer's instructions. We are Schluter-trained and use KERDI sheet systems in most showers; liquid-applied membranes suit some irregular geometries and repairs. What matters more is continuity: one unbroken waterproof layer from the drain flange to the top of the wet wall, and a 24-hour flood test that checks the pan.

For a fiberglass-to-tile conversion in a ranch, plan on about seven working days on site: demo and framing repair, the plumber's rough-in and inspection, board and membrane, a 24-hour flood test, two to three days of tile, then grout and silicone. Silicone cures overnight before first use.

Waterproofing and tile are exempt from a building permit under the state code. Changing the drain size or the valve is a plumbing permit and new wiring is an electrical permit, both filed online with the Bristol Building Department at 111 North Main Street by the licensed trade doing that work.

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.