Tile service · Boise, Idaho
Shower Waterproofing in Boise
Bonded membrane systems, corner and drain detailing, flood testing, and repair of failed or leaking shower assemblies.
Idaho contractor registration RCE-57919 · Bonded and insured · 1-year craftsmanship warranty
Waterproofing is the part of a tile shower that determines whether the room is fine in fifteen years or whether someone is cutting out subfloor. It is also the part that is completely hidden, which is why it is the easiest place for a fast crew to save a day.
We treat it as its own scope with its own inspection point. If you are diagnosing an existing leak, we can also evaluate what was built and tell you honestly whether it is a repair or a rebuild.
Where showers actually leak
Not through the middle of the wall. They leak at the pan-to-wall corner, at the drain connection, at the curb, at fastener heads driven through the membrane, at the underside of a niche, and at the joint between two different products that were never designed to bond to each other. Every one of those is a detail, and details are what we band, seal and reinforce.
One system, start to finish
Membranes, banding, sealant, drains and boards are tested as complete systems by their manufacturers. Mixing a sheet membrane with another brand's drain flange and a third brand's sealant voids the warranty and, more importantly, puts an untested chemical bond at the exact point most likely to leak. We stay inside one system per shower.
Flood test, then tile
The pan is plugged and filled and left long enough to prove it. This is a standard practice that is routinely skipped, and it is the only way to know the assembly holds water before it is buried under tile. We photograph the waterproofing at each stage and give you the images.
Diagnosing a shower that is already failing
Musty smell, loose tile at the bottom course, grout that stays dark, a stain on the ceiling below — those point to different causes. We look at where the water shows, what era and method the shower was built with, and whether the framing and subfloor are still sound. Sometimes it is a failed silicone joint and a same-day fix. Sometimes it is a rebuild. We will tell you which, and we will not quote a rebuild for a problem that is a caulk joint.
How the work runs
Inspect
Evaluate the existing assembly, substrate and framing, or review the new build's design.
Substrate
Install cement or foam board, set blocking, correct framing and slope.
Membrane
Apply membrane with banded corners, sealed penetrations and integrated drain.
Flood test
Fill and hold the pan, verify, photograph and document.
Hand off to tile
Tile is set only after the assembly has passed.
Questions about shower waterproofing
- Isn't cement board already waterproof?
- No. Cement board is water-durable — it will not fall apart when wet — but water passes straight through it. It is a substrate for waterproofing, not a substitute for it.
- Is sealing the grout enough?
- No. Grout sealer reduces staining and slows absorption. It does not make a shower watertight, and it does nothing for the corners and drain connection where leaks actually start.
- Can you waterproof a shower without tearing out the tile?
- Not the assembly behind it. Surface treatments applied to finished tile do not address the pan, the corners or the drain. If the waterproofing has failed, the honest answer is that the tile has to come off.
- How do I know it was done right if I cannot see it?
- Ask for stage photos and ask whether the pan was flood tested. We provide both without being asked. Any tile contractor should be able to tell you which membrane system they used and show you it was installed as one system.
Shower Waterproofing across the Treasure Valley
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