Bathroom and shower tile in Miami

The single most expensive misunderstanding in residential tile is the belief that tile and grout keep water out. They do not. Grout is porous and tile joints move. Water gets behind the surface in every shower ever built, and what stops it reaching your framing, your neighbour's ceiling or your slab is the waterproofing layer underneath.

In a Miami condo this stops being a private problem very quickly. A shower leaking through a floor slab becomes the unit below's ceiling, and that becomes an insurance claim and an association matter. It is the most common way a cheap bathroom job turns into a five-figure one.

What a shower needs to be built right

• A bonded waterproof membrane over the whole wet area, not just a liner
• Correct slope to the drain, formed before tiling rather than hoped for
• Waterproofing carried up the walls to the full height of the shower
• Corners, seams and pipe penetrations sealed with the matching system parts
• A flood test before any tile goes on
• Slip-resistant tile on the shower floor, with small enough tile to follow the slope
• Movement accommodated at changes of plane rather than rigid grout in every corner

How bathrooms are done properly

Demolition back to a sound substrate, and an honest look at what is behind it. Existing water damage, rotten backing board and previous bad repairs are common finds in older Miami bathrooms, and they get addressed rather than covered.

Then the waterproofing system, installed as a system. Membrane, corners, seams and drain assembly from the same manufacturer, because mixing components is how warranties are voided and leaks start. The wet area gets flood tested before a single tile is set. That test is the difference between confidence and hope.

Tile goes on last. Shower floors use smaller format tile because it can follow the slope to the drain, and it should have real slip resistance rather than a polished finish. Walls can be whatever you like. Then grout, seal where appropriate, and a curing period before the shower is used.