Some of the bathrooms Kitchen and Bath Experts remodels in Richmond look fine until we take the tile down. Behind it we find soft drywall, rotted studs or a subfloor stained by years of slow leaks. Almost every time, the cause is one of two things: no real waterproofing behind the tile, or a bathroom that never dries out. Richmond's long, humid summers make both problems worse. This is the part of a bathroom you never see, and it is the part that decides how long the remodel lasts.
Tile and grout are not waterproof
Porcelain tile sheds water, but cement grout is porous and absorbs it, and every shower wall has hundreds of feet of grout lines. Water that gets through has to be stopped by a layer behind the tile. Older showers often have tile set on plain drywall or "green board," which is moisture-resistant, not waterproof.
A properly built shower has one of these behind the tile:
- A sheet membrane bonded over the backer board, with sealed seams and corners.
- A liquid-applied membrane rolled or troweled on in coats to a specified thickness.
- A traditional mortar bed with a waterproof pan liner on the floor, built by an experienced tile setter.
Any of these can work. What matters is that the system is complete: walls, floor, niches, the bench, and every corner and seam are tied together, and the floor drain is connected to the membrane.
The shower floor does the hardest work
- The floor must slope to the drain, generally about 1/4 inch per foot, so water does not sit in corners.
- Niches and benches need their own slope and waterproofing; flat shelves that hold water are a common failure point.
- Before tile goes on, a well-built shower floor is often flood tested: the drain is plugged and the pan holds water for a day to confirm there are no leaks.
Ventilation: Richmond's humidity problem
A shower can put a lot of moisture into a small room, and in July the outdoor air is already humid. Without a good exhaust fan, that moisture soaks into drywall, paint and grout and feeds mold.
- Size the fan to the room. A common rule of thumb is at least 1 CFM of airflow per square foot of floor in bathrooms up to about 100 square feet; a 5×8 bath needs at least 50 CFM, and a large primary bath with a big shower needs more.
- Vent it outdoors. The fan must duct to the outside, not into the attic or a soffit where moist air can drift back in. Building codes require bathroom exhaust to discharge outdoors.
- Pick a quiet fan. If it is loud, nobody runs it. Look for a low sone rating.
- Let it run. A humidity-sensing or timer control keeps the fan running until the room dries out, usually about 20 minutes after a shower.
- Use a separate fan in the shower for large primary baths, especially with a steam shower.
Signs your shower is failing
- Grout that keeps cracking or turning dark at the bottom of the walls
- Loose or hollow-sounding tiles
- Caulk that keeps peeling at the tub or shower base
- A musty smell that does not go away
- Soft or stained drywall, or a stained ceiling below an upstairs bathroom
- Peeling paint or mold on the ceiling
If you see several of these, regrouting will not fix it. The water has already gotten behind the tile, and the shower needs to be rebuilt down to the studs. In older Richmond homes, we often find this along with other hidden issues; see our guide to remodeling an older Richmond home.
What we do on every shower
Kitchen and Bath Experts removes the old shower down to the framing, repairs any damage we find, installs a complete waterproofing system with a sloped floor, and tests it before any tile is set. We size the exhaust fan to the room and duct it outdoors. These steps are part of the price on every bathroom we build, not optional extras. For typical budgets, see our bathroom remodel cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a leaking shower be fixed without removing the tile? If the leak is at a valve or a failed caulk joint, sometimes. If water is getting behind the tile, the shower needs to be rebuilt to fix it properly.
What size bathroom fan do I need? At least 1 CFM per square foot of floor for most bathrooms up to 100 square feet, with a minimum of about 50 CFM. Larger rooms and big showers need more.
Does a bathroom fan need to vent outside? Yes. Venting into the attic puts moisture where it can cause mold and rot.
Build a shower that lasts
We will look at your current shower, tell you honestly whether it can be repaired or needs to be rebuilt, and give you one fixed price. Schedule a free in-home consultation or see our walk-in showers in the gallery.