Homeowners commonly come in and talk about the problems that they are having with a shower in the house. Most homeowners are not aware of the proper techniques to waterproof a shower. Sadly, the contractors they have hired have not been educated about the proper way to waterproof a shower either. This ends up costing the homeowner much more than the products would have cost to waterproof- plus the added frustration of having the shower torn out and redone.
Shower waterproofing is necessary because it prevents water from wicking into the building materials, which would cause the shower to fail. Some of the warning signs of a shower that has not been waterproofed could include mold at the wall-to-floor transitions, effloresence in the floor tile grout joints, tiles falling off the wall, or mold on the curb or recessed niches. Moisture trapped in dark areas breed mold and can cause health risks; it also attracts destructive insects such as termites and carpenter ants.