Wonderful Tile Shower Remodel In Columbia

Unleash your homes potential with a custom tile shower

As with nearly every one of our jobs, this one started with a phone call from the homeowner, Don.  He told me about his project and after speaking with him for several minutes I set up a time to go to his house and look the job over.  Once he had his tile picked out we got everything ordered and were ready to begin transforming his bathroom from cookie cutter to wonderful.  You can see the final results of our efforts in the video above, below you can read how the transformation took place.

Before Video

Getting Started

The very first thing we do on every project is to protect your home from the job.  Any time you're doing demolition it's messy.  We don't want that mess to end up in your home where it doesn't belong. The mess needs to stay confined to the space we are working in.  To keep your home clean we use plastic, drop cloths and a HEPA air scrubber.  We even put a plastic drop cloth over the bedding (if working on a Master Bathroom) to keep the sheets from getting dusty.  These items are set up and installed prior to anything else taking place.  Once the dust protection is set up (from the space we are working in to the exit of your home) we are ready to start demolition.  The shower is the only item being removed from this bathroom, so it seems like that is a good place to start.  While we are very efficient at demolition we are also very careful.  Only the items expecting to be removed are.  Even though we shouldn't hit a water line, we still shut the water to the home off and drain the lines before demolition begins as well.  Accidents happen and taking a couple precautions will help minimize the potential of a catastrophe.  All the job debris is also loaded up into our work vehicle and hauled off.  

Constructing the new tile shower begins

Now that the old shower is out of our way we can start getting things figured out for the new tiled shower.  As a Columbia Missouri tile installer the prep is as  important to me as the tile installation itself is.  With the oversized shower heads we find it's best to use our laser to make sure that both of them are installed at the same height.  Slightly higher or lower will definitely be noticeable and it's hard to adjust that after the tile is installed.  We have the tools to do it right the first time, so let's do it that way and save time (I've learned the hard way that doing things more than once always takes longer).  Since the water is already off from removing the old shower we'll use the same technique for installing the shower valves, locate their height with a laser as well.  

Building the wall to wall niche

Now that the shower valves are installed the next major item to be build is our giant tiled niche.  Normally we like to install the niche after we begin installing the tile.  I have videos of doing just that on our YouTube channel.  Since this niche is wall to wall we will have to build it first and that means very careful measurements.  A good tile contractor knows measuring multiple times and going slow pays dividends in the long run.  Mistakes can always be corrected, but it's best to take your time and avoid them.   Another concern I had with the huge niche is sturdiness of the wall, we don't want to weaken the structure at all.  We built a header the same way you would build a header for a door or window.  The cripples for the header are flushed with the two side walls, that's what allows it to go fully side to side.  

Waterproofing your tile shower

The last step before the tile installation starts is waterproofing the shower first.  As a Certified Tile Installer I understand that making sure every drop of water goes down the drain is extremely important.  A pinhole leak in a shower can be devastating to your home and a very costly mistake.  We don't take shower construction lightly, that's why we use a system that provides you with a lifetime manufacturer warranty.  Providing you the best installation we can is what we strive for on every job.  For a custom tile shower in Columbia Missouri that means proper waterproofing is a must. 

Installing the Pebble Floor and Shower Pan

A pebble tile shower floor is a great feature for any tile shower.  Installing each pebble by hand is the only way a true tile installer will do the job.  Yes, it's more work to do it this way but the results speak for themselves.  There shouldn't be any obvious sheet lines when pebbles are installed, that's the reason we do it this way. 

Final Touches

As you can see, there's a lot of work and planning that goes into completing a tiled shower in Columbia MO.  Unlike many other finishes tile really doesn't have a half life.  By that I mean a fiberglass shower will start to show it's age in less than 10 years, Onyx is about the same.  Don't put off upgrading your shower for when you decide to sell your home, do it now.  Tile that is properly installed will last a lifetime, that's why we guarantee it for as long as you own the home.  Call us today to schedule your personal consultation.  We are here to help you achieve the bathroom of your dreams.