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Bathroom remodeling that starts behind the tile

The tile is what you pick. The layer under it decides whether the shower is still dry in twenty years. We remodel bathrooms across the north and northwest Chicago suburbs as a licensed general contractor, from a single tub-to-shower conversion to a full rebuild after a leak.

Call (866) 992-2982 Book a free estimate

Tub-to-shower: usually 1 to 2 weeks
Full gut: usually 2 to 4 weeks
Plumbing by licensed trades

A tiled shower wall, cut open. The red line is the one that keeps water out of the house.

StudsBacker boardMembraneThinsetTile and grout

Where a shower lets water into the house

Grout is not waterproof, and it was never meant to be. Water soaks through it every time the shower runs. Whether that water reaches the framing depends on five places that are covered up the day the tile goes on.

1
The inside corners
Two wall boards meet here and move a little as the house moves. If the seam is not reinforced under the membrane, it opens, and water runs straight down the stud.
2
The niche
A shampoo niche is a hole cut into the wall. Its sill has to slope toward the shower and be sealed on every face, or it holds a puddle against the board.
3
The pan and the drain
The floor of the shower has to fall toward the drain under the tile, not only on top of it. A flat pan keeps the mortar bed wet, and that is where the smell comes from.
4
The curb
Water sits on the curb after every shower. Fasteners driven through its top, or a membrane that stops short of it, leak into the floor outside the shower.
5
The fan
A fan that is too small, or one that vents into the attic instead of outside, leaves the moisture in the room. Paint peels, drywall bubbles, and mildew comes back.

Which job your bathroom actually needs

Most people call about a look. What we write up depends on how deep the problem goes. The bars show how far into the room each kind of job reaches.

Refresh

New vanity and top, fixtures, lighting, paint, a new floor. The shower stays.

Surface workRight when the wet area is dry and solid

Tub-to-shower conversion

The tub comes out, the pan is built and sloped, and the whole wet area is waterproofed again before any tile.

Usually 1 to 2 weeksOur most requested remodel

Full gut and rebuild

Back to the studs, new waterproofing, new tile, and the layout changed if you want it changed.

Usually 2 to 4 weeksLonger with layout changes or village inspections

Rebuild after a leak

Wet subfloor, framing, drywall and the ceiling below are opened up and rebuilt, then the bathroom is finished.

Scope set after we open itSee storm and insurance work if it is part of a claim

Basement bathroom addition

A new bathroom where there was none, including the plumbing rough-in and the permits.

New roomPermits and inspections set the pace

Bars, left to right: finishes, wall and floor surface, waterproofing and pan (red), framing, subfloor and plumbing

Signs that call for more than new tile

You can check these yourself before anyone comes out. The red ones mean water is already under the surface, and tile laid over them will fail again.

The floor gives near the tub or toilet: A soft or springy spot usually means a wet subfloor. That part of the floor has to be opened and replaced.
A stain on the ceiling below: A brown ring under the bathroom is a leak that is happening now, from the shower, the drain or a supply line.
Tiles crack or grout keeps failing: Grout that cracks again after you redo it points to movement underneath, often a board or subfloor that has gone soft.
A mildew smell that never leaves: Moisture is trapped in a wall or the pan, or the room has no ventilation that works.
Peeling paint, bubbling drywall: Humid air with nowhere to go. Very often the fan runs but vents into the attic or not at all.

Is a quick surround over the old wall enough?

Panel and liner systems put in over a day or two are a real option, and for some bathrooms they are the right one. It depends on what is behind the old wall.

It can be fine when

the floor is firm and the ceiling below has never stained
the existing wall is dry and solid when it is opened
you are keeping the tub and the layout
the goal is a cleaner, easier surface to wipe down

It is the wrong call when

any of the red signs above is present
the old tile wall has soft or crumbling spots
you want a walk-in or curbless shower, which needs a new sloped pan
the framing is wet, because a new surface only hides it

Plumbing, permits and one contract

A bathroom touches plumbing, electrical and sometimes framing. The plumbing is done by licensed trades and inspected where the village requires it. We schedule them as your general contractor, so the whole bathroom is one contract and you have one person to call.

Vanities, tops and fixtures can be supplied by us or bought by you and installed by us. We measure, show you options at your budget and put the scope in writing before work starts. Call (866) 992-2982, or pick a time online.

Making the bathroom easier to use later

A tub you have to step over is the reason many people call. A curbless entry removes the step altogether.

We add solid blocking inside the walls while they are open, so grab bars can go up now or years from now and hold. Comfort-height toilets and vanities are part of the same conversation.

Questions people ask before a bathroom remodel

How long will I be without a shower?

For a tub-to-shower conversion plan on about one to two weeks. A full gut runs about two to four weeks, longer when the layout changes or the village inspects between stages. If it is the only shower in the house, ask about it at the estimate so you can plan for those weeks.

Can I keep my tub and only redo the walls?

Yes, if the walls and floor around it are dry and solid. We check that first. If the tub stays, the wall above it still gets a new waterproofing layer before the tile, because that layer is what failed in most of the bathrooms we open up.

Do you do the plumbing yourselves?

The plumbing is done by licensed trades and inspected where the village requires it. We coordinate and schedule that work as your general contractor, so the bathroom is still one contract with one point of contact from demolition to the last fixture.

Can you fix a bathroom that has already leaked?

Yes. We open the wet areas, replace the subfloor, framing and drywall that took on water, fix the ceiling below, and then finish the bathroom. If the damage is part of an insurance claim, the carrier decides what it covers; our part is documenting and building the repair.

Related services

Kitchen Remodeling Flooring Painting

Want this looked at?

We inspect for free, document what we find and prepare a code-compliant estimate you can hand to your insurer. Our partner, a licensed public adjuster, State Adjusting Services, can represent you on the claim.

Call (866) 992-2982. Free Inspection