Repair or re-do?
Not every problem needs a new floor, and not every repair is worth doing. When we look at a damaged floor or shower, we’re working out the cause. A single cracked tile from a dropped pan is a repair. A row of cracked tiles along a line usually means something underneath moved. Hollow-sounding tile means the bond has failed, and a leak means water is getting somewhere it shouldn’t. You’ll get a straight answer about which one you have.
Common repairs
- Cracked or chipped tile: the damaged tile is cut out and replaced without disturbing the ones around it.
- Hollow or loose tile: taken up, the old mortar cleaned off, and reset properly.
- Failing grout: ground out and replaced, then sealed where the grout needs it.
- Caulk joints at tubs, showers, and changes of plane: old caulk removed completely and redone. This is often the cheapest fix for a “leak”.
When it’s a rebuild
Some problems can’t be patched. A shower pan that has failed has usually already let water into the framing, and new grout won’t stop it. In that case we tear out the tile, deal with any damage underneath, and rebuild the shower with a proper waterproofing system, the same way we build a new one.
Dated, not damaged
Sometimes nothing is broken; the tile is just from 1994. Re-tiling a bathroom floor, a shower, or a backsplash is one of the biggest visual changes you can make to a room, and we can help you choose something that will still look right in twenty years.
