Simple Mistake Leads to SHOWER FAILURE!! -- How it Could Have Been Avoided

Leave your comments and questions in the section below.

[toddmccormick]

Issaac, I would like to thank you for your time and devotion you have shown to the flooring/ceramic tile trade. I am a police officer who left a career as a flooring contractor after 24 years. There has not been one day that I have not missed being an installer. it brought me to tears at the end of one of your vidoes when you made the statement that "I love you guys" because being a police officer, I bought into the idea that I was becoming part of a brotherhood. the fact of the matter is that I have never been closer to any group of people than the installers I worked with for over 20 years. I am now looking at going back to the trades because I miss it so much. keep up the good work, you are an inspiration to many.

[John-xeyvfkwieba]

This guy should have like 1 million subscribers. He does such a great job of explaining all the facts and keeping bad situations positive.

[tedspens]

I hate seeing these tile fails but glad you post these videos so I can avoid making the same mistakes. Keep up the good work and keep sharing the bad work. Peace out!

[nancybatch]

The distinction between Hardi-back or Fiberboard and cement board is really important and thank you for pointing this out.

[Frankie]

One like = one prayer for all wood chisels abused in the trade.

[KpxUrz]

In other words, everything the first contractor did was wrong. The sad fact is that almost everyone gets stuck with incompetent tile contractors because that describes most of them. ---By the way, this is one of the very best channels by a skilled contractor that I've seen. Amazing to see the commitment to showing correct installation methods and discussing all aspects in great detail.

[Jorge-otfo]

Man, your honesty in your fail videos, tell a lot about you. you are not afraid of critics and willing to improve and learn from every mistake and turn them into a positive. I call that, been honest and a professional, thank you I learn a lot from your videos.

[silverchad]

The guy was improperly trained plain and simple. I was trained by my boss to use fiber rock back in the early 2000s and after I learned a few years later of all the problems I have since made every effort to never do tile like that again! Thankful for your informative videos!

[ensen]

This is the reason I try do to as much as possible on my own. It would be a pleasure to me to higher you, but there are so many contractors out there that just screw the customers over.

[davenag]

I will always use a solid piece of stone or quartz for shower sills, seats and niche sills. Pieces of tile are always going to allow water to penetrate into the curb through the grout joints. I will set them first, and fill the end gaps solid with mortar before setting the wall tile. This way, the wall tiles overlap the sill making it harder for the water to wiggle its way around and get underneath. I've seen guys set this type of solid sill after the wall tile and rely on a single bead of caulk to keep the water out. That's a big mistake. The sill is the most vulnerable part of the job, it needs to be done correctly.

[seanmellows]

This is a great piece, solid work going on here. I’ve got to say, I’ve seen a lot of similar showers repairs in my days. It never ceases to amaze me how bad/dumb sometimes.

[matthewlall]

Good day sir. I am from Northern Illinois and a customer reached out to me with a second floor shower failure. I was floored. They did a one coat hot mop for the liner and the felt ripped open at the drain and walls. Guess I'm gonna have some fun.
By the way, a quick tip. If I need to install my trim metals in place prior to tile install I will use a small dab of hot glue to hold it in place. Then I will embed it in thin set when tiling.
Have a great day.

[BuckRogers]

I rebuilt my curb with pressured treated 2x4 wrapped with hardi board. So far it is holding up well. About 8 years and tiles are still firmly in place with no cracks. I put no or screws in the hardi board on top of the curb. I glued it down.

[DANIEL]

I have never tiled a shower with hot mop nor do I like the schulter foam pans, all sand topping mix. I use the liner, then the sand topping mix and I even take it a step further I use mapei membrane and aqua defense on the step just in case.
Everything absolutely every wall covered with 2 coats of aqua defense, niches and benches sometimes 3 coats maybe over kill but I like doing it that way.

[AmandaHugenkiss]

It's amazing how insidious water is. Really takes a lot of thinking and planning to outsmart it.

[adubbelde]

I'm a DIYer. I did my shower and tub surround in my house. I know you don't use Hardie backer and you don't nail anything on the curb. I used Durock on my walls with a PVC pan over mud pack. I did that in my last house as well and there were no problems with the shower after 15 years. No nails in the Durock below 6" I made the curb from treated 2x4s and after wrapping with the liner I mudded them in. I also tiled my floor in the bathroom over DitraHeat. My substrate is 1 1/4" of plywood (2 layers of 5/8" glued and nailed.

[harlangreen]

THANKS TO YOU ISAAC I use the artex 8 plus 9 over schliuter board and i know its water proof...like a swimming pool...keep up the great videos to show what causes water leakage and tile failures.

[superiorfleetsolutions]

This is why I would rather do stuff myself. Messing something up and learning from the mistakes has lifetime value. Paying a contractor to mess stuff up has no off-setting value.

[matthewsaltzman]

Anything cementitious from backer board to thinset will wick moisture over time. Is it better than sheetrock, yes. But even hardy backer or durock should be kept up away from the pan.

[rontucker]

Issac I wanted to thank you for all that you do ! I just replaced my shower and thanks to you and your videos I think I made my shower bulletproof ! If you ever get up to Sierraville, north of Truckee, look us up and I will buy the first couple of rounds. Stop by the Barber of Sierraville as I am opening a new shop. Thanks again we really appreciate what you do !