Category: Shower Installation & Repairs

The ghost in the wall cavity Fixing a leaky showerhead arm requires identifying the drop-ear elbow failure, removing the threaded pipe, and applying PTFE tape or pipe dope to the male threads. Most showers fail at the joint connection where the arm meets the internal plumbing, leading to water damage. I spent three days grinding…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor would not click like a castanet. Most guys skip the leveling compound because they think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. That same lazy approach to the fundamentals is exactly why you are feeling resistance in your bathroom…

Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. The homeowner thought the floor was just old. It was not. It was a failure of the foundation. When…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet, but the bathroom next door reminded me why I hate shortcuts even more. I walked into the master suite and the homeowner pointed at the tile. It looked fine at a glance. Then I stepped…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I apply that same philosophy to the bathroom. Last week, I walked into a master suite where the homeowner…

The friction of a failing foundation A squeaking shower pan is caused by mechanical friction between the base of the shower and the subfloor or the structural framing members. This noise indicates that the pan is not fully supported, allowing for vertical deflection that causes the material to rub against the drain pipe, the wooden…

The ghost in the expansion gap Shower drain gurgling is a symptom of pressure differentials within your plumbing vent system or a partial blockage in the P-trap that forces air through the water seal. This sound indicates that the atmospheric pressure is not equalized, often leading to sewer gas leaks or water damage beneath your…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. The homeowner thought I was crazy. They wanted the tile down immediately. But I know what happens when you ignore the substrate. You end up with a shower that looks like a spiderweb of failures.…

The physics of a flat plane in a wet environment Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. That job was for a curbless shower with a…

The physical reason your shower base moves Shower base movement occurs when the subfloor deflection or structural settling creates a large gap between the acrylic pan and the porcelain tile. This is a mechanical failure where the substrate cannot support the dynamic load of the user. Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the…