Category: Shower Installation & Repairs

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 have spent 25 years on my knees with a moisture meter and a level, and I can tell…

The physics of water hammer in tile showers Shower valve hammering occurs when the kinetic energy of moving water is suddenly interrupted by a closing valve, causing a pressure surge known as water hammer. This phenomenon involves hydraulic shock waves traveling through copper or PEX pipes at high velocity, resulting in audible banging and structural…

The hidden physics of standing water A shower floor fails when the gravitational force required to move water toward the drain is overcome by surface tension or improper substrate geometry. Most installers ignore the fundamental math of the quarter inch per foot rule. If your shower has a puddle, the builder likely skipped the pre-slope…

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 and think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I apply that same logic to plumbing. I once walked into a luxury bathroom where the homeowner was complaining…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet, and that same level of obsession is exactly what you need for a floating bench. Most guys think you just slap a piece of stone on some brackets and call it a day. They are…

The ghost in the plumbing lines Hardened grout in a shower drain happens when contractors or DIYers wash tools or empty buckets directly into the bathroom waste system. This portland cement based material is heavier than water and settles in the P-trap or horizontal runs, where it undergoes a chemical hydration reaction that turns a…

The quiet death of your master suite drainage A grout clog in your shower drain manifests as a persistent slowing of water flow, a white mineral crust forming around the drain grate, and a distinct lack of response to traditional plunging or chemical cleaners. Unlike hair or soap scum, grout is a cementitious product that…

The Mistake That Makes Your Shower Drain Smell Like Sewage I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor would not click like a castanet. That is the reality of this trade. Most guys skip the leveling compound because they think the underlayment or the tile will hide the…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. That job reminded me that the things you cannot see are usually the things that destroy a home. My hands still smell like WD-40 and oak dust from the transition strips I was cutting this…

Why Your Shower Door Sweep Is Scraping the Tile 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 same job had a shower door that wouldn’t clear…