This is a common question. It seems like you could simply cut the old tile base out, correct the problem, retile the area, and call it a day. In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that – especially if you want a “one and done” solution.
The crux of the problem here is that shower floors aren’t like car parts – they cannot simply be pulled and replaced. This is because the waterproofing behind your shower walls and floor is wider than the tile itself, and your waterproofing system functions as an integrated whole. It is therefore very difficult to spot-replace your tile shower floor without creating long-term issues.
Most tile installers in Houston can’t get this right, which often means you’re back in the same position within a year or two, searching for a new tile floor repair. This is the point where homeowners typically reach out to us.
This exact scenario happened in the photo to the right, from a client in southwest Houston, TX. The previous shower base failed and was replaced by a contractor just before this couple bought the home in January, 2023. By the fall of that same year, the new pan had failed and was leaking into the walls.
Net result: there are two ways to address this. You can either have Simplicity complete your shower pan replacement, which will include one to four rows of new wall tile, OR you can have us rebuild your shower from scratch. The second, comprehensive approach, looks MUCH better and will solve your problem permanently.
Another contractor’s failed re-tile of a shower floor pan near the Richmond / Sugar Land area.
Large safety shower remodel in progress, with Schluter Kerdi pan – Katy, TX
Yes, tile CAN be waterproofed, low maintenance and long-lasting – assuming you hire the RIGHT professionals.
In fact, many “mud-set” showers built 50-70 years ago are still around today, and don’t leak at all. However, as part of the push for faster and cheaper housing construction, the “mud set” method has been largely discarded and forgotten by the tile industry.
Fortunately, there are new methods that are easier to teach and learn, which yield similar results. One of these is the German-engineered Schluter®-KERDI system that we offer.
Although it takes years or even decades to master the art of tiling, we can train up a skilled tile setter on Schluter Kerdi within a few days. When done exactly right, this system ensures you have a properly-waterproofed substrate to prevent water and moisture vapor from getting into the walls and wreaking havoc behind your beautiful tile shower.
When done improperly, or too fast, Schluter waterproofing can still fail, as will any waterproofing system. When a tile installer tells you they use Schluter waterproofing, that does not automatically mean that no matter what, you’re going to be fine – especially in Houston. Suffice to say, not everyone who does Schluter, does it properly.
In addition to Schluter waterproofing, we also use grouts that don’t require sealing, and 100% pure silicone in all shower corners. Pure silicone, as opposed to plain old caulk, is completely inorganic. This means it is not a food source for the pesky mold and mildew that loves to grow in showers. We specify these types of materials because they increase durability and reduce your overall shower maintenance.
When built and waterproofed correctly with high-grade setting materials, tile is one of the nicest and best-performing surface coverings you can own.
Your lowest-maintenance options are our solid wall systems, including Onyx Collection solid surface, natural stone slabs, and large-format porcelain. With these, each wall is made of a slab, rather than many small pieces, as with tile. These are not thin plastic/acrylics, and they look and feel robust.
While eliminating maintenance is impossible, our slab wall systems are going to be much easier to maintain than standard tile, hands down.
Note, the plastic/acrylic “one day bath” systems pushed by the national brands on TV and at home shows are NOT solid surface. These are often wrongly called solid surface by the bath company salespeople, but, in fact, they’re only sheets of plastic with a faux-look printed surface. “One-day” bath installs involve a number of quality compromises in the name of speed, and that’s not what we do.
If you want to stick with a tile shower, but still want to cut down on cleaning, there are several things we can do to reduce maintenance. First, we can install a true solid shower base with zero grout, while keeping tile for the walls. Second, we can reduce the size of your grout lines, while increasing the size of the tiles. Finally, we offer high-end grouts which are easier to maintain than standard grouts, and we exclusively install pure silicones for all corners and joints.
Check out our Shower Materials page for more information on the shower wall material options we offer.
Onyx Collection budget solid surface shower and tub surround remodel, Dec. 2023
Yes we do, and we’re here to help. If you have any trouble with a product or system we’ve installed, give us a call and we’ll get you taken care of. For most of our products, the manufacturers will send us a replacement part, and we’ll schedule your installation once it arrives in our hands.
We offer financing through our lending partners, and can help you apply online or by phone. Please contact us for details.
No.
If you have rotted studs, pest problems, mold, or plumbing issues, these will persist after your new plastic cover-over or spray-on is installed. Since we are in the business of doing things correctly, rather than cheaply, we do not offer thin plastic “cover-up” products that do not address potential issues behind the walls. Give us a call if you’d like to discuss a complete shower or bathroom remodel, with a full tear-out and rebuild using dust-conscious work practices and higher-quality building materials such as tile, stone, or solid-surface slabs.
We prefer to provide everything.
Candidly, when homeowners buy their own materials, especially tile, this approach has historically been problematic. It just makes things wasier if we provide all of the major fixtures and materials for your job. This way, you can depend on us to ensure that everything is sized and ordered correctly for your exact application, and the logistics are on us. This is why you hire professionals – to ensure snags and hassles are minimized, and details are managed properly.
Here’s an example of why this can be an issue.
Some time ago, we worked with a client who had purchased a certain high-gloss ceramic tile on sale. We told them the finish would likely crack and flake at the edges when cut, but they really wanted us to do our best with it. Unfortunately, as we feared, this was a discount tile for a reason. Our cuts made the finish flake badly, exposing an uneven, unattractive orange-brown ceramic base underneath. The client ended up having us paint these exposed areas to help disguise them, so this wasn’t a great cost-saving tile after all.
We will go to great lengths to avoid these kinds of situations through up-front, informative conversations. Just as with any other professional, you’ll likely have a better outcome if you stick with trustworthy guidance and expertise!
We do not offer these services, which we consider repair work. As a bathroom remodeling company, our specialty is renovations, not repairs.
We understand that life sometimes creates time-sensitive remodeling needs, and we try hard to help clients in a “pickle.” This type of project is called a tub-to-shower conversion, and we build these all the time. Depending on the scope of work and materials desired, there are situations where we can accommodate these requests quickly. Please bear in mind that a tight time horizon will limit your material choices.
If you are in this kind of situation and need service fast, call us to discuss your project, and we will do our best to work out a solution for you.
We are happy to do these smaller projects. While we often replace vanity tops as part of larger jobs, we do offer standalone vanity and vanity top replacements within our primary service area of Katy, Richmond, Fulshear, Cypress, Memorial, and Houston proper. We can help you select materials, inluding the countertop, sink, faucets, and any new hardware or accessories that are part of the project.
To get started, call us, or provide us your info on our Contact page, and we’ll reach out to you.
If we’re unable to answer when you call, please leave a detailed message so we know who you are and the nature of your project – in this age of SPAM, we often screen calls to maximize efficiency.
Our first step is a brief call to discuss your needs, wants, goals, and budget for your bathroom. Then, we’ll set you up for an on-site consultation with the company owner.
At our site visit, we’ll dive deeper into feasibility, options, and planning, and discuss concepts and ideas for your bathroom remodel. Once you approve our proposal, we’ll get started with selections, ordering, and planning for your project.
For larger and more involved remodels, our Houston-based design team will ensure your bathroom goes the way you want, right from the get-go.
Here’s a detailed description of our complete Process.
We provide general, ballpark price ranges by phone, for free. Also, we have a Pricing Guide on our website to help you understand the investment range required for a proper bathroom or shower remodel. and budget accordingly, so there are no surprises.
Instead of “free estimates,” which put you face-to-face with straight-commission salespeople who earn $0 unless they sell you a bath, our site visits are conducted by the company owner, our resident bathroom building expert, with 20,000+ hours in bathroom remodeling and an MBA.
We collect a small, refundable deposit for our visit, where you’ll receive expert advice and real value for your time, instead of sales fluff.
There is a 99.9% chance your old glass will not be reusable for your new shower. This is because the old glass, regardless of age, will not fit the exact dimensions of the new shower. Your existing tempered glass enclosure was sized to fit your exact current shower dimensions as-is, down to the 1/8” inch in most cases, and will break if it is cut or modified. This is not simply a Houston “thing;” international building codes require all shower glass to be safety-tempered.
Even if your new shower will be the exact same size as the old, something will be at least slightly different; whether curb height, wall tile thickness, the exact angle of the new tile, etc. This means the enclosure would have gaps in certain areas, or be too large in others, which is not good. With this in mind, we always plan on disposing of your old shower glass and ordering fresh glass with a new shower remodel. Until someone invents a method to cut tempered glass (!), this is what you should expect when remodeling your shower.
No, unless we’re doing a large or detailed project like a master bathroom.
This question usually comes from customers who have experienced a disorganized or inexperiencedcontractor. When these contractors run into problems they don’t know how to address, they often punt. Meeting a reasonable timetables with your bath remodel is a function of two thing. The first is your contractor’s organization and project management skills. The second is his or her experience and know-how when it comes to potential issues and how to address them.
We recommend working with a professional company that will provide you with a single point of contact throughout your remodel. This person should be expected to communicate clearly and explain any problems which are encountered.
Yes, we offer bathroom and tile work for nicer restaurants, hotels, offices, retail spaces, and senior care facilities. In fact, we have worked for a Houston-area Dillard’s and the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston, among other commercial spaces.
In general, many commercial spaces could use some professional help from detail-oriented folks like us. Poor tile work is very noticeable to your clientele, and it’s a major eyesore forever (until you fix it!). From this perspective, it is ABSOLUTELY worth spending the extra money to have proper tile work the first time.
At Simplicity, we use high quality materials and proper installation techniques, so there won’t be any trouble down the road. If you ever have a problem, we will take your call and address any issues. If that level of dependability, reliability, and quality are more important than a cheap bid, we’re the team for the job.
We can build your step, or threshold height, anywhere from 0” to 5” high, depending on the style and material of the shower floor you select – and we offer tile, cast iron, and solid surface shower bases. Some of our clients need a roll-in or ramped threshold for handicapped or wheelchair accessibility, and we can accommodate this as well. In these safety-oriented situations, all our solutions include non-slip floors for maximum “grip” – without sacrificing ease of cleaning.
Here is a list of things we’ve run into over the years during remodels. This list is not comprehensive!
…and the list goes on.
Often times, these issues are not forseeable, and the fact is, they can cause delays, and sometimes, additional costs to resolve.
We will inform you of ANY issues as soon as we find them, then come to you with photo documentation, a clear plan of action, and the total of any additional costs which are necessary. With your approval, we’ll resolve any issues and move forward with the rest of the work.
Contact us today to learn more about our how our flexible financing options can help you make your bathroom renovation a reality.
Simplicity Bath & Shower specializes in high-quality bathroom and shower remodels in Greater Houston, with a focus on careful design and craftsmanship.
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