Several years ago, when tile showers became very popular once again, I began to research the best ways to install them. I learned everything I could about showers. I quickly discovered that tile mastic was a no-no because it would mildew in the humid conditions, cement board was not waterproof, and green-rock would leak as well. I knew that the shower pan was a critical area because they could leak. We were always getting calls from people who had older showers with leaking pans wanting repairs (not ones we had installed). At that point, showers just scared me and I was determined that we wouldn't touch one unless we could do it right. I had seen too many done wrong and the risk just wasn't worth it.
Potential customers called and we were not in the shower installation business. That is until I ran across the Schluter-Kerdi product at a trade show. What caught my eye was a cardboard box filled with water that was not leaking. The wasn't just an inventive way to make a cheap drink cooler.
This orange stuff made this cardboard box completely waterproof. I had to know more about it so I asked the representative every question I could think of about using Kerdi on showers. Schluter-Kedi is a waterproof, resistant to most chemicals encountered in humid showers and it won't rot. They also had kits with pre-sloped pans and curbs. This was it, a way to be in the shower business without a chance of leaking showers. I scheduled John, the Schluter rep, to come out to Longview and train our installers on how to use the product. John came and built a small scale shower which we still have in our showroom.
We have been installing tile showers ever since. We will not install a shower without Kerdi waterproofing, even though we have lost jobs to others who don't take care to eliminate future leaks. If we can't do it right, we don't want to do it.
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