Bathroom remodeling done so it stays dry

Where bathrooms go wrong

The failure is nearly always waterproofing, and it is invisible for years. Tile is not waterproof and neither is grout — water passes through both. What keeps water out of your framing is the membrane underneath, the way the pan is sloped, and how the corners and the curb are detailed.

A shower built on plain drywall with tile stuck to it will look identical to a properly built one on the day it is finished. The difference shows up as a soft floor, a stain on the ceiling below, or black mould at the base of the curb. By then the fix is the whole shower again.

So when you compare bathroom quotes, ask each contractor what goes behind the tile. It is the single most useful question you can ask, and the answers will not all be the same.

What is usually in a bathroom remodel

• Demolition down to studs and subfloor, where the job calls for it
• Any plumbing that needs relocating — moving a toilet or converting a tub to a walk-in shower
• Electrical: GFCI protection, lighting, and an exhaust fan that actually vents outside
• Waterproofing and backer board, sloped shower pan, properly detailed corners and curb
• Tile — floor, walls, shower, niche
• Vanity, top, sink, faucet, toilet, shower valve and trim
• Glass enclosure, measured after tile is set, not before
• Paint, trim and accessories

Tub out, walk-in shower in

This is the most common request we get, and it is a good one — a curbless or low-curb shower is easier to use and makes a small bathroom feel bigger. Two things to know before you decide.

First, the drain usually has to move. A tub drain sits at one end; a shower drain sits in the middle. That means opening the floor and working from below, which is straightforward on a first-floor bathroom over a basement and more involved on a second floor.

Second, if this is the only tub in the house, think about resale. Buyers with small children look for one. If you have another full bath with a tub, that concern disappears.

Ventilation is not optional

An exhaust fan that dumps into the attic instead of outside is one of the most common defects we find in older houses in this area. It puts every shower's worth of moisture into your roof structure. If yours is not ducted to the outside, we fix that as part of the job — it is cheap while the ceiling is open and expensive later.

Permits and timeline

Moving plumbing or altering electrical needs a permit in Palatine, and the rough-in gets inspected before anything is closed up. A cosmetic refresh — new vanity, new toilet in the same spot, paint — generally does not. The Village confirms at plan review.

A bathroom is a small room but a long list of trades, and several stages have to cure or set before the next one starts. Tile, waterproofing and grout all have wait times you cannot compress. If it is your only bathroom, tell us on the first visit and we will sequence the work around that.

Common questions