Part Two - The Roman Tub Bathroom Remodel- Repairing the wall

A good designer is a good problem solver. I love the challenges often presented by my work. At the onset of every project I try to anticipate all the known challenges but sometime you run into unknown ones and they are usually lurking within the walls.

An unexpected challenge to this project was the wood rot found in the outer wall of the shower once the old tile was removed. Clearly we needed to repair this wall before we could go on with the project.

How did the tile guys repair it? First, of course, they had to remove the entire existing framework because of the water damage. Then they had to pour a new concrete stem wall and frame up a new wall along the exterior block of the house for the shower. Once that was completed they installed denshield which is a ½” moisture and mold resistant tile board. . Denshield Tile Backer is listed by the Greenguard Environmental Institute as a microbial-resistant product and has the highest level of mold resistance under the ASTM nationally recognized test method. .

In order to level and square off the new wall, the next step was a mud float. I wish I would have taken a picture of this but I just didn’t think of it at the time. A mud float consists of chicken wire stapled to the walls to which they adhere a mortar mix called wall mud to float the walls. To float the wall means to take out any imperfections and make it smooth for the next step. Then you have to wait for this to dry. You can’t rush it and it must dry.

After the walls were completed, the tile guys then set the new roman tub drain and floated the floor to the required pitch for proper drainage. Once after everything has dried then they could start the waterproofing process. The material used for this was hydroguard 2000.

As a kitchen and bath independent designer one of the most important elements in my business is the strong team relationship that I have built with trade professionals over the years. The knowledge and creativity that I bring to the table needs the support of a variety of skilled professionals like my tile guys to give my clients the very best service they deserve.

Now that the new wall is in place and the waterproofing material has dried we are back on track.