Waterproofing & Construction guides

How Shower Waterproofing Works, and Why It Fails

Shower waterproofing is a continuous barrier installed behind the tile and tied into the drain. Tile and grout are not waterproof; they are a wear surface that passes water into the assembly behind them. Nearly all shower failures start at a transition — an inside corner, a pipe penetration, or the lap between the wall membrane and the pan — rather than in the middle of a plane.