Before & After: Longview Master Bath Tile Shower with Schluter Waterproofing
Starting Point: A Fiberglass Surround That Had Reached the End
The master bath in this Longview home had a one-piece fiberglass shower surround — the kind that comes with new construction and looks fine for a decade, then starts to look exactly its age. Hairline cracks at the base, impossible to clean grout lines, a floor that flexed underfoot. The owners were ready for a tile shower that would last.
Here's what we built.
Demo and Substrate
Fiberglass surrounds come out in pieces. Once it was clear, we inspected the framing — all solid, no water intrusion had made it past the surround. We built the substrate using Schluter KERDI-BOARD: a foam-based, waterproof building panel that's part of the waterproofing system rather than just a backer for it.
This is the key difference from cement board. Cement board is not waterproof. KERDI-BOARD is — and it's lighter, easier to work with, and integrates directly with the KERDI membrane system at every seam and corner.
The Drain
The owners wanted a linear drain — a long, narrow drain along the back wall that eliminates the four-way slope of a traditional center drain and gives the shower floor a clean, modern look. Linear drains also integrate directly with the Schluter waterproofing membrane, creating a continuous watertight system rather than relying on a clamped drain that can shift and leak over time.
We sloped the entire shower floor toward the linear drain — a single slope, cleanly executed.
The Niche
A built-in niche in the side wall for shampoo and soap. We built it using KERDI-BOARD, waterproofed all five interior surfaces with KERDI membrane, and sloped the floor of the niche to drain. A niche that isn't waterproofed on every surface becomes a leak source within a few years. Ours won't.
Tile Selection and Installation
The owners chose large-format rectified porcelain for the walls — 12×24 in a vertical stack pattern — and a smaller mosaic tile for the shower floor to accommodate the single-slope drainage. Matte finish, warm gray, clean grout joints.
Total project: five days from demo to final clean.
Planning a Bathroom Remodel in Longview?
We build tile showers throughout Longview and Gregg County. Every one uses Schluter waterproofing — because it's the right way to build a shower that lasts. Free in-home estimate, written quote. Call Kevin at (318) 250-4948.