Shower Pan Repair

A shower that leaks does not look like a leak. It looks like a stain on a ceiling, a soft spot in a hallway floor, or grout that stays dark for days. By then the water has been moving for months, and re-grouting will not stop it.

How you know it is the pan, not the grout

  • A stain or a bubble on the ceiling of the room below the bathroom
  • Flooring outside the shower that lifts, cups or feels soft underfoot
  • Grout at the bottom row that stays damp long after the shower is off
  • A musty smell in the bathroom that cleaning does not fix
  • Loose or hollow-sounding tile along the base of the walls
  • Water showing up at the threshold instead of draining away

Grout is not waterproof and was never meant to be. The waterproofing lives under the tile: a liner or membrane that catches water and carries it to the drain. When that layer fails, the tile above it can still look perfect while the structure underneath rots.

What the work actually involves

Find the source before opening anything

Guessing is what makes these jobs expensive. On one Denver job the water had already reached the ceiling of the room below, so we opened the ceiling first and watched where it came through. That told us exactly how much had to come out, and how much could stay.

Take out only what the damage requires

If the wall tile above is sound, it stays. We have rebuilt pans in Elizabeth and Commerce City where only the base and the bottom rows came out and the rest of the shower was never touched. Less demolition means a shorter job and a smaller bill.

Repair the structure, not just the surface

Where the leak has been running, the framing under it is usually gone. Rotted studs, bottom plates, decking and joists get cut out and replaced before any waterproofing goes back. Tiling over soft wood buys a year, maybe two.

Rebuild the pan the way it should have been built

A pre-slope bed first, then a 40 mil PVC liner turned up behind the wall board and dammed at the corners, the drain flange bedded and sealed, then a mortar bed set to a slope we check with a level. Then the tile.

Why pans fail in the first place

  • No pre-slope under the liner, so water sits instead of draining
  • Liner not bonded or folded at the corners, so it opens under load
  • Drain flange bolts left loose or the weep holes packed with mortar
  • Mortar bed set flat, or sloped the wrong way
  • A curb or bench framed in wood and tiled over without waterproofing
  • A previous contractor tiling straight onto drywall

Questions and answers

Do you have to re-tile the whole shower?

Usually not. If the wall tile above the damage is sound and well bonded, it stays. We cut back to where the damage stops. On several of our repairs only the pan and the bottom row of wall tile came out.

How do you find where it is leaking?

By opening the smallest thing that shows us the answer. Sometimes that is the ceiling below, sometimes the base of the shower itself. What we do not do is pull out a whole bathroom to go looking.

Can you match tile that is no longer sold?

Often yes, because we usually do not need much of it. When an exact match is not possible we will show you the closest options before anything comes off the wall, so you decide.

How long does a pan repair take?

It depends entirely on how far the water travelled and how much framing has to be replaced. We give you that answer after we open it, not before, because any number quoted before the shower is open is a guess.

Is it worth repairing, or should the whole shower be redone?

If the tile is dated or you were planning a remodel anyway, rebuilding the whole shower usually costs less than doing a repair now and a remodel later. If you like the shower, a pan repair is the cheaper and less disruptive route.

Where we do this work

We repair shower pans across Denver and the south and east metro, including Aurora, Littleton, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Greenwood Village, Parker, Commerce City, Arvada, Elizabeth and Wheat Ridge.

Send photos of what you are seeing and we will tell you what it most likely is before anyone drives out.

From the job site

What it looks like underneath

Damage found on real jobs, and the rebuild that followed. Nothing staged.

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What homeowners say

5.0 ★ across 33 Google reviews

Every single review is five stars
All 33 reviews on Google
GOOGLE

We recently had a subway tile backsplash installed, and it completely transformed our kitchen. It really tied everything together and gave the space a clean, sleek feel. From start to finish, the experience was excellent. Communication was clear, the project stayed on schedule, and the attention to detail really stood out. The tile work is precise, everything lines up beautifully, and the finish looks very professional. They were also respectful of our home and kept the workspace clean throughout the process, which we really appreciated. If you're looking for someone who takes pride in their work and delivers high-quality results, we would absolutely recommend Oleg from tilers4you LLC!

CJ
Charles Jackson
Google review · Kitchen backsplash
GOOGLE

Oleg did an absolutely phenomenal job on our recent shower tile installation. The work area was kept clean, and the final result exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend!

MD
Max Devyatov
Google review · Shower remodel
GOOGLE

These gentlemen are incredibly talented, professional, and competent at each aspect of remodeling, including areas with plumbing and lighting. They transformed our steam shower from ugly to beautiful and their workmanship was superior. I had a question about our plumbing after they had finished, and they came back to troubleshoot quickly. I highly recommend them if you are looking for tile installers that are reliable and highly skilled.

DH
Dorie Hoody
Google review · Shower remodel
GOOGLE

Evgenii and Oleg were great! They are very good at what they do, and our new kitchen tile looks amazing! They were very attentive to detail! They had very fair pricing and will use them for any future projects! Thank you so much!

CH
Connor Hahne
Google review · Kitchen backsplash
GOOGLE

As a designer... providing high quality work to my clients is a top priority. Gene from Tilers4You did an excellent job on this small backsplash... it was flawless. Client was very happy and I will definitely continue to work with Gene. Thank you so much for completing this project quickly even though the weather was such a challenge.

BL
Brilliantista LLC
Google review · Kitchen backsplash
GOOGLE

We are very impressed with the work. Gene showed up everyday and put in a full day. They cleaned up after the day ended and I highly recommend them. I will use them for future jobs!!!

NK
Norman Koury
Google review · Tile installation
GOOGLE

Gin and Oleg did an amazing job on our kitchen backsplash! They made sure our floors, counters and cabinets were protected. Their work was very meticulous and they were always on time and incredibly polite!

AS
Amanda Schoep
Google review · Kitchen backsplash
GOOGLE

These guys did a great job installing the XL slab porcelain. I am delighted with the quality of their work. They installed a backsplash and made tile steps that look very secure and beautiful. I will have more projects for you. Thank you.

KA
Kleiber Adame
Google review · XL porcelain slab
GOOGLE

Had cracks in my bathrooms tiles. He presented me with different options and I have decided to go with waterproof laminate wood. He explained the different options of wood and he helped me pick the right materials. He was able to fix my toilet leak seal as well. Honest person and those are hard to find. 5 stars.

AK
Andrews Kang
Google review · Tile repair
GOOGLE

Tilers4you did a fantastic job on our fireplaces! They were very detailed and did professional work. Highly recommended.

JS
Jennifer Squire
Google review · Fireplace tile
GOOGLE

Great work ethic and attention to detail. I really enjoyed working with Tilers4you. They were timely, attentive, communicative and clean.

KP
Kim Petrucci
Google review · Tile installation
GOOGLE

Very nice tile install in kitchen and bathroom. Both were difficult jobs due to uneven walls but it came out looking great!

JM
Jason Marx
Google review · Kitchen & bathroom
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(720) 301-1301
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oleg@tilers4you.com
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9430 E Girard Ave, Denver, CO 80231
Serving the metro & front range
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