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AMN Construction · Trade secrets · Tile

Trade 11 of 13

Tile, and the waterproofing beneath it.

In a shower, the waterproofing under the tile keeps the house dry. The tile is the finish. Flat walls and a floor that slopes to the drain make it look right and work properly.

In short

  • Grout is not waterproof. The membrane under it is.
  • Layout is the artistry: where the cuts fall decides whether it looks custom or cheap.
  • Large tile needs a much flatter wall and floor than small tile.
Drawing: Tile and shower waterproofing12345
  1. Membrane up the wallThe waterproof layer runs up the walls and over the curb. Tile is not waterproof.
  2. Tile on thinsetThe finish. Layout decides how it looks.
  3. Floor slopes to the drainTested with standing water before tile covers it.
  4. CurbHolds water in. A curbless shower needs more floor work.
  5. DrainThe low point of the floor.
A section across a shower: a waterproof membrane runs over the sloped floor, up the walls and over the curb, with tile set on top and a drain at the low point.

What you will see

In the order it happens.

  • NoiseLow
  • MessMedium
  • Your sayHigh
  1. Step 1

    Backer board or a membrane system goes up, and seams are sealed.

  2. Step 2

    The floor is sloped to the drain, then waterproofed and filled with water to test it.

  3. Step 3

    Layout lines go on the walls and floor, and the tiler sets a few tiles to check the pattern.

  4. Step 4

    Tile is set and grouted, and stone is sealed. Caulk, not grout, goes at moving corners.

How it is done well

The techniques that matter.

  • The membrane is lapped up the walls and over the curb, and sealed at the drain.
  • The shower floor is sloped to the drain, and tested with water before tile covers it.
  • Layout is balanced so that no tile is cut to a sliver at an edge or corner.
  • The wall behind large-format tile is flattened first.

The hardest parts

Where this trade earns its fee.

  • Large-format tile, which shows every wall imperfection.
  • Patterns that must line up through niches, corners and benches.
  • Curbless showers, which need a lowered floor planned early.

Think deeply here

Decide this before the trade starts.

These are the choices that decide whether the finished house matches the one in your head. Changing them later costs time and money.

  • Tile type and size, seen in your own light with a sample.
  • Layout and the focal wall, and where the grout lines land.
  • Niche size and placement.
  • Curb or curbless, and the drain style.
  • Grout color, which changes the look as much as the tile.

Ask any builder

  • Will the shower be flood tested before tile?
  • Can I see the layout before tile is set?
  • What waterproofing system is used, and who warrants it?
Before thisDrywall and plasterNext on siteCabinetry

All the trades, in the order you will meet them

  1. 01Site work
  2. 02Foundations
  3. 03Framing
  4. 04Roofing
  5. 05Windows and exterior
  6. 06Plumbing
  7. 07Electrical
  8. 08HVAC
  9. 09Insulation
  10. 10Drywall and plaster
  11. 11Tile
  12. 12Cabinetry
  13. 13Floors and paint

General guidance, not a specification. Your drawings, your engineer and your building inspector govern every job. See the whole process · Trade secrets home

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Updated October 2026

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