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Shower Waterproofing

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Valid Concerns or No?

Hi all! Need some insight and opinions, please. I'll introduce myself as probably a contractors worst nightmare simply for the fact that I love to learn how things are done, so I spend a lot of time researching which leads to a lot of questions for him. That being said, I'm in the midst of a huge project that involves 2 baths and a basement under contract with a GC. These 2 baths have been completely gutted and floorplans revised to better fit our needs which included all new plumbing and electrical. We're finally to the point of putting everything back together and I'm afraid its gone sideways and heading to disaster. I am panicking and need to decide whether to ride it out or stop all work when everyone comes back after new years. I have no idea what kind of "system" the contractors want to call this nor what materials have been used other than just going off what containers and left over materials are laying around the site.

Heres what I know:

  • Packed mud bed in each bath with a plastic liner. No clue if they used a preslope or if the weep holes were protected.

  • Im using the Delta 4" tile in drains in each shower. They were set by the plumber prior to the mud bed being packed.

  • I see 2 different brands of "backer board": Hardiebacker Fiber Cement with Moldblock and Durarock with the smooth side and the textured side. There is also old sheetrock in the showers around the top foot or so of the walls.

  • Painted on membrane looks to be Mapelastic HPG based on the bucket left sitting here.

  • Curbs are constructed with 2x4 with plastic overlaying them and then wrapped with the Hardiebacker screwed in on top and outside. I cant tell from the inside because the floor tile is already laid and covering up the majority of the interior vertical rise of the curb. Each curb will be topped with solid surface slab. One bath is done already and no other water proofing was done before the tiles were placed on the side of the curb and the slab on top.

  • No flood testing was done on either shower at any time.

Visually, the finished products so far are very dissapointing to me (bad cuts, inconsistent grout lines, using bad tiles that should have been discarded). The lack of attention to detail in the finished product that I can see is really concerning me that the parts that I can't see are even worse. I am attaching photos of the waterproofing as it was applied prior to tile installation. I plan to bring my concerns to the GC this week, I just need to educate myself on how to present my concerns in a legitimate way so we can reach an amicable resolution. We're only half way thru this project so I still have a long way to go with him and want to have confidence in the work being done considering the investment. Please be patient with the pics, as mentioned I have 2 different showers going so its easy to get lost between the 2 and know what your looking at. Do I have valid concerns on the lack of appropriate waterproofing? If so, what is the best way to state these to the GC so he doesnt try to blow me off as being overly cautious? Thank you in advance!

Hall Bath
Hall Bath
Hall Bath
Hall Bath
"Back Bath"
"Back Bath"

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Larry S
yesterday

He's been doing it wrong for 10 years. It's just sub par work. Do it fast, get it done. No concern for correct.

You definitely need a 3rd party. Call another tile contractor. Let him come over and get a few laughs in. If it's really a problem I'll give you my phone number. I'm not shy about telling people they do terrible work

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