BATHROOM TILING
BEFORE & AFTER
DARTMOUTH NS

About This Project

This was a full bathroom tile renovation in Dartmouth — one of those jobs where the homeowner had been putting it off for years because the old floor was cracked, the grout was black, and the shower surround had a soft spot that suggested water had been getting behind the tile for some time.

What We Found

When we pulled up the old floor tile, the cement board underneath had seen some moisture. Nothing structural, but it needed to come out and be replaced before we could tile over it. We always include a substrate check in our estimates, so this wasn't a surprise cost — we'd flagged it as a possibility during the site visit.

The shower had a bigger issue: the previous installer hadn't used a waterproofing membrane behind the tile. Over time, water had worked its way through the grout and into the drywall. We removed everything, treated the area, replaced the drywall with cement board, and applied a full waterproofing membrane before laying the new tile.

The Work

New 12x24 porcelain tile throughout — floor and walls. Large format tile on the shower walls with a linear drain. Matching grout lines throughout for a clean, continuous look. The whole job ran three days: day one for demo and substrate repair, day two for tile setting, day three for grouting, sealing, and cleanup.

"We were skeptical about the timeline but they delivered exactly what they said, when they said. The bathroom looks completely different — like a different house." — Homeowner, Dartmouth NS

Lessons From This Job

This is a good example of why we always do a site visit before quoting. The substrate issue was invisible until demo — but we'd flagged it as a likely possibility based on the age of the home and the type of tile installation. Homeowners who get phone quotes for tiling without a site visit are often in for surprises mid-job.