Custom Tile Showers
Waterproofed shower systems built to hold water, not just hide it.
How we approach showers
A tile shower is a waterproofing system with a decorative surface attached. Tile and grout are not waterproof, and no sealer makes them so. Water passes through grout joints by design, and what stops it from reaching your framing is the membrane, pan and drain assembly behind the tile. That is the part of the job that no photograph ever shows, and it is the part that determines whether the shower lasts twenty years or fails in three.
GMK Pro Service builds showers with bonded waterproofing rather than the old mortar-bed-over-felt approach. Sheet or liquid-applied membrane over the walls, a matched pan with the correct slope to the drain, sealed corners and preformed inside and outside corner pieces, and a drain flange that ties into the membrane instead of relying on caulk. Before any tile is set, we flood test the pan and let it sit so we know it holds water before it gets covered.
Slope is measured, not assumed. A shower floor needs about a quarter inch of fall per foot toward the drain, and a curbless entry needs that slope achieved without a lip, which usually means recessing the framing or the slab. Linear drains let a large-format floor tile run in one direction with a single plane of slope, which is why they have become the standard choice for 12 by 24 shower floors.
Then the layout: where the wall pattern lands relative to the niche and the valve, whether the niche is centered on the wall or on the standing position, how the tile turns the corner, and where the cut course goes so it disappears at the ceiling instead of at eye level. Bench and curb tops get pitched slightly so water drains off instead of pooling, and their edges get mitered or profiled rather than left raw.
Bathrooms in Kenner and Metairie sit in a climate that keeps humidity high year round, which means ventilation matters as much as tile. We will tell you honestly if your exhaust fan is undersized for the room, because a beautifully built shower in an unventilated bathroom still grows mildew on the ceiling.
Six things that decide the result
Waterproofing you can verify
Bonded membrane with sealed corners and a flood-tested pan before a single tile goes on.
Slope measured to the drain
A quarter inch per foot of fall, checked with a level, so water leaves instead of standing.
Curbless entries done properly
Recessed framing or slab work to reach slope without a lip, rather than a ramp that reads as an afterthought.
Niches built into the system
Preformed, waterproofed niches sized to your bottles and sloped so water drains out.
Layout planned around fixtures
Valve, head, niche and bench mapped against the tile pattern before cutting begins.
Benches and curbs finished right
Pitched tops, mitered or profiled edges, and silicone where planes change.
What is written into your quote
Demolition and framing
- Old shower removed to studs
- Rot and water damage documented before covering
- Blocking added for benches and grab bars
- Niche framing set at usable height
Waterproofing system
- Bonded sheet or liquid membrane on walls
- Sloped pan tied to the drain flange
- Preformed corners and seam bands
- Flood test held before tiling
Tile work
- Layout planned around valve, niche and bench
- Full-coverage mortar on walls
- Mitered or profiled outside corners
- Cut course placed out of sightlines
Fixtures and finish
- Trim, head and handle reinstalled
- Glass opening measured for your fabricator
- Silicone at every change of plane
- Grout cleaned and cure guidance provided
From the first call to the walkthrough
Assessment
We open the wall where needed, look for existing damage and confirm the drain and framing.
Scope and selections
Pan type, drain style, membrane system, tile layout and glass plan agreed in writing.
Build and waterproof
Framing, pan, membrane, corners, then a flood test that has to pass.
Tile and grout
Walls and floor set to the approved layout, grouted and detailed.
Fixtures and handover
Trim reinstalled, glass measurements provided, walkthrough and care notes.
Why shower failures are expensive and hidden
A leaking shower rarely announces itself. Water tracks along framing and shows up as a stain on a ceiling below, a soft spot in an adjacent floor, or a musty smell with no visible source. By the time it is obvious, the repair is not a shower repair. It is framing, subfloor, drywall and often the room next door, and insurance frequently treats long-term seepage as maintenance rather than a covered event.
The parts that prevent this are cheap relative to the tile. Membrane, corners, a proper drain assembly and a day spent flood testing add a small fraction to a shower budget. The reason they get skipped is that nobody can see them afterward, which is exactly why you should ask any contractor to show you the pan holding water before it is covered. We offer that as standard rather than on request.
Showers work in the area
Showers: the seven we hear most
Plan on one to two weeks for a standard shower: demolition and framing, waterproofing with a flood test, tile, grout, then fixtures. Curbless entries, large-format floors and slab walls add days. Glass is fabricated after tiling and typically arrives one to three weeks later, depending on your glass supplier.
It can be, but it depends on the floor structure. Reaching slope without a curb means recessing the subfloor between joists or cutting into a slab. In some homes that is straightforward and in others it is not worth the structural work. We look at the floor framing before we tell you it is possible.
You need one if you want large-format tile on the shower floor with a single slope direction, or a curbless entry that drains along the opening. A center drain requires four planes of slope, which means cutting smaller tile or mosaic. Both work well when matched to the tile choice.
Only if the pan is a modern bonded assembly in good condition, which is uncommon. Tiling over an old pan of unknown condition means betting the new tile on waterproofing you cannot inspect. We will look and give you an honest answer, but the usual recommendation is a full rebuild.
Two things control it: waterproofing that keeps moisture out of the assembly, and ventilation that removes humidity from the room. We handle the first and will tell you if your exhaust fan is undersized for the square footage. An undersized fan is the most common reason a new bathroom develops mildew.
It can, if the shower floor tile has an appropriate slip rating and the format works with the slope. Often a smaller version of the same tile inside the shower gives visual continuity with better traction and easier slope. We show you both options with the actual tile.
We prepare the opening, keep the walls plumb where the glass will land, and provide accurate measurements for your glass fabricator. Tempered glass is measured and installed by a glass company after the tile cures, and we coordinate that timing so the trades do not collide.
Usually booked alongside this
Porcelain
Large-format porcelain set with lippage control and tight, even joints. See this serviceBacksplash
Backsplashes cut around outlets, edges and cabinets without guesswork. See this serviceFlooring & Tile
Hardwood-look, tile and stone floors installed flat, level and square. See this serviceWhere we do this work
Showers jobs run out of Kenner and across Metairie, Harahan, River Ridge, New Orleans, Elmwood, Westwego, Gretna, Marrero and Destrehan. See the full service area map.
- Kenner, LA
- Metairie, LA
- Harahan, LA
- River Ridge, LA
- New Orleans, LA
- Elmwood, LA
- Westwego, LA
- Gretna, LA
- Marrero, LA
- Destrehan, LA
Get a fixed price for your showers job
Free on-site visit. You get the waterproofing method in writing and a flood test documented before tile goes on.
Free estimates. No obligation.
