Built Around the Existing Structure
The Tile Is Only as Reliable as What Sits Behind It
Many Barnstable homes, particularly on the Route 6A side of town,
were built before modern deflection standards existed. A shower in
one of these houses sits on framing and subfloor that was never
designed to hold tile without flexing over time.
That movement stresses the bond layer, opens grout joints,
and eventually breaks the waterproofing seal. The tile
itself rarely fails first.
Tile of America checks subfloor deflection and framing
before quoting any shower project in Barnstable. We build on Schluter Kerdi-Board panels, which are waterproof
through the board itself, and add a liquid membrane
underneath the Kerdi system as a second independent layer.
That preparation happens before the first tile is ordered,
not after a problem appears mid-job.
The decisions made before the first tile is set determine
whether the shower is still watertight in ten years.