What are the standards for properly installing tile in a shower?

QUESTION

I own a home, and we recently discovered the tile in the master shower is leaking. It has caused structural damage to the home. I've had tile installers tell me it wasn't installed properly. Can you point me to a standard for tile installation in wet areas? A cross-section photo would be helpful that shows the layers of materials that should have been installed.

ANSWER

ANSWER - There are a number of shower configurations that are considered acceptable shower assemblies depending on the substrate conditions you have and the materials that were selected for the substrates and other components of the tile assembly.

There should be a water proof membrane on the shower floor and walls, and it needs to be installed correctly with the appropriate transitions and slopes to drain.  If you have a water leak then the waterproofing wasn't done correctly for one or more reasons.

There is a booked called the Tile Council of North American Handbook Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Installations what shows and describes a number of different acceptable shower assemblies.   You can purchase this book by clicking on his link:  TCNA Handbook.  This might give you some insight, but there are other standards that it references for proper materials and installations.

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