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Schluter Bathroom Remodeling: The San Antonio Owner’s Guide
A full Schluter-system bathroom remodel in San Antonio typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, depending on the size of the wet area, the condition of the subfloor, and which Schluter components your existing build requires. Most homeowners call us after discovering water has found its way past a failed KERDI membrane or a cracked shower pan, and the damage has already started working into the framing. We stock Schluter-compatible materials on our trucks and can usually start a full assessment within a few days of your call.
The way most San Antonio homeowners discover a Schluter problem is not dramatic. It starts as a faint musty smell near the shower, a tile that sounds hollow when tapped, or grout that stays dark long after it dries. By the time water visibly pools where it should not, the failure has usually been underway for months. Isaac Pruett has walked into enough of these to know the pattern by heart: a small installation error at the seam, a drain flange that was never properly bonded, and somewhere behind the tile, wood that has been quietly rotting.
Mason Remodeling Co San Antonio is an independent remodeling contractor. We are not affiliated with Schluter Systems, but we install and repair Schluter waterproofing systems every week across San Antonio, from Alamo Heights to Stone Oak to the older homes near Woodlawn Lake.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
Schluter does not make a single “bathroom remodeling” product. It makes a waterproofing system, and the failure point is almost always at the connection between components. The core products we work with are the KERDI waterproofing membrane, the KERDI-BOARD wall substrate, the KERDI-SHOWER tray and curb system, and the DITRA uncoupling membrane used under floor tile. If your bathroom was built with any of these, this page applies to you.
The compatibility gotcha most San Antonio homeowners run into involves the drain. KERDI drains come in two generations and multiple grate finishes, and the bonding flange dimensions changed between older and newer production runs. If a contractor patches a shower floor with the wrong drain assembly, the waterproofing bond fails at the exact point water collects. We identify the right part by the model stamp on the underside of the grate and by measuring the flange opening, not by guesswork.
On the OEM versus aftermarket question: for Schluter specifically, we recommend OEM KERDI and DITRA materials. The system is engineered to work as a bonded unit, and a mixed-system approach is where we see the most callback failures. Aftermarket equivalents exist, but the savings on a $12,000 shower remodel are rarely worth the risk of a failed flood test.
Schluter KERDI-BOARD comes in thicknesses from 5 mm to 28 mm, and using the wrong board for a bench or curb is a common installation error. In San Antonio’s climate, the bigger variable is humidity. Our summers hold moisture against tile surfaces for months, which means any pinhole in a membrane has time to do real damage before anyone notices.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Grout that stays dark or discolored long after the shower has dried. This usually means water is trapped behind the tile, not evaporating off the surface. The membrane behind the grout is no longer shedding moisture the way Schluter intended.
- A hollow-sounding tile low on the shower wall or floor. Tile that has lost its bond to the substrate below is a symptom of water intrusion at the edge of the KERDI membrane. By the time you hear the hollow spot, the thinset bond has already broken down.
- A persistent musty or earthy smell near the shower or tub surround. That odor is almost always wood framing holding moisture. Schluter membranes do not smell; what they were protecting does.
- Cracking or lifting at the seam where the shower floor meets the wall. This is the highest-stress point in any Schluter shower system. Silicone caulk fails here first, and once the seal is broken, water follows gravity.
- Soft spots or deflection in the bathroom floor outside the shower. If the DITRA layer was installed over a subfloor that was not properly reinforced, the floor flexes, grout cracks, and moisture works its way through. This is a structural issue, not a cosmetic one.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
A full Schluter-system bathroom remodel in San Antonio runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, based on the size of the bathroom, the extent of the water damage behind the tile, and the specific Schluter components needed. Smaller bathrooms with a standard KERDI tray and no structural repairs sit at the lower end. Larger bathrooms with custom KERDI-BOARD benches, niches, and rot repair in the framing sit at the upper end.
What is included: demolition and disposal of the failed tile and membrane, inspection of the subfloor and framing, replacement of any water-damaged lumber, installation of the new Schluter waterproofing system, tile and grout work, and a written price before any work starts. We do not do verbal estimates that grow on the final bill. The number we hand you is the number on your invoice.
Every Schluter remodel we complete is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something is not right within a year of completion, we make it right at no cost to you. That includes a free return visit if a repair or installation fails, no charge, no dispute process, no conditions.
DIY or Call Us?
There is no safe DIY version of a failed Schluter membrane repair. The waterproofing layer is only as good as the bond at every seam, corner, and drain flange, and a homeowner cannot verify that bond without flooding the shower and waiting. What you can do safely: check for soft spots in the drywall on the back side of the shower wall, look for water staining on the ceiling below a second-floor bathroom, and run the exhaust fan to slow the moisture load while you wait for a professional assessment.
Where DIY goes wrong: a homeowner patches the grout or caulks the visible seam, the water keeps moving behind the tile, and the rot spreads while everything looks fine from the outside. By the time the problem becomes visible again, the repair has doubled in scope. If you suspect a Schluter failure in San Antonio, call us at (254) 269-5071. We will tell you what we are looking for before we ever walk through your door.
FAQs
A properly installed Schluter KERDI system should last 20 to 30 years without a waterproofing failure, and the tile work should last even longer. What shortens that lifespan in San Antonio is installation error at the seams and drain flange, not the materials themselves.
Rarely. By the time the failure is visible, water has typically reached the framing and the membrane must be removed and reinstalled around the affected area. A full assessment is the only honest answer, and that starts with a phone call to (254) 269-5071.
Most full Schluter bathroom remodels take two to three weeks from demolition to grout sealing, depending on the extent of the water damage uncovered during the tear-out. Larger bathrooms with custom niches and benches can take four weeks.
We keep KERDI membrane, KERDI-BAND seam tape, drain flange assemblies, and DITRA uncoupling membrane in stock on our trucks, along with the bonding mortars and sealants those products require. That means less waiting between the assessment and the first day of work.
If your Schluter bathroom is showing signs of failure in San Antonio, call (254) 269-5071. We will give you a written price before a single tool is unpacked, and you will know exactly who is coming to your door before they arrive. Know who’s coming, know what it costs, know it’s covered, that’s the whole job before the job starts.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner, Mason Remodeling Co San Antonio at Mason Remodeling Co San Antonio, serving San Antonio and nearby areas.
