Essential Materials You Need Before Waterproofing a Tile Shower
Essential Materials You Need Before Waterproofing a Tile Shower
A tile shower is only as good as what's hiding behind it. Grout and tile are cosmetic — the waterproofing layer underneath is what actually keeps water out of your subfloor and framing. Before you mix a single bag of thinset, it pays to gather every material the job needs, because a mid-project trip to buy a corner piece or the wrong sealant is how leaks happen. Here are the tile waterproofing products what a proper tile shower waterproofing job requires, with the specific Schluter Systems and Laticrete products we stock for each step.
A Waterproofing Membrane
Every shower needs a continuous tile waterproofing membrane between the substrate and the tile, and there are two proven approaches. Schluter's KERDI membrane is a thin, flexible sheet that's bonded to the wall and floor with thinset, giving you a fully bonded, vapor-tight assembly right at the tile plane. If you'd rather roll or trowel on a liquid, Laticrete's Hydro Ban (or the faster-curing Hydro Ban Quick Cure) does the same job as a paint-on membrane with built-in crack isolation. Both systems are NAHB and industry tested; the choice mostly comes down to whether you prefer sheet or liquid application.
Waterproof Backer Board for the Walls and Niches
If you're not tiling over cement board, you need waterproof tile underlayment. Waterproof foam board simplifies things by combining the substrate and the waterproofing into one product. Schluter KERDI-BOARD and Laticrete's Hydro Ban Board are both lightweight, easy to cut, and waterproof on both faces. They're especially useful for building niches — Schluter sells pre-formed KERDI-BOARD niches in several sizes that eliminate the seams and corners a site-built niche would otherwise need sealed by hand.
A Pre-Sloped Shower Base
The floor needs a slope to the drain built in before the membrane ever goes down. Laticrete's Hydro Ban Shower Pan and Hydro Ban Modular Pre-Sloped Shower Pan come pre-sloped so you skip mixing a mortar bed. If you're going the KERDI-BOARD route, the KBKIT shower kit includes a pre-sloped tray sized to match the rest of the system.
A Drain Matched to Your System
The drain is where waterproofing systems most often fail if it isn't matched correctly to the membrane. Schluter's KERDI-DRAIN flange kits are built to bond directly to KERDI membrane, while Laticrete's Hydro Ban Low Profile Floor Drain is designed for the Hydro Ban assembly. As a rule, keep your drain, membrane, and pan from the same manufacturer — mixing brands at the drain flange is the single most common cause of a callback.
Seam, Corner, and Movement-Joint Materials
Flat field membrane only gets you so far — every inside corner, outside corner, and curb needs to be sealed as carefully as the flat areas. For KERDI systems, that means KERDI-BAND waterproofing strip for seams and KERDI-KERS-B pre-formed corners for 135° corners, which install faster and more reliably than hand-folded corners. Laticrete's equivalent is its Hydro Ban inside corners, reinforced fabric shaped for the same transitions. Laticrete also offers their new waterproof tape for tiles, in a simple to use peel & stick version.
Bonding and Sealing Compound
You'll also want a dedicated sealant for penetrations, fixture flanges, and the change-of-plane joints where tile meets tile at the floor and corners — this is not a job for standard caulk. Schluter KERDI-FIX bonds and seals membrane overlaps and penetrations, and Laticrete's Latasil silicone sealant — sold in colors matched to Laticrete grout — is the right choice for the inside corners and movement joints of the finished tile.
A High-Performance Thinset
Whatever membrane and board you choose, you still need a modified thinset rated for bonding tile to a waterproofing membrane, not a basic mortar. Laticrete 254 Platinum is the industry-standard choice here and is compatible with both KERDI and Hydro Ban systems; 254R Platinum Rapid is worth having on hand if you need a faster turnaround.
Grout and Sealer to Finish the Job
Waterproofing protects the substrate, but the grout still needs to resist moisture at the surface. Laticrete's PERMACOLOR and SpectraLOCK epoxy grouts are stain- and moisture-resistant options well suited to a shower environment, and a grout and stone sealer adds an extra layer of protection if you're using a cementitious grout instead of epoxy.
Putting the List Together
The short version: a membrane (sheet or liquid), a waterproof board for the walls and niches, a pre-sloped pan, a drain matched to that system, band and corner pieces for every seam, a bonding sealant, a compatible thinset, and a moisture-resistant grout. Pick one manufacturer's system end to end — Schluter KERDI or Laticrete Hydro Ban — rather than mixing components, and you'll avoid the compatibility issues that cause most shower failures. You can browse our full tile waterproofing collection to build your materials list, and feel free to reach out if you want help sizing a kit to your shower's dimensions before you order.