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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 shower size, tile selection, and whether we’re repairing failed waterproofing or building from the studs out. We stock Schluter KERDI board, KERDI-BAND, DITRA underlayment, and the full line of Schluter edge trims on our trucks, so most repairs start the same week. Most owners call us after water stains appear on the ceiling below, grout starts cracking in a corner, or a tile pops loose and reveals the dark secret underneath: the waterproofing layer failed long before the tile did.
The truth about Schluter systems is that they rarely fail on their own. What fails is the installation around them – a seam that wasn’t banded correctly, a drain flange that shifted, a corner joint where the membrane got stretched too thin. That’s where we come in. Luca Romano has been tearing out failed bathroom waterproofing across San Antonio long enough to know exactly what went wrong before the first tile comes off the wall.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
Schluter’s bathroom lineup covers a lot of ground, but the systems we work with most in San Antonio break down like this: the KERDI shower system (waterproof membrane applied over KERDI-BOARD or drywall), the KERDI-DRAIN assembly, DITRA and DITRA-HEAT uncoupling underlayment for bathroom floors, and the full range of Schluter profiles – SCHIENE, RONDEC, QUADEC, and DECO – that finish tile edges and transitions.
The compatibility gotcha most homeowners miss: KERDI-BOARD comes in thicknesses from 5mm to 50mm, and the fastening washers and anchors differ by thickness. Grab a 12.5mm washer for 50mm board and you’ll strip the board before the anchor seats. The other one we see constantly is mixing DITRA with modified thinset – Schluter mandates unmodified thinset above DITRA because modified mortar needs air to cure, and the waterproof membrane blocks it. We stock genuine Schluter products because the aftermarket equivalents for waterproofing membranes simply don’t carry the same warranty chain. For tile, we work with Cambria, Silestone, and KraftMaid cabinetry to round out the full remodel. Sawyer Remodel San Antonio is an independent contractor – we’re not affiliated with Schluter, but we install their systems by their specs because the specs work.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Grout cracking in the corners where walls meet. Corners are movement joints. If the installer skipped the KERDI-BAND or used grout instead of silicone at the change of plane, the grout cracks, and water gets behind the tile.
- Water stains on the ceiling below the bathroom. This is the one that gets people calling at 9pm. A stain means water has already passed through the waterproofing layer – the leak isn’t starting, it’s been running for weeks.
- A musty smell that won’t go away, even after cleaning. That’s mold feeding on moisture trapped in the substrate. Schluter’s foam board doesn’t rot, but the framing behind it does, and San Antonio’s humidity makes it worse.
- Loose or hollow-sounding tiles on the shower floor. That means water got under the tile and broke the bond. Schluter’s DITRA on the shower pan won’t save you if the drain membrane wasn’t sealed correctly at the flange.
- Efflorescence – a white, chalky residue on the tile surface. Water is evaporating through the grout and leaving mineral deposits behind. That water is passing through the wall cavity on its way out.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In San Antonio, a Schluter bathroom remodel runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed. The spread depends on what we’re fixing. A shower-only Schluter rebuild with standard tile sits around $9,000 to $14,000. A full bathroom gut – Schluter shower system, DITRA-HEAT floor, new vanity, new fixtures – lands between $18,000 and $28,000.
Every quote includes the complete Schluter waterproofing system, tile and setting materials, demolition and disposal, and our labor with a written price before we start. No change orders, no surprises at the invoice. What drives the price up: larger format tile (harder to set level), custom niches and benches, heated floors, and moving plumbing. What keeps it down: staying in the existing footprint, using mid-range tile, and not waiting until the leak has rotted the studs – because framing repair is where costs spiral.
DIY or Call Us?
You can check a few things yourself without touching a tool: shine a flashlight into the shower corners and look for cracked grout or lifted edges on the membrane. Feel for loose tiles. Check the ceiling below for discoloration. That’s a homeowner’s diagnostic kit, and it’s useful information when you call.
What you shouldn’t do is pull the tile off to “see what’s going on.” Once you open the waterproofing layer, you own the water damage that follows. Schluter systems are only as good as the seams, and seam work is not a weekend project. One missed overlap at the curb, one poorly sealed screw penetration, and you’ve built a shower that leaks slowly for five years before it tells you. Luca and the crew rebuild these systems the way Schluter’s technical drawings show – full KERDI-BAND at every seam, flood-tested drains, and tile laid level enough to pass a machinist’s eye. If you’d rather watch than swing a trowel, call (432) 547-6806 and we’ll walk the job with you.
FAQs
A properly installed Schluter KERDI shower system lasts 25 to 50 years – the membrane itself doesn’t break down. What shortens the lifespan in San Antonio is hard water mineral buildup, shifting foundation movement in our clay-heavy soil, and installation errors. If the seams weren’t banded right, failure shows up in year two or three, not year twenty-five. Call (432) 547-6806 for an exact assessment – estimates are free.
No – and any contractor who tells you otherwise is selling you a patch job. Once water has breached the KERDI membrane, the only correct repair is removing the tile in the affected area, cutting back to dry substrate, and re-waterproofing with new KERDI membrane and KERDI-BAND at every overlap. Partial patches fail because the new membrane can’t bond to the contaminated old one. Call (432) 547-6806 and we’ll give you a straight answer on what’s salvageable.
A typical shower rebuild takes 5 to 7 working days from demo to grout. A full bathroom remodel runs 2 to 3 weeks depending on tile detail, custom niches, and whether plumbing moves. We set a schedule before we start, send you photo updates as work progresses, and hit the dates we commit to. Call (432) 547-6806 for a timeline on your specific project.
We keep KERDI-BOARD, KERDI-BAND, DITRA, DITRA-HEAT, drain assemblies, and common Schluter edge profiles on hand in San Antonio. Uncommon profile finishes and custom drain grates are usually available from our local suppliers within 2 to 3 days. If you’re mid-remodel and need a Schluter component matched to your existing system, call (432) 547-6806 and we’ll tell you what we have on the truck.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner, Sawyer Remodel San Antonio at Sawyer Remodel San Antonio, serving San Antonio and nearby areas.
