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Schluter Bathroom Remodeling: The Orlando Owner’s Guide
A full Schluter-system bathroom remodel in Orlando typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, depending on whether you’re replacing a failed waterproofing layer, swapping a shower pan, or gutting the whole room and rebuilding it with KERDI-board walls and a bonded Schluter drain. Most Orlando homeowners discover their Schluter system has failed the hard way: water staining on the ceiling below the bathroom, tile grout that stays dark long after the shower’s last use, or a soft spot in the subfloor near the toilet. The good news is that a properly diagnosed Schluter failure doesn’t always mean a complete tear-out – and that’s exactly where we start, with a real diagnosis, not a guess.
What you’re actually dealing with is a waterproofing membrane, a bonded shower tray, or a drain assembly that has stopped doing its job. Schluter makes these components well, but Florida humidity, hard water, and the occasional shifting slab in Orlando’s sandy soil all take their toll. Isaac Pruett and our crew have opened enough Schluter showers in Orlando to tell you what failed, why it failed, and whether you’re looking at a repair or a rebuild – before we ever hand you a number.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
Schluter’s bathroom waterproofing line breaks down into a few core systems, and the part you need depends on which one was installed. The KERDI-BOARD panels are foam-core waterproof wall substrates used in most modern Schluter shower builds – they come in thicknesses from 3/16 inch to 2 inches, and the panel size printed on the edge tells you exactly what was used. The KERDI membrane itself is the orange fabric layer, sold in rolls, that gets bonded over drywall or cement board with Schluter’s thin-set mortar. The shower tray comes in common sizes like 32×60, 38×60, and 48×48, with a KERDI-LINE drain (a linear channel) or a square point drain. If your shower floor slopes wrong or pools water, the tray has shifted or cracked. If the walls are failing, the seams between KERDI-BOARD panels were likely not taped correctly with KERDI-BAND, which is the strip that waterproofs the joints.
Schluter parts are not universally interchangeable. A KERDI-DRAIN grate from a 2015-era system won’t necessarily match a 2024 replacement, and mixing Schluter’s system with off-brand shower pans voids the manufacturer’s warranty. We install OEM Schluter parts when they’re available and match the original build. For discontinued grates or discontinued tile profiles, there are quality aftermarket equivalents, but we will tell you plainly whether the aftermarket part holds up to Schluter’s spec or whether you’re better off replacing the whole drain assembly while the floor is open. That honesty matters more than the parts markup.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Grout that stays damp for days after the shower’s last use. The waterproofing layer behind the tile has been compromised, and water is wicking through the grout into the wall cavity. In Orlando’s heat, this becomes a mold problem faster than most homeowners expect.
- Water stains on the ceiling below the bathroom. This means water has passed completely through the membrane and is traveling along a joist or drain pipe. By the time you see the stain, the leak has usually been active for weeks.
- Loose or hollow-sounding wall tile inside the shower. When KERDI-BOARD gets saturated, the tile bond fails. If you tap a tile and it sounds different from its neighbors, water has gotten between the tile and the panel.
- A shower floor that flexes or creaks when you step on it. Schluter foam trays are strong when properly supported, but a shifting slab or a failed mortar bed underneath will let the tray move. Movement equals cracked grout, which equals a leak.
- Water pooling in corners that used to drain. The shower tray was not pitched correctly at install, or it has shifted over time. Standing water in a Florida shower will eventually find a seam and leave.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
A Schluter bathroom remodel in Orlando runs $9,000 to $28,000, and the spread is real. A smaller guest bath with a tub-to-shower conversion using Schluter’s waterproofing system lands at the lower end, while a full master bath tear-out with a new KERDI-LINE drain, new wall panels, a new shower tray, tile, glass, and a vanity sits at the top. Labor is the biggest driver: waterproofing has to be done right the first time, and there is no shortcut that doesn’t show up as a leak within eighteen months.
What’s included in our price: the written estimate (not a verbal ballpark), all Schluter and tile materials, tear-out and disposal of the failed system, the new waterproofing installation, code-required plumbing and drain work, and a written warranty that runs 365 days from completion. If something we installed fails within that year, we come back and fix it at no charge. No change orders, no surprise invoices. The number you see is the number you pay.
See the difference
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
You can safely check a few things yourself: locate the Schluter drain grate and see if the logo and model number are still legible, check whether any wall tiles are loose to the touch, and photograph the shower floor from a low angle so you can see pooling. What you should not do is start removing tile to “see what’s behind it.” Once you break the waterproofing layer, you have committed to a full rebuild, and if you misidentify the failure, you’ll pay for a repair that doesn’t fix the leak. Water damage in a Florida bathroom is never a surface problem for long. It tracks down walls, into subfloors, and toward the air handler on the floor below. If you have a Schluter shower that is failing, call us at (850) 920-7745. Tell me what the problem is. We’ll figure out the rest from there.
FAQs
A properly installed Schluter system with the KERDI membrane and KERDI-BAND seams intact can last 25 to 30 years in an Orlando bathroom. The failure point is almost always the installation, not the product – a seam that wasn’t lapped correctly or a drain assembly that wasn’t set to the right height will fail inside five years, and that’s what we usually find when we open a failed Schluter shower. Call (850) 920-7745 for an inspection if your shower predates your ownership.
Sometimes, if the failure is localized to a single seam or a drain connection and the surrounding substrate is still solid. We’ll open the wall or floor only as far as the damage extends, patch with Schluter’s system, and retile. If the waterproofing has failed in multiple places or the subfloor is compromised, a patch job is throwing good money after bad. We’ll show you photos of what we found before you spend another dollar.
A tub-to-shower conversion using Schluter waterproofing takes 5 to 8 working days. A full master bath rebuild takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending on tile size, glass lead time, and whether we find damage behind the walls. We’ll give you a written timeline before we start, and we’ll tell you the moment anything changes.
We stock the common Schluter consumables on the truck – KERDI-BAND, membrane adhesive, drain grates in standard finishes, and edge profiles – and we order model-specific shower trays and non-standard drain assemblies from a local Orlando supplier, usually with next-day turnaround. We also work with KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone for any adjacent cabinetry or countertop work. If we need a part you already have on hand, we will inspect it and use it if it’s compatible.
Your Schluter Bathroom, Done Right the First Time
Every Schluter failure has a reason. Sometimes it’s a bad install from a flipper who cut corners. Sometimes it’s Orlando slab movement over a decade. Sometimes it’s just age. What you need is a contractor who will open the wall, tell you exactly what happened, and give you a written price to fix it – before any work starts. Call (850) 920-7745 for a free estimate. A real person answers, every time. We’ll schedule a look at your shower, name the crew member coming, and send their photo before they arrive. No surprise invoices, no pressure, no drama. Just a straight answer and a waterproofed bathroom that stays waterproofed.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner, Mason Remodeling Co Orlando at Mason Remodeling Co Orlando, serving Orlando and nearby areas.
