Shower & Bathroom Leak Repair in Aurora
A complete shower leak repair in Aurora: we stripped the failed tile, rebuilt the water-damaged subfloor and tub-deck framing, and finished with a new tile shower, bench, and tiled soaking-tub deck.
Project Overview
This project began as a shower leak repair in Aurora, CO, and it shows why leak calls need to be taken seriously the first time. Water had been escaping the shower long enough to soak the subfloor around the drain and rot the framing under the adjoining tub deck. None of that was visible from the finished side of the bathroom — the tile hid the problem while the leak kept working. By the time we opened the floor, the repair was no longer about caulk or grout; it was about structure.
That is the frustrating part of shower leaks: they destroy a bathroom from the inside out. Water follows gravity through the smallest failure point — a cracked grout joint, a failed pan connection, a gap where caulk should have been — then spreads through plywood, wicks into framing, and stays wet in a cavity with no airflow. The surface can look acceptable for months while the wood underneath quietly loses its strength.
Our scope covered both the damage and the finish: strip the compromised tile and flooring, rebuild the subfloor and tub-deck framing, then rebuild the wet area properly — a new white shower base, tan wall tile with a decorative scroll accent band, a tiled bench and step, a soaking tub with a fully tiled deck, and chrome fixtures throughout. The result is a bathroom that is dry where it matters and better finished than it was before the leak.
Project Details
Location
Aurora, CO
Project Type
Shower & bathroom leak repair
Damage Found
Rotted subfloor & tub-deck framing
Approach
Rebuild structure, then retile
Scope of Work
- Demo of leak-damaged tile & flooring
- Subfloor & tub-deck framing rebuild
- New substrate & waterproofing
- New white shower base
- Tan wall tile with scroll accent band
- Tiled bench seat & step
- Soaking tub with tiled deck
- Chrome fixtures & trim
The Challenge
Most homeowners call us about the symptoms, not the leak itself: a floor that feels soft near the shower, a stain on the ceiling below the bathroom, a tile that has gone loose or hollow-sounding, grout that stays dark for days. Those warning signs almost always mean the leak has been active for a while, because water has to saturate the layers under the tile before anything shows on the surface.
The real challenge on this Aurora project was that nobody — including us — could see the full extent of the damage until demolition. We stripped the lower wall tile and flooring to expose the subfloor and the drain line, then removed the tile skirt on the tub deck. Each layer we opened revealed more compromised wood. That is typical for leak work: an honest scope can only be written once the structure is exposed, which is why we price the rebuild after demo, not before.
Our Solution
From hidden water damage to a rebuilt tile shower and tub — in the only order that works
Demolition to Expose the Real Damage
We started by removing the damaged tile and flooring around the shower and the skirt tile on the tub deck. Demolition is diagnostic on a leak job: every layer that comes off tells you where the water went. Around the shower drain we found saturated, delaminating subfloor; under the tub deck, the framing itself had rotted and lost its bearing. We cut back to sound, dry wood so the rebuild would start from structure we could trust.
Rebuild the Structure, Then Waterproof
With the damage exposed, we rebuilt in the only sequence that lasts: framing first, then subfloor, then substrate, then waterproofing — and only then tile. We replaced the rotted tub-deck framing, installed new subfloor over sound joists, and set cement substrate over the rebuilt structure. The wet area was waterproofed before a single tile went on, because tile and grout are not waterproofing; the membrane behind them is what prevents the next leak.
Not every leak needs this much reconstruction. When the failure is confined to the pan, a targeted shower pan repair can resolve it without opening walls. Here, the water had traveled too far for a spot fix, and rebuilding was the honest recommendation.
A New Tile Shower, Bench & Tub Deck
With the structure sound, the finish work began. We set a new white shower base and tiled the walls in tan field tile with a decorative scroll accent band running through the surround. A tiled bench seat and step tie the shower into the adjoining tub deck, and the soaking tub was rebuilt with a fully tiled deck. Chrome fixtures — including a handheld shower head on a slide bar and a deck-mounted tub filler — complete the wet area.
This is also why leak repairs so often become mini-remodels. Once the tile is off and the structure is rebuilt, patching a small area of new tile into an old, discontinued layout rarely looks right. Retiling the shower and tub deck as one composition gave the client a bathroom that looks designed, not repaired.
Project Gallery
The water damage we uncovered — and the shower and tub we rebuilt in its place
Technical Standards
A leak repair is only as good as the installation standards behind the rebuild
- ANSI A108.01 substrate preparation & general requirements
- ANSI A108.02 installation & workmanship standards
- TCNA movement joint requirements for all tile installations
- ASTM C920 elastomeric sealant at plane changes
- Caulk (not grout) at wall-to-wall & wall-to-floor transitions
- Rebuilt subfloor & tub-deck framing over sound joists
- New white acrylic shower base
- Tan field tile — shower walls & tub surround
- Decorative scroll accent band through the surround
- Tiled bench seat & step at the tub transition
- Soaking tub with tiled deck & chrome fixtures
The Results
The leak is fixed where it actually started — in the structure and the waterproofing, not the caulk line. The subfloor and tub-deck framing are new and dry, the wet area is protected by a continuous membrane behind the tile, and the finished surfaces are built to the same standards we bring to full remodels.
Just as important, the bathroom came out better than it went in. The tan tile, scroll accent band, bench, and tiled tub deck read as one intentional design rather than a repair. What began as a stressful discovery of hidden water damage ended as an upgrade the homeowner gets to enjoy every day.
What Aurora Clients Say
Marcus T.
Aurora
“We had a stain on the ceiling under our bathroom and figured we needed some caulk. They opened the floor, showed us the rotted wood under the tub, and walked us through exactly what had to be rebuilt and why. No pressure, no scare tactics. The finished shower and tub look better than the original bathroom ever did.”
Diane K.
Aurora
“What impressed us was the honesty. They would not just tile over wet wood, and they explained every stage — framing, subfloor, waterproofing — before it happened. The tan tile with the accent band is beautiful, and the bench between the shower and tub is our favorite detail. The bathroom feels brand new.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about shower leaks, water damage, and rebuild costs in Aurora
It depends on how far the water traveled before it was caught. The biggest cost drivers are the amount of subfloor and framing that must be rebuilt, the size of the area that needs new waterproofing and tile, and the fixtures you choose. We give a firm scope after we open the damaged area, because hidden rot is what changes a leak-repair budget.
Sometimes. If the failure is limited to a single joint, a failed drain connection, or the pan itself, a targeted repair can solve it without touching the rest of the bathroom. But once water has soaked the subfloor or rotted framing, patching over it just hides an active problem. We recommend the smallest repair that actually fixes the structure — no more, no less.
Watch for floors that feel soft or spongy near the shower, stains or peeling paint on the ceiling below the bathroom, tiles that sound hollow or feel loose, grout lines that stay dark long after showers, and a musty smell that never quite clears. Any one of these means water is going somewhere it should not, and it is worth an inspection before the damage spreads.
A real leak repair takes longer than a cosmetic refresh because the sequence cannot be rushed: demolition, drying, framing and subfloor repair, substrate, waterproofing, and only then tile, grout, and fixtures. Waterproofing and mortar need proper cure time between stages. Projects at this scope typically run a few weeks from demo to finished shower, and we confirm a schedule before work begins.
That depends on your policy and on how the damage occurred, so we never promise coverage. What we do is document the damage carefully for your claim: photos as each layer comes off, the demolition evidence itself, and a written scope of repairs. That record gives you and your adjuster a clear picture of what the leak actually destroyed.
Because shower leaks rarely announce themselves. A slow leak follows gravity down through grout cracks, failed caulk joints, or a compromised pan, then spreads sideways through plywood and framing. The tile above can look perfect while the wood underneath stays wet for months. That is why the damage in this project was only fully visible after demolition exposed the subfloor and tub-deck framing.
Light surface moisture can dry once the area is opened up, but subfloor that has been wet for months is a different story. Plywood and OSB delaminate, lose their structural strength, and can grow mold, and rotted framing only gets worse. We cut back to sound, dry wood, rebuild what was lost, and only then install new substrate and waterproofing.
An exact match is often impossible because tile lines get discontinued and dye lots shift, and a near-miss patch draws the eye. On partial rebuilds we plan clean transition lines so new tile ends where a joint or plane change belongs. In this Aurora project we retiled the shower and tub deck as one composition, so nothing reads as a patch.
Related Services & Resources
Shower Pan Repair Denver
Leaking shower pan diagnosis & repair
Shower Leak Repair & Rebuild Arvada
A similar leak-to-rebuild project
Shower Pan Inspection Denver
Leak testing before damage spreads
Where to Browse Tile
Choosing tile for a rebuild? Browse these retailers for field tile, accents, and trim:
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Worried Your Shower Is Leaking?
The earlier a leak is caught, the less structure it takes with it. We repair shower and bathroom leak damage across Aurora and the Denver metro — from targeted fixes to full rebuilds like this one.