A Hidden Leak, Mold Behind the Wall, and a Rebuilt Shower in McKinney
A McKinney shower that was leaking behind the surround. Tear-out found mold, so the wet area was rebuilt from the studs out before any tile went back.
- Location
- McKinney, TX
- Service
- shower remodeling
- Completed
- July 2026
- Duration
- 1-2 days of on-site crew time
Cost: Quoted as a shower-scope project, with the mold remediation itemized separately from the rebuild
What the Customer Called About
The shower was leaking. That is usually how this call starts — not with someone wanting a new bathroom, but with damp showing up where it should not be.
What We Found
Mold, caused by the leak, in the wall behind the shower. This is the reason we never quote a shower off a photograph. Water that has been escaping the wet area for any length of time does its damage out of sight, and you cannot know how far it has traveled until the surround is off and the wall is open. Tiling over it would have hidden the problem and guaranteed a repeat.
What We Did
- Removed the old shower surround and opened the wall to find the extent of the leak
- Remediated the mold and replaced the affected material rather than covering it
- Rebuilt the wet area from the studs out, with the pan and waterproofing done before any tile
- Set the wall tile in a running-bond stack and framed the recessed niche in a chrome trim profile
- Laid the black hexagon mosaic pan to fall, and capped the curb in the same tile with mitered corners
- Fitted the valve, head and handheld, then grouted and sealed
Materials
Large-format porcelain with a vertical linear vein, set in a running-bond stack on the shower walls. Recessed niche backed in black hexagon mosaic and framed in a chrome trim profile. Black hexagon mosaic pan with a center chrome drain, curbed rather than curbless, the curb capped in the same striated porcelain and mitered at the corners. Chrome pressure-balance valve with a multi-function head and a handheld on a hose. Warm, heavily figured wood-look plank flooring outside the shower.
The Finished Work
What We'd Tell the Next Homeowner
When anyone tells you a shower takes a week, that is calendar time, not crew time. The crew was on site for a day or two of this one. The rest of that week is the wall drying out after remediation and the waterproofing curing before any tile goes on, and neither can be hurried without buying yourself the same leak a second time. So if a quote comes back faster than that, ask what got skipped.
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