10/30/2026
This is a shower in Mashpee, halfway through.
Those ridges on the curb are thinset, the mortar that holds the tile. We comb it with a notched trowel so every piece gets full contact underneath. Flat spots or air pockets under tile are what crack later, usually a year or two in.
The walls behind it are still cement backer board, screwed into the studs, with the seams taped. That board does not swell or soften when it gets wet, which is why we use it in showers instead of regular drywall.
The floor is already set but not grouted. We let the thinset cure before grout goes in, so nothing shifts while we work.
None of this will be visible when the bathroom is done. All of it decides whether the tile is still tight in 10 years.
Every one of these steps is written in your proposal, in order, with the materials named.
So you can look at a photo like this and know exactly what stage your job is in.
If you have a bathroom project in mind and want to know what we’d check in your house first, send me a message.
Hyannis, MA, Nilson Guasti, Owner & Founder
