I took a vacation in the middle of a shower remodel. The lady showered on Schluter for two weeks with no tile. It is waterproof.

The membrane over cement board not drywall. Schluter, Laticrete and others are OK with drywall. Problem being the drywall manufacturers have not approved their products for wet areas since 2006. Any moisture or plumbing leaks in the wall cavity will destroy your new shower from the backside. There are many foam boards also no the market. They very in composition and density. As stated above it is most important to verify the qualifications of the installer and I share the same concerns about marble on the base.

The point Joe is making is a valid one to ask any installer. Will their waterproofing method allow you to run shower without tile? If not move on to the next interview.

It's a very good system. I used it for waterproofing the large walk-in shower in my master bath 15 or so years ago.

A good argument could be made for using drywall under Schluter because it will obviously fail if there is a leak, and much sooner than cement board will. You're going to find that leak with the cement board eventually, and when you do, the devastation will be much worse.

The people who call me to re-strap a fallen sink are the lucky ones; they have an obvious problem. The people with brown gunk, a slow leak, and a sink that doesn't fall get blown reinforcement rods, a much worse problem.

So to all of you who know the system well would you choose to put in cement board and a hot mop aka old school or do this. Is there a difference! Or something else entirely. It obviously seems you need a highly qualified installer and this is not a diy project. Why no marble? Does it not work in this application with the Schluter system or are there other reasons? My marble shower floor has been down for 12 years with no issues.

Hot mop is antique technology. It only exists in CA via legislational interests that keep roofers a high paying side job. It exists no where else, because it’s been superseded.

Don’t get caught up in brands at this stage. Schluter is only the best known because of their marketing machine. Any good system from any brand will work, with the right tile contractor. Finding the right contractor is harder than you think. Use the link above, and find a CTI.

The foam wall boards with foam shower pan tray are a good system. That would be my preference. Whatever brand the tile contractor prefers. It’s lighter and easier on their bodies, and faster for you both.

Marble can have lots of issues with rusting, etching, staining, and water logging. Because it’s porous and damaged by acidic bathroom cleaners. Research that choice. But a porcelain lookalike would be far less risky.

"It obviously seems you need a highly qualified installer and this is not a diy project."

No. If you can follow directions, a intermediate level DIYer shouldn't have any problems.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC - Would you recommend this over traditional ways to waterproof, and would you be able to use a marble floor with this? Thanks.

Yes and yes.

@User - Why can't you use marble on the shower floor? I've had it in my master bath shower for 15 years. I haven't had any issues. Photo below.

Marble is a natural product so you must seal it and keep it sealed with a good quality penetrating sealer periodically. I sealed mine several times before they were ever installed to get a good barrier. I used it in my last master bath and did ok with it as well but you have to be very careful on the products that you use or it will etch the surface. Hair dye is also a huge issue. There are very good look alike porcelain products now and if you can fall in love with one of them you are better off. I also used the Schluter system in my shower placed over cement board. The folks here, Mongo being one of them was pivotal to my success. It is a big job and you will need to do plenty of research, but it can be done. I like doing this part because I have control over things like placing custom niches into the framing of the wall.

@jjaazzy - I have never resealed my marble floor in the 15 years it's been down, and have used all types of cleaners. I'm sure the whole floor is etched which does not bother me at all. I certainly don't notice anything. I have my hair professionally dyed, so I guess that is not a worry either. In terms of the Schluter system, I thought one of the reasons to use it was to eliminate the need for cement board, but I do get that if not used water can penetrate from the rear. One of the things I didn't like about the system, was their niches. They seemed to require a metal type trim around them which wasn't a look my daughter liked. Is that correct? Thanks.

No, that is not correct. At all. Edging choices have nothing to do with the waterproofing system. That’s a design choice. Prefab niches are the worst choice for niches. Custom niches that fit your tile layout without slivers are the best choice.

If you use the Schluter board, which is one of the foam boards talked about earlier, you won’t need either cement board or drywall, it’s the wall cladding and waterproofing in one.

Any of this is an advanced DIY job. It’s hard enough to find a good contractor to do it right. Which is why someone with advanced skills and a lot of time probably could do a good DIY job if they followed the directions and called the tech line when they had questions. It’s the “doing it this way for 40 years “ 40 year olds that seem to not read the directions.

Consult directly with the manufacturer and your tile professional. It’s too easy to get wrong information from crowd sourcing. Avoid any of the YouTube videos that do not originate directly from the manufacturer. They’re after clicks, not education.

@MongoCT - Thanks and I will check out your link tomorrow. This is for my daughter and her husband thinks he can do this himself. Is it better to use the foam board over sheetrock or the membrane over Durock? I have never heard of this as all my showers were done with Durock and whatever the old school way was at the time. I'm glad you can build your own niche as I don't find the Schluter metal edge appealing. Her shower is VERY small ( only 36 x 36), and she plans on using ceramic subway tile for the walls, and small hexagon marble for the shower floor. Do you see any problems with these materials? Is this how you would do showers going forward, or do you think the old way is just as good? Thank you.

Your son in law is who needs to create an account and read here. There’s nothing worse than a game of telephone, with information lost in the retelling. Also, and your family may be different, but a handy guy isn’t likely to gracefully accept advice well from his MIL.

Why don’t you buy him a TCNA handbook as a late present, and point him towards Schluter’s website directly? Have him post here too. The handbook is the industry bible for all things tile. If he reads that, and Schluter’s website, he will do OK.

https://www.tcnatile.com/products-and-services/publications/218-english-publications/188-handbook/960-2019-tcna-handbook-for-ceramic-glass-and-stone-tile-installation.html

As far as the decorative edging choices and niches, for the project, that comes down to skill and the tile chosen. Many tile these days do not offer bullnose tile. That leaves using the metal matching or contrasting edges. They aren’t as bad as you fear! Or the tiler can miter the edges together. That’s an advanced skill. You SIL would need a lot of practice on inexpensive tile before moving to the tile that they want to use.

Here are a couple of Schluter Jolly edges.

And here is a niche with bullnose.

And here’s one where the edges of the pebble were polished up and used. The Schluter kit is shown in the orange box. That make one for a 36x36 shower that has all the parts he needs instead of buying them individually. Buy that and a extra small roll of Kerdi band. Or, the 48x48 will have a bit extra material, for goof ups, and can be cut down. Buy from a real tile supplier, not a box store. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schluter-Systems-Kerdi-Shower-Kit-Stainless-Steel-Styrene-Shower-Base-48-in-W-x-48-in-L-with-Center-Drain/1000877582