I used to spend a lot of time in the Baths forum and there's so much that can go wrong. The Baths forum is really where you'll get expert technical advice from some of the tile pros.

Don't be mad at yourself. Showers are very complicated. I knew what I was doing but still had some issues.

I will say that a kitchen remodel is so much easier so don't let this put you off. I will never do another shower remodel but will gladly tackle a new kitchen.

I would not freak out just yet.

What type/ brand is the backer board? Durock, Hardibacker, etc?

Has the backer board been installed on the floor? If so, what is the thickness of the board on the floor? 1/4" thick is acceptable for floors as well as counter tops.

The Rhino stuff could have been used behind the backer board on the shower walls. One acceptable method of building a shower wall is to apply tar paper or 6 mil sheet plastic to the studs with cement backer over the tar paper or plastic. The Rhino underlayment is probably a superior version of tarpaper.

If this is how the shower walls were constructed, then no further water proofing is used. The seams are mesh taped and coated with thinset. Tile is applied directly to the backer board. (Meaning no RedGuard, no Hydroban or any of the other various waterproof coatings.)

ETA: You know that they used 1/2" on the one wall. One would assume they used 1/2" on all of the walls.

Cilantro, the board says Permabase. So, those two pieces may be for the floor, which hasn't been done yet. Thanks for easing my mind. It's just they really screwed up the demo, big time and every little thing worries me. Not the same people working on the shower. I did ask on the bath forum and only one person replied and they said it can't be used.

Permabase is a cement board. Basically the same thing as Durock.

I would want feedback from other clients that your installers have had. Were you about to read any reviews about their work? Who referred them to you?

If they have been doing this for a long time, it is likely that they know what they are doing, but that is not a guarantee. What kind of warranty are they giving you?

I renovated two bathrooms in 2019 in Cathedral City and replaced both bathtubs with walk-in showers. I used 24"x24" Italian porcelain tiles with micro-thin grout lines in both showers so that there would be less of a chance for problems, and it's worked out fine so far. My one problem is that one of the shower doors is sagging ever so slightly. If you will be having glass doors, you might want to look into what kind of warranty you will get with those as well.

First off....NOT having a GFI visible in a bathroom doesn't mean one doesn't exist. There could be one in the garage that your bathrooms circuit is wired to. If you want to be in-the-know? Buy a GFI tester, $5.99 This will tell you if it's wired properly....a visual won't tell you a thing.

I agree....don't freak out. Assuming they're doing a bad job isn't always the case. You need more details.

Lars, the same company did my roof, gutters and porch a few years ago. They did a good job from what I could tell and I read a lot of reviews of them and other companies in the area before I hired them.

Their demo people, however, cut a bunch of plumbing under the house and left it, including the kitchen drain for some reason. They cobbled one drain from the bathroom together and they don't have a plumbing liscense to do that type of work. I had sewage and kitchen waste water draining into the crawl space for a couple days until the actual plumbers came to change the old pipes to PEX in the one bathroom for me. I pretty much lost all confidence in them after that.

I am using porcelin tile also: 12 x 24 for the shower walls with 1/4 inch grout lines, although some of them seem to be bigger than that.

My issue isn't the tiles but my tub. Remember mgmt remodeled all the units? They hired company who used a spray coating on the tub (a very thin coating) and it's chipping away. Mgmt said they will fix it but they wanted to do it in January. I said no at the time because they needed to open the windows for ventilation. Not when it was 5 degrees outside. But here is a picture of my remodeled tub.

Kathsgrdn, go to the Rhino manufacturer's website - that should tell you if shower walls are an acceptable use. If it doesn't say, call their customer service and ask. They will be happy to help - they don't want their products to be misused.

ETA: actually I was curious enough that I called Owens-Corning. All the CS rep could tell me was that their products were made for roofing applications so they really couldn't recommend or comment on use as waterproofing in a shower.

But....did they use it/Rhino as a vapor barrier behind the Durarock or instead of Durarock? Need more information.

I thought you said...they may be using the Permabase for the floor....you didn't know if it was used on the wall...other than behind the shower faucet.....right?

Yes.