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Floor Replacement, Start to Finish

Old floor out at the wall line. New floor sloped to drain.

This page walks the full replacement sequence we run on every Newington floor: how we protect your walls and glass, what the substrate inspection covers, the waterproofing assembly, tile and grout choices that survive bare feet and shampoo, and the flood-and-flow tests before handoff. If your pan liner is sound, we keep it and prove it; if it's not, the pan page explains the rebuild.

  • Surgical removal. Floor out to a clean wall line; sound walls and glass preserved.
  • Substrate rebuilt. Sloped bed verified or re-poured — ponding is never 'normal.'
  • Waterproofed assembly. Membrane lapped up walls and clamped at the drain.
  • Full-coverage setting. No spot-bonding, no hollow tiles — ever.
  • Epoxy grout standard. Stain-proof joints that stay clean under daily use.
  • Tested handoff. Flow test to drain + walkthrough before final payment.

Newington notes

Original Newington tub walls are narrow — two short walls and a plumbing wall — which is why surround re-tiles here finish fast. The failure point is always the same: grout gone soft at the tub line and corners. Most Newington replacements run day-one rebuild, day-two tile and grout: Half of Newington's tubs are cast iron worth keeping; the walls around them are not. Surround-only re-tile is the town's sweet-spot job. Shower again 24 hours after grout — timed to the hour at walkthrough.

Materials

The Newington floor rebuild

Six Newington shower floors, from workhorse mosaic to spa pebble.

Porcelain 2x2

Slope-perfect standard.

Unglazed quarry

Old-school grip, sealed.

River pebble

Massage texture, sealed twice.

Mini brick-joint

Lines with traction.

FAQ

Common questions

What slope does a shower floor need?
Minimum 1/4 inch per foot to the drain — verified with water before tile, not eyeballed. Ponding anywhere means re-do, on us.
Why epoxy grout on floors?
Shampoo, body oils and hard water destroy cement grout on floors within years. Epoxy is stain-proof and waterproof — roughly $100–$200 more per floor, worth every cent.
Do you replace the drain too?
We inspect every drain; clamping drains get cleaned and re-sealed, tired drains get replaced ($200–$600) while the floor is open — never tiled around and hoped about.
Why two days for ten square feet?
Cure times rule: base, membrane, setting and grout each need their hours. Rush them and you buy the next leak. Day one rebuild, day two finish.