Home / Bathroom Guides / What the Visible Finish Doesn’t Tell You
A BATHROOM WALL, READ FROM THE OUTSIDE IN
Most people judge a bathroom by what they can see: the tiles, the grout, the vanity. That’s understandable, but the visible finish tells you very little about the real condition of the room. A tile is only the last few millimetres of a wall built in layers, and each layer underneath decides how long that surface lasts.
I’m Ivan Bodnar, an independent renovation specialist in Melbourne. Here’s the wall read from the outside in, the way I look at it when I assess a bathroom.
THE FIVE LAYERS
Each layer below sits one step deeper into the wall.
Large pale wall tiles with straight dark grout lines: the surface everyone sees.
1
LAYER 1 — FINISH
Glazed tiles are hard-wearing, and a thorough clean can make an older bathroom look sound. But cracked grout, a tile that sounds hollow when tapped, or a hairline gap along the shower base can be the first visible signs of movement or moisture further in.
When I look at a finish, I’m less interested in how it looks than in why it looks that way.
2
LAYER 2 — ADHESIVE AND TILING
Adhesive needs full, even coverage, a product suited to both the tile and the surface behind it, and a wall flat enough to tile onto. Large-format tiles in particular show any unevenness underneath, so the levelling and preparation happen before the trowel ever touches the wall.
Wall and floor tiling is one of the areas I’ve worked in most over about 15 years of residential renovations. More on that in Wall and Floor Tiling.
A white tile positioned against ridged adhesive, with spacers along the joint.
3
LAYER 3 — WATERPROOFING
In a wet area, the membrane at the floor and wall junctions does the real work of keeping water out of the structure. Where this work is required, it’s completed by appropriately licensed specialists, and I can coordinate their involvement so it fits the sequence of your renovation.
My part is preparing the surfaces on either side properly and making sure nothing done afterwards compromises it. See Plumbing, Electrical and Regulated Work for where my work starts and stops.
Insulated pipes, plumbing fittings and conduit in an open wall. Regulated work like this is done by licensed specialists.
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LAYER 4 — SHEETING AND PLASTER
Once old tiles come off, the sheeting behind them is often damaged, soft or uneven. Replacing or repairing it with a material suited to the area, then setting and finishing the joints, is the preparation that lets tiles and paint sit true.
Plasterboard installation and plastering are work I do myself. Read more in Plasterboard, Plastering and Interior Finishing.
Joint compound trowelled flat to give a sound, even surface.
5
LAYER 5 — FRAME AND EXISTING CONDITION
When a wall is opened up, the framing shows its history: earlier repairs, old leaks, timber that has been wet, or studs that aren’t straight. Some of this can only be confirmed after demolition.
That’s why I tell you about any uncertainties early, and talk you through anything that turns up before the work moves on. Proper preparation and suitable materials at this depth are what make the finish last.
A stripped interior showing metal framing, insulation and exposed timber.
Prices vary with the existing conditions, materials, preparation and work involved, so a detailed quotation generally needs an on-site assessment. You deal directly with me from that first visit through to completion.
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