Most homeowners picture tile installation as a clean, satisfying process. Perfect cuts. Even grout lines. Crisp corners. A polished finish that transforms a space. And to be honest, that part of the job is fun. But it’s only about a third of what really happens. The part that rarely gets talked about, shown, or budgeted for is the tile prep. And that’s the part that actually matters most.
At Dynamic Tile & Stone, we’ve seen too many beautiful tiles fail because the work underneath wasn’t done right. And it’s not always the installer’s fault. Prep work is hard to sell. It’s invisible once the job’s done. Nobody walks into a shower and compliments the slope under the tile or the uncoupling membrane they can’t see. But they do notice when grout lines crack or water starts showing up where it shouldn’t.
Let’s talk about what really goes into proper tile prep, why it’s so often skipped, and what happens when you cut corners. Because if you’re planning a tile project, this is what you need to know long before the first tile gets set.
The Truth About Subfloors: They’re Usually Not Ready
Most subfloors aren’t ready for tile when we show up. They might look fine to the untrained eye, but tile isn’t forgiving. It magnifies every flaw underneath it. A slight hump in the subfloor becomes a lip between tiles. A little flex turns into cracked grout or hollow spots. Add moisture to the mix, and now you’re dealing with lifting tiles or worse.
What we actually do before tiling a floor:
- Check for deflection, which is bounce in the subfloor
- Patch or grind high or low spots
- Replace or reinforce loose or water-damaged panels
- Install cement board or an uncoupling membrane
- Confirm flatness across the entire surface, yes, the whole thing
It’s dirty work, and it takes time. But skipping this step is like building a house on sand. It might look good for a while, but it’s not going to last.
Want proof? Read our blog on Why Tile Cracks. Almost every crack starts underneath the tile.
Shower Prep Is a Whole Different Animal
Bathrooms are where tile work really gets tested. There’s water, steam, temperature changes, and daily wear in a small space. A tiled shower might look solid, but unless the waterproofing is done right, it’s just a matter of time before things go sideways.
Here’s what we do before even thinking about tiling a shower:
- Inspect framing for movement or damage
- Replace rotted studs or subfloor around the pan
- Install waterproof backer board, not drywall
- Tape and mud all seams
- Apply a waterproofing membrane to the walls and floor
- Flood test the pan before tiling
Yes, all of that happens before the first tile goes up. And no, most people don’t realize how critical those steps are. But we’ve had to tear out enough failed showers to know what happens when they’re skipped.
If you’re considering re-tiling your shower, check out our post on Can You Tile Over Tile?. Sometimes the answer’s yes, but only if the prep behind the old tile checks out.
Prep Is Where Most DIY Jobs Go Wrong
We’re not here to bash DIY. We get it. You want to save money, and tile seems like a project you can tackle with the right video tutorial. But most DIYers focus on the tile itself and underestimate how much prep is involved.
We’ve seen it all:
- Tile installed over unsealed plywood
- Showers tiled over greenboard with no waterproofing
- Grout cracking within weeks because of deflection in the floor
- Tile lifting because the thinset didn’t bond to a dusty slab
And the frustrating part? Most of these jobs looked okay at first. It’s not until a few months down the line that things start breaking, lifting, or leaking. At that point, fixing it means tearing out the tile and starting over.
If you’re leaning toward doing it yourself, read this first: Hiring a Tile Contractor vs. Doing It Yourself. You might still go the DIY route, but at least you’ll know what you’re getting into.
Good Prep Doesn’t Just Protect the Tile, It Makes It Look Better
Let’s say you do manage to avoid major failures. No cracks. No leaks. That’s great. But here’s another reason prep matters: it affects how the tile looks.
If your walls aren’t flat, your tile won’t be either. You’ll end up with lippage, uneven spacing, and corners that never line up. If your floor isn’t level, large format tiles will never sit right. You’ll fight the layout the entire way, adjusting every tile instead of setting them confidently.
We’ve walked into jobs where the client spent thousands on premium tile, only to end up with a wavy install that cheapens the whole room. That hurts. Because the tile wasn’t the problem, the prep was.
The Parts You Can’t See Are the Ones That Matter Most
Tile is about layers. What you see is just the surface. Underneath that is thinset. Under that is a membrane or backer. Under that is a floor or wall system. If any one of those layers fails, the whole thing is compromised.
When people ask why we take so long on the front end of a job, this is why. We want to know exactly what we’re building on. We don’t guess. We don’t trust what’s already there unless we’ve checked it ourselves.
That attention to detail isn’t just about pride. It’s about delivering a product that holds up, looks clean, and never makes you second guess your decision to tile.
Why Most Tile Quotes Don’t Include Enough Prep
Here’s the part nobody likes to say out loud: tile prep doesn’t sell well. When people get quotes from multiple contractors, they compare the bottom line. Not the materials. Not the install method. Just the number.
Some installers know that, so they skip prep to win the job. Then they use cheaper materials, leave out waterproofing, and rush the layout. It might still look good at the end, but that finish won’t last.
We price every job with prep built in. Not because we’re expensive. Because we refuse to cut corners. If we walk into a house and the floor needs leveling, that’s what we’ll do. If the shower walls aren’t square, we’ll fix it. We’re not laying tile until the surface is ready for it.
And yeah, that might make our quote higher than someone else’s. But we’d rather be honest from the start than explain later why things failed.
Prep Is What Separates Pros from Pretenders
You can’t fake good prep. You can’t rush it. You can’t see it in photos. But it’s the reason some tile installs last twenty years, and others fall apart after two.
If you’re planning a tile project, whether it’s a bathroom, a kitchen, an entryway, or anything else, ask your installer what kind of prep they include. Ask if they check for movement. Ask how they waterproof showers. Ask if they level floors or use membranes. Their answers will tell you everything you need to know.
Want to dig deeper into what separates a solid tile job from a sloppy one? Check out our post on What Makes a Great Tile Installer. Prep is one of the big five.
Ready to Tile the Right Way?
At Dynamic Tile & Stone, we love this trade. Not just the finished product, but everything it takes to get there. We don’t hide the prep. We explain it, we stand by it, and we believe it’s the difference between a job that looks good and one that is good.Contact us if you’re thinking about tile. We’ll walk you through every step, from prep to polish, so there are no surprises and no regrets.
