What's Inside a Schluter Shower? Every Layer, Explained

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When we quote a shower, homeowners often see a list of product names that all start with "KERDI." Here's what each one is, in the order we install them.

1. The walls: KERDI-BOARD

KERDI-BOARD is a lightweight foam building panel that replaces drywall or cement board on the shower studs. It's waterproof on its own, cuts with a utility knife and doesn't crumble or wick water like cement board can. See how it compares in KERDI-BOARD vs. cement board.

2. The floor: KERDI-SHOWER tray

Instead of hand-floating a sloped mortar bed, we can set a pre-sloped foam tray over the subfloor. The slope to the drain is built in and exact. Trays come in sizes for centered, off-center and linear drains, and can be trimmed to fit.

3. The drain: KERDI-DRAIN or KERDI-LINE

KERDI-DRAIN is a square point drain with a bonding flange that connects straight to the waterproofing. KERDI-LINE is a long, narrow linear drain, popular for curbless showers and large tiles. Both have adjustable grates so they finish flush with the tile.

4. The waterproofing: KERDI membrane

KERDI is a thin (about 0.2 mm) polyethylene membrane with fleece on both sides. The fleece locks into thin-set mortar, so the tile bonds right on top. It's also a vapor retarder, which helps keep steam out of your walls.

5. Seams and corners: KERDI-BAND and KERDI-KERECK

Every joint between boards, and every inside and outside corner, gets sealed with KERDI-BAND (a 5-inch strip of the same membrane) or pre-formed KERDI-KERECK corners. This is where careful work matters most.

6. Pipes and valves: KERDI-SEAL

Small collars seal around the shower head pipe and the mixing valve, two spots where traditional showers often leak.

7. Curbs and niches

Pre-made foam curbs (KERDI-BOARD-SC) and sealed niches (KERDI-BOARD-SN) drop into the system, so there's no wood framing inside the wet area. More on that in shower niches that don't leak.

8. Thin-set and tile

Everything is set with Schluter thin-set mortar. Using it is one of the requirements for Schluter's lifetime warranty.

Why the system matters

Each part is designed to bond to the next. Mixing brands can leave a weak joint and can void the warranty. That's why Versa Tile installs the whole system, start to finish. Learn more about our Schluter shower installation service.

Browse the parts here: Schluter shower systems on Amazon.

Questions about your shower? Call or text Mike at 916-847-2825.