The layers and what each must get right
The receptor sets the physics: a sloped pan carrying water to a drain whose membrane integration is the assembly's most sensitive joint. Pre-slope and pan details, or their modern bonded-membrane equivalents, exist to keep water moving even below tile level, and the drain's clamping or bonding detail is where careful work distinguishes itself. Nothing about this layer is visible at the end; everything about it decides the shower's lifespan.
The wall system carries continuity: appropriate backing boards, a membrane approach, sheet, liquid, or foam board, from a recognized method, seams and corners treated per that method, and every penetration, valve, head, niche, bench, detailed rather than improvised. Mixed systems from different methods are where continuity quietly breaks; one named system, executed whole, is the professional standard.
The finish layer rewards planning: tile layout decided from a centerline with cuts pushed to quiet corners, niches aligned to grout lines because they were framed to align, slopes on every horizontal surface including sills and bench tops, and movement joints where the method calls for them. Testing closes the build: a flood test or method-appropriate verification before tile, and cure times respected after, both named in the schedule rather than assumed.
