Bathroom Tile Installation in Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Keystone Tile & Pavers installs bathroom tile throughout Bakersfield, CA with over 20 years of experience. Showers, bathroom floors, wall tile, and tub surrounds — every shower installation includes Schluter KERDI waterproofing membrane as standard. No shortcuts on the substrate.
Bathroom Tile Work We Do
A bathroom renovation usually involves more than one surface. Here's the full scope we handle.
Shower Tile
Full shower enclosures — walls, floors, niches, and benches. We handle everything from demolition of an old fiberglass insert to complete custom tile build-outs. Every shower gets Schluter KERDI waterproofing before a single tile goes up. This is not optional — it's how we ensure the installation holds for decades without moisture getting into the framing.
Bathroom Floor Tile
Bathroom floors see constant moisture. We check the subfloor for flex before we start — movement cracks grout lines fast in wet conditions. Porcelain is our standard recommendation for bathroom floors: dense, non-porous, and slip-resistant finishes available. Natural stone works too, but requires annual sealing.
Tub Surround Tile
Replace a deteriorating acrylic tub surround with durable tile. We install waterproofing membrane behind every tub surround — not just felt paper and cement board. Old acrylic panels hide moisture damage behind them for years. When we demo, we check the framing and address any wet wood before retiling.
Wall Tile and Vanity Areas
Large-format wall tile above vanities, decorative mosaic accent strips, and floor-to-ceiling tile applications. We coordinate tile sizes and grout color across the floor and walls so the whole bathroom reads as a cohesive design — not like different contractors did each surface.
Schluter KERDI Waterproofing — Why It Matters
Most of the bathroom tile failures we get called in to repair trace back to one thing: no waterproofing membrane behind the tile. Grout is not waterproof. Cement board is not waterproof. Water gets through both, and then it's in your wall framing — which you won't see until there's real damage.
We use the Schluter KERDI system on all shower and wet area installations. It's a thin sheet-applied membrane bonded directly to the substrate that creates a continuous, fully waterproof barrier behind the tile. It's the reason our shower installations don't leak years later.
- Continuous waterproof barrier — no gaps, no penetrations
- Eliminates the leak risks of old felt paper and cement board methods
- Schluter KERDI-LINE linear drain integration for curbless showers
- Pre-sloped shower floor systems for zero-curb threshold showers
- Concrete slab or joist modification for curbless builds when needed
Curbless Showers
Zero-threshold showers require recessing the floor to create the correct drainage slope without a step-over curb. We modify the subfloor or slab as needed, install a KERDI-LINE linear drain, and tile with the proper slope. This is a technical installation most general contractors don't do correctly — we've repaired enough of their work to know.
Aging-in-Place Design
Curbless showers remove the biggest trip hazard in most bathrooms. Grab bar blocking, bench tile, and slip-resistant floor tile selections are design decisions we think through with you during the planning phase.
Before You Replace — Inspect First
When we demo old tile, we look at the backer board and framing. If there's water damage from years of missing waterproofing, we fix that before retiling. Skipping this step is borrowing trouble.
Choosing Tile for Your Bathroom
The most common question we get: which tile should I use? Here's the honest breakdown.
Large Format (12×24 and up)
Fewer grout lines on shower walls make the space feel larger and are easier to clean. Requires a flat substrate and back-buttering technique. Popular for modern bathroom designs.
Mosaic on Shower Floors
Small mosaic tile (1"–4" pieces on mesh sheets) conforms to the drainage slope better than large tiles. More grout lines mean more traction underfoot. Standard practice for shower floor surfaces.
Porcelain for Floors
Denser than ceramic, non-porous, and available in textured slip-resistant finishes. The right call for bathroom floors where water and soap are constants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a bathroom tile installation take?
A standard shower retile with full waterproofing typically takes 5–7 working days: 1–2 days for demolition and substrate prep, 1 day for waterproofing membrane installation and cure, 2–3 days for tile installation, and 1 day for grouting and sealing. Full bathrooms including floor, shower, and vanity backsplash run 7–10 days. We give you a detailed schedule with your written estimate.
What is the Schluter KERDI system?
KERDI is a thin, sheet-applied waterproofing membrane that gets bonded to the substrate before tile is set. It creates a continuous waterproof layer behind the tile — the primary defense against moisture getting into your wall framing. It's the standard we specify on all shower installations because it eliminates the failure modes of older methods.
Can you install a curbless shower?
Yes. A curbless shower requires precise slope work — the floor has to direct all water to the drain without a curb to contain it. We use Schluter KERDI-LINE linear drains and pre-sloped shower floor systems to get this right. It's a more technically demanding install than a standard curbed shower, but we've done many of them.
Large tile or small mosaic on shower floors?
Mosaic tile on shower floors — the small pieces and extra grout lines conform to the drain slope and give you better traction. Large tile on shower walls — fewer grout lines look cleaner and are easier to maintain. Combining both is standard and looks intentional.
Get Your Bathroom Tile Quoted
Call us or submit an estimate request. We handle the full scope — demo, waterproofing, tile, grout, and sealing. No subcontracting.