If your shower does not have proper ventilation and good drainage, water will stay there longer, keeping parts of the shower wet. This encourages the growth of mold or mildew. Many people use bleach or vinegar to remove mold and this can be good or bad. In porcelain or ceramic showers, you can use these products and you will not damage the tiles, but in natural stone showers, these products will burn the tiles, leaving etch marks that can only be erased with the resurfacing process.

In natural stone showers, it is easier for stains to form because the tiles are porous and if they are not sealed, they will absorb the water mixed with your cleaning products, creating a stain. Another case occurs when there is a leak and this water makes contact with some metal in the shower, oxidizing it and creating an iron stain.

In porcelain or ceramic showers, it is more difficult for stains to form because the tiles are not porous, but stains can form in the grout lines because they are porous.

Efflorescence occurs when constant moisture reacts with minerals in the natural stone. This typically occurs when there is a leak or cracked grout lines that cause the surface to constantly maintain moisture. This reaction causes a buildup of minerals that is hard to get rid of. It starts in one spot and spreads out as it grows. It can not only damage tiles, but can get harder to remove and causes more damage if not taken care of properly. Since efflorescence penetrates the stone, it causes discoloration and can eat away at the grout as well, which can make the tiles come loose with time.

Etch marks are acid burns that are caused by liquid spills with high or low amounts of acid such as, vinegar, commonly used cleaners, most detergents, or bleach. Most natural stones, with the exception of granite and quartzite, contain calcium carbonate,  which is dissolved by the acid when it comes in contact with the top portion of the stone. 

These liquids leave visible marks in the form of drops and rings, erasing the finish of the shower and leaving the surface rough. 

It is very common for the joints in shower walls and around the floor to crack. This is because most installers use regular grout which is not very resistant to cracking. On other occasions they use caulk, the problem with caulk is that after a couple of months, due to humidity and exposure to personal cleaning and sanitary products it begins to peel off, and water leaks through those openings keeping the shower humid. Over time, this can damage the shower pan and cause the growth of mold, mildew, efflorescence, and stains.

We recommend repairing any broken grout lines as soon as possible to avoid the previously mentioned damage. We use a product that has a built-in sealant, doesn't crack, prevents water from getting under the tiles, mixes with any cement-based grout, and lasts for years.

Soap foam on the glass and walls of the showers is created by water mixed with soap, or shampoo and conditioner that, when not washed with extra water, leaves buildup when dry and become more visible over time. There are many products that you can use to remove this type of residue, but most of them, due to their acid content, can burn the tiles if they are made of natural stone.

Porcelain and ceramic showers offer more chemical resistance compared to natural stone showers. Over time, due to moisture, mold can grow, walls look dull due to soap scum buildup, and grout lines become cracked or stained. You don't need to replace your shower. We can make your showers look like new.

The silicone is applied to the joint of the glass and the shower tiles. Within a few months, due to the humidity and the cleaning products, it begins to peel off and retains water in those openings that favor the growth of mold, making it unpleasant to look at. We remove that damaged silicone and apply a new application to prevent mold growth.