This was a basement tile shower in an early-1900s home with a gorgeous view. The owners had lived there for decades. At some point, someone had painted over the original tile, and the paint had started to delaminate in places. The peeling spots were collecting mildew and fungus, and the shower looked worse every year.
The fix was an epoxy coating kit, one I researched and recommended to the client. I’ve used two-part epoxies many times before, usually as an adhesive rather than as a final sealing layer. The chemistry is the same, and so is the rule: once you mix the two parts, you have to work very fast.
The prep came first. I cleared out the gaps in the existing grout, then regrouted with a product that falls between a standard sanded grout and a multi-part epoxy grout. It has adhesives mixed in, which makes it tougher and more water-resistant than ordinary grout, without the short working time and difficulty of a full epoxy grout. It also gave the coating a sound, continuous surface to bond to. Coating over failing grout would only seal the problem in.
I came back the next day, once the grout had cured. I taped off the drain, handle, and shower faucet, set up proper ventilation, and applied the epoxy over the entire surround. Two-part epoxies give off strong fumes while they cure, so airflow isn’t optional, especially in a basement.
The results were dramatic. The shower went from peeling and mildewed to a clean, uniform, glossy surface. Beyond the looks, the epoxy should keep out not just water but also the mildew and fungus that had taken hold in the old paint.
It’s a good option when a tiled shower is structurally sound but the surface has failed, and a full tear-out and retile is more than the job calls for. A coating like this delivers a fresh, sealed surface in a couple of days instead of weeks.
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