Homeowners call us for a bathroom "refresh" all the time, and sometimes that's genuinely all it needs. But there are five things we look for that mean the problem is behind the tile, not on it — and painting over those just buys you a year.
1. Soft or springy floor near the toilet or tub. That's almost always a subfloor that's been getting wet for a long time. New flooring over a compromised subfloor fails fast, and the rot keeps spreading underneath it.
2. Tile that sounds hollow when you tap it. Hollow means the tile has lost its bond with what's behind it, usually because moisture got into the substrate. Re-grouting won't fix that; the grout isn't what's failing.
3. Recurring mildew that comes back within weeks of cleaning. Persistent mildew in the same spot generally means moisture is getting somewhere it shouldn't, or the room simply isn't venting. A lot of older Charlotte bathrooms were built with no exhaust fan at all.
4. Stains on the ceiling below the bathroom. Any discoloration on the floor beneath is a leak you're already living with, and it's been going on longer than the stain suggests.
5. A shower pan older than about twenty years. Older pans and their waterproofing membranes have a service life. When they go, they go quietly — into the framing.
If none of those apply, a refresh is a perfectly reasonable choice and we'll tell you so. If some do, we'll show you exactly what we found and what it takes to fix it properly. Call (980) 371-3302 for a free bathroom assessment anywhere in the Charlotte area.