The tile has arrived and everyone wants to see it on the wall. The empty shower is about to have its least glamorous, most useful appointment.
Ask which system and test method apply
Schluter describes water testing as a quality-control check before setting tile. Its instructions include system-specific preparation and timing. Another assembly may require a different process; the installer should identify the applicable instructions rather than borrow a convenient waiting period.
Coordinate any municipal inspection requirements with the test. A photograph of water in a pan is not, by itself, proof that every required review has happened.
Keep the result understandable
Ask the installer how the drain is isolated, how the level is recorded, and what constitutes an acceptable result under the chosen procedure. Keep the date, system details, and photographs with the project records.
Do not solve a failed test with optimism
- Identify and repair the cause using the system's approved method.
- Allow any required cure time after the repair.
- Repeat the required test or review before covering the work.
- Keep later fixture and glass installation from compromising the assembly.
A successful test is useful evidence at that stage. It does not make later damage impossible or replace correct installation of the rest of the shower.
We would reserve time for this check in the original schedule. A test that can only pass because the tiler is arriving tomorrow is not much of a test.