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IKO Bathroom Remodeling: The Dallas Owner’s Guide
IKO bathroom remodeling in Dallas typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, depending on the scope of the teardown and what’s behind your current walls. Bradford Remodeling Co Dallas handles the full job: demo, rough-in, waterproofing, finish work, and a written guarantee on all of it. Most IKO homeowners call us after a leak or a failed substrate shows up where it shouldn’t – usually at the tub deck, the shower pan, or where the old tile met the drywall.
IKO manufactures roofing and waterproofing membranes, and we see a fair number of their products used as shower pan liners or behind tile in older Dallas homes. When that membrane fails, the damage is rarely visible until the grout starts staining or the floor feels soft. By then, it’s a gut-job, not a patch. A straight answer: if you’re seeing water stains on the ceiling below an upstairs bathroom, or the tile has started lifting at the corners, the IKO membrane underneath has likely given up.
Which IKO Models This Applies To
Most of the IKO product we encounter in Dallas bathrooms is their AquaBarrier line or older IKO roofing membranes that a previous contractor repurposed as shower pan liner – a shortcut that works until it doesn’t. IKO AquaBarrier comes in rolls, typically 6 or 12 mil thickness, and is installed as a bonded sheet membrane under tile. The compatibility gotcha here: IKO AquaBarrier is a peel-and-stick membrane that requires a properly prepared substrate. If it was applied over green board or drywall instead of cement board, the adhesive fails first, not the IKO material itself.
For a homeowner, identifying the membrane is less important than identifying the failure. We check the shower pan, the tub deck, and the first 18 inches of wall where water splashes. If the membrane is IKO and it’s failed, we replace it with a modern system – Schluter Kerdi, Laticrete Hydro Ban, or a PVC pan liner – and the new material carries its own manufacturer’s warranty on top of our written guarantee. OEM versus aftermarket for IKO specifically is a smaller conversation than most parts pages suggest: when the membrane fails, you’re not replacing the IKO sheet. You’re replacing everything on top of it.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your IKO Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Grout lines darkening or cracking at the pan. Water has found a path behind the tile, and the IKO membrane is no longer shedding it. What looks like “dirty grout” in a Dallas bathroom is usually moisture staining from behind.
- Soft spots in the floor around the tub or shower. The subfloor is wicking water. By the time you can feel the give, the OSB or plywood underneath is already compromised and needs cutting out.
- A musty smell that doesn’t go away after cleaning. Mold is growing in the dark space between the tile and the membrane. You’re smelling what’s under the tile, not on top of it.
- Tile lippage or a hollow sound when you tap the wall. The thinset has lost its bond to the membrane. It’s not a cosmetic issue. It means moisture has been getting between the tile and the IKO sheet for a while.
- Water stains on the ceiling below an upstairs bathroom. This is the clearest sign the pan liner has failed. Water is passing through the floor assembly. The leak will not seal itself.
See the difference
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s the straight number for Dallas. A full IKO-related bathroom remodel – meaning demo down to studs, new substrate, waterproofing, tile, and fixtures – runs $9,000 to $28,000 at Bradford Remodeling Co Dallas. The range depends on bathroom size, what’s rotten once we open the walls, and whether you’re changing the layout or keeping the same footprint.
- Small bathroom (40 – 60 sq ft, same footprint): $9,000 – $14,000
- Mid-size bathroom (60 – 100 sq ft, new vanity, new tile, new pan): $14,000 – $20,000
- Primary bath (100+ sq ft, layout changes, walk-in shower, upgraded fixtures): $20,000 – $28,000
What’s included: a written price before any tool comes off the truck, the entire scope in writing, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise at close – if the work fails within a year, we come back and fix it at no charge. No numbers that move at the door. No surprise invoices at week three. Curtis Lane keeps change orders rare for a reason: when the scope is written correctly the first time, the only surprise should be how smooth the job went.
DIY or Call Us?
An owner can safely check a few things: turn off the water, dry the shower, and look for cracks in the grout or caulk. Run your hand along the bottom edge of the wall. Tap tiles and listen. That tells you if something’s wrong. Fixing it is a different trade entirely.
Where DIY goes wrong with a failed IKO membrane: demoing tile releases silica dust and sharp edges. Rotten subfloor pulls up with the pan. The rough-in for the drain and valve has to be reset to current Dallas plumbing code. And waterproofing a shower pan correctly is not a weekend project – one bad seam in the pan liner and you’ve paid for the whole job twice. This is the one place we tell homeowners plainly: hire a crew that does this every week. Call Bradford Remodeling Co Dallas at (903) 326-8963 and we’ll give you a written price. No charge for the estimate.
FAQs
An IKO AquaBarrier sheet, installed correctly over a proper substrate, can hold for 15 to 20 years. Installed incorrectly – over drywall, with a bad seam, or in a shower pan without slope – it can fail in under 5. The Texas heat and humidity in Dallas doesn’t break down the membrane itself; it accelerates what a bad installation already set in motion. If your membrane is failing, call (903) 326-8963 for a free estimate.
When the waterproofing has failed, spot repairs don’t hold. You can’t patch a membrane that’s already letting water through behind the tile. The correct scope is demo to studs, new substrate, new waterproofing, and new tile. We’ll tell you if the damage is localized – it rarely is – but we won’t sell you a patch that fails again in six months.
Most full bathroom remodels run 2 to 4 weeks from demo to final walkthrough. The variables are the size of the room, what’s rotten once we open it up, and whether you’re changing the plumbing rough-in. We give you a written schedule with the written price, so you know both dates before work starts. Call (903) 326-8963 and we’ll scope it.
We don’t install failed IKO products back into a wall. We stock proven waterproofing systems – Schluter Kerdi, Laticrete Hydro Ban, and PVC pan liners – along with fixtures from Kohler and Moen, and cabinetry from KraftMaid. The new material carries a manufacturer’s warranty, and our work carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co Dallas at Bradford Remodeling Co Dallas, serving Dallas and nearby areas.
