Schluter Kitchen Remodeling Nationwide | Barrett & Sons Construction

Schluter Kitchen Remodeling: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide

If you’re standing in a Los Angeles kitchen with a failed Schluter membrane, a cracked KERDI-BOARD seam, or a torn waterproofing layer you can’t patch over, we can help. We stock Schluter-compatible kitchen remodeling materials on the truck and install them at typical job costs between $16,520 and $53,100 for a full Los Angeles kitchen remodel, with smaller repair and replacement scopes priced inside that range. Most owners discover the failure the hard way: water staining below a counter, grout discoloring at the cooktop backsplash, or tile loosening near a window that’s been sweating through three summer seasons.

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Which Schluter Models This Applies To

Schluter makes a few different systems that show up in Los Angeles kitchens, and the failure you’re chasing determines which one we’re matching. KERDI-BOARD panel seams fail when they were never sealed with KERDI-BAND. KERDI membrane on a counter or backsplash fails when modified thinset was used instead of unmodified, which Schluter explicitly warns against. DITRA-HEAT under a tile floor fails when the heating cable was pinched during installation or the floor sensor gave up after a few years of Los Angeles heat cycling. The compatibility gotcha most homeowners miss: KERDI-BOARD panels are available in thicknesses from 5mm to 2 inches, and a 5mm panel behind a heavy stone backsplash is a bad match that shows up as cracked grout within a year. Check the panel edge stamp or the orange membrane grid line spacing to identify what you have before ordering anything. We carry genuine Schluter membrane, band, and corner pieces, plus quality aftermarket options when the wall is coming out anyway. Barrett & Sons Construction is an independent contractor and not affiliated with Schluter Systems, but we install their products every week across Los Angeles.

Signs Your Schluter Kitchen Remodeling Is Failing

• Discolored or bulging tile at the backsplash seam: Water got behind the KERDI membrane where the band wasn’t lapped the full 2 inches Schluter specifies. The membrane itself is fine; the seam is the failure point.
• Musty smell under the sink cabinet: A countertop waterproofing membrane that wasn’t turned up the wall at the back edge lets water run down behind the cabinet and sit there. You won’t see it until the cabinet floor goes soft.
• Floor tiles cracking or lifting near the dishwasher: Steam and heat from dishwasher cycles fast-track the failure of a DITRA-HEAT floor when the cable or decoupling layer wasn’t installed with proper expansion room at the perimeter.
• Grout turning dark around the range: Cooking grease is working into the grout because the Schluter layer underneath is no longer shedding moisture. It looks like a cleaning problem; it’s actually a waterproofing failure.
• Loose tile that pops off with the mortar still on the wall: Classic sign of modified thinset over KERDI. The bond failed because Schluter products are designed for unmodified mortar, and the membrane surface won’t let modified thinset cure properly.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

A Schluter-specific kitchen remodel in Los Angeles runs $16,520 to $53,100 installed, and what you pay depends on how far the water traveled. A targeted repair, pulling affected tile, replacing the failed KERDI-BAND or membrane section, resetting tile and regrouting, lands on the lower end. A full kitchen remodel with new Schluter waterproofing, cabinets, countertops, and tile falls at the top. Here’s how the line items break out:

• Small kitchen remodel with Schluter waterproofing: $10,620-$23,600
• Full kitchen remodel with Schluter systems throughout: $16,520-$53,100
• Countertop installation over new Schluter substrate: $2,360-$7,670
• Backsplash installation with KERDI membrane: $945-$2,950
• Kitchen island installation with Schluter waterproofing: $3,540-$11,800

You get line-item pricing before we start, written change orders if anything shifts, permits pulled where Los Angeles code requires, and our 90-Day Done Right Promise on every completed job. No mystery brands. Alongside Schluter, we stock KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone so the materials on your estimate are materials you can look up.

DIY or Call Us?

You can check the failure safely: look for cracked grout lines, pull a loose tile if it’s already coming off, and photograph the orange membrane underneath to tell us what you’re working with. What you should not do is cut into KERDI-BOARD or tear out membrane in a wet area and then try to patch it with off-the-shelf caulk. A partial waterproofing repair that isn’t lapped correctly simply moves the leak to the next seam, and now you’ve doubled the drywall damage and the bill. Waterproofing in a Los Angeles kitchen has to hold up against high summer heat, daily cooking moisture, and dishwasher steam cycles. Half a repair fails inside a year. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll come look at it. No trip charge inside the county.

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