Hot take: Albuquerque folks keep putting the wrong kind of tile in their showers

Morgan Butler · 2026-03-13T06:30:09.309738+00:00

I've seen it three times now in houses over in the Northeast Heights, people using that beautiful Saltillo tile inside the shower stall. It looks great for about six months, then it starts to soak up water and crack because it's not sealed for that kind of wetness. My neighbor learned this the hard way after a full redo last spring. What's a better, local material that holds up to our dry air and hard water?

casey9437mo ago

My uncle's Saltillo shower has been fine for years though.

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michael8806mo ago

Honestly never thought Saltillo could work but your point about proper sealing makes total sense.

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stellat877mo ago

Look at all the old houses in the Nob Hill area with original Saltillo tile in wet areas that are still perfect. The problem isn't the tile, it's cheap modern sealing jobs. Properly sealed and maintained, it lasts forever, just like @casey943's uncle's shower. People blame the material when they should blame the rush to finish a flip on the cheap.

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