I get a LOT of questions from my readers about basic shower construction. I understand that my readers don’t consider this stuff basic and there’s no problem with that. The problem is that I end up answering the same questions over and over and over… So, to save what very little is left of my sanity (which is a number roughly equivalent to absolute zero) I will cover some basic things here so I can simply reply ‘read this’.
If you’ve been channeled to this page by one of my smart-ass comments please take no offense to it, I’m here to help. Please understand that I currently have over 12,000 comments (questions) on this site (seriously) which I’ve answered – every one of them. I’m just trying to make your life (mine) easier. I will continue to answer every question I’m asked, I’m just super cool like that. 
If, after reading through this, you still have questions feel free to ask them in the comments below.
You can also download my shower waterproofing manual which should answer a lot of questions and cover basic techniques and methods you may be confused about. Go ahead, it’s free. So without further ado (doesn’t even look like a word, does it?) let’s get on with it. (For all my readers who feel the need to correct me: I KNOW it’s actually ‘adieu’ – I was being facetious. Thanks. 
)
Leaks
First and foremost – tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. Adding sealer to your tile or stone will not make it waterproof. Your shower should be completely waterproof before a box of tile is even opened! No matter which waterproofing method you choose, proper substrate preparation is the only thing that will make your shower waterproof.
If you have a leak in your shower – stop using it immediately if at all possible. If that is not possible (it’s your only shower) have the shower repaired – immediately. If you see water leaking it is likely not nearly as much water as you don’t see leaking into your wall cavity and structural framing. By the time you ‘see’ most leaks the framing is normally already considerably compromised.
No, there is nothing you can put over your tile to make your shower waterproof if you have a leak – not even sealer. A tile or stone sealer is made to make your tile and grout stain-resistant, not waterproof. It does this by sealing the pores of the tile and stone to slow (NOT STOP) the absorption of liquid and prevent staining. It only means you have more time to clean up the spilled red wine cherry kool-aid before it stains anything.
Substrates
Drywall is not an acceptable substrate for your shower unless you are using Schluter Kerdi waterproofing membrane – that’s it. Cement backerboards are the standard and there are also other products such as waterproofed, gypsum based boards like Denshield and waterproofed, foam-based sheets like wedi or kerdi board.
Cement backerboards are not waterproof. They are water stable, which simply means that they will not swell or disintegrate when exposed to moisture or water – they won’t change size. But they are just like your driveway, they will soak in water, hold water, and dry out, just like your driveway when it rains. If using backerboards there needs to be a waterproof membrane utilized as well.
Membranes
If you are using a topical waterproofing membrane such as a liquid like redgard or hydroban, or a sheet like kerdi, do not use a moisture or vapor barrier behind your substrate. If you have a vapor or moisture barrier behind your substrate do not use a topical membrane on the front of it. This combination creates two waterproof barriers with your substrate sandwiched between them. any vapor or moisture trapped between them has absolutely no way to dissipate. This is lovingly referred to as a ‘mold sandwich’. It is not tasty. Use either a moisture or vapor barrier behind your substrate or a topical membrane on the face of it. One or the other – never both.
With that said, if you want to use a topical liquid such as redgard on the seams of your backerboard, after you tape and mud them, you can do so without problems. If your moisture barrier and backerboards are properly installed there is no real reason to do so – but if it will help you sleep at night go ahead and do it.
If you are using a topical membrane and you have an exterior wall with either plastic facing or kraft paper facing you need to cut slits into that facing before installing your substrate. If you do not it will create the aforementioned mold sandwich. Give moisture or vapor somewhere to dissipate.
Shower-tub transitions
There should be a gap between your tub or acrylic shower base and the bottom of your backerboard. If you are using a traditional barrier waterproofing method you do not need to do anything with this gap. Do not fill it with silicone! This will trap moisture running down your barrier and it will have nowhere to go. If you are using a topical method you can fill it with silicone if you want. If you are using liquid you should fill it with silicone. This creates a waterproof plane between your membrane and the tub or base so water or moisture ends up in the drain rather than in your wall.
When you tile you can tile right over that gap. You should not fill this gap with thinset behind the tile – it will crack due to movement. Your wall and tub or base will expand and contract at different rates – it will crack any cement-based product you place between the two. This includes thinset as well as grout. You do not need a solid backing behind your tile over this gap – it should be less than 1″ wide. You shouldn’t normally be walking on that tile in that particular spot. Yes, it can just hang there.
Grout
If your grout is cracking it is due to movement 99.9% of the time. Type ‘cracking’ into the search box up there and you’ll find in-depth explanations for your viewing pleasure.
If you have white, or lighter than normal grout when you’re finished grouting it may be efflorescence. This is mainly due to minerals in the water being left on the surface of the grout when the water evaporates. It is usually indicative of either incorrectly mixed grout or using too much water while cleaning the grout – not wringing out your sponge enough. This is normally only on the surface of your grout. Scratch the very top layer of your grout in an inconspicuous spot with your fingernail. If you have the correct, or at least a darker, color beneath the surface that is the likely cause. The easiest, quickest fix, provided it is only the very top layer, is to get some drywall sanding sponges and go over the grout lines very lightly. Just like burnt toast – scrape it to the color you like.
Corners and changes-of-plane
Caulk.
Disagree with me?
Like any other website I get my fair share of people who disagree with my methods or techniques – it really doesn’t bother me. I am more than willing to have a civilized, intelligent conversation about anything tile related. If, however, you simply attack me personally and act like an uncivilized ass I will call you on it – and not in a nice way. I write this blog in a particular manner, it does not mean that I take my profession lightly – I most certainly do not. If I wanted to be a pompous bastard I currently have 19 letters I can place after my name – all tile related. But I’m not a pompous bastard – you can just call me Roger.
If you are a contractor with a customer who has come here for information and I’ve told them you’re wrong – realize that the extent of my knowledge of that particular project is limited to what I’m told by your customer. It does not mean that I am ‘out to get you’ or anything of the sort. I normally limit my replies to those situations by stating the current TCNA and/or ANSI standards pertaining to what I’m told. If you disagree – please let me know in a civil manner, If you’re correct I’ll back it up – I do this everyday, too! If you’re an asshole about it expect the same in return (It’s the comment by ‘Kanela’ with the bold print before it) – and please have a thesaurus handy to interpret my reply – I’m a very well educated asshole.
That’s it for now. I will likely add to this post on a regular basis. If there is anything I’ve caused confusion with please, for the love of God, let me know. I can change this page since, you know, it’s my website and all. If you have any questions at all please ask them below – I’ll answer, really.
I have to replace the walls in a stand up shower. The pan is in a slab and the home owner does not want to take up the existing floor, is there any way to get a real seal without taking up the floor?
Hey Marc,
About the only way is to use a topical membrane over the surface of the walls. While this will not ‘seal’ the transition, provided your floor is properly waterproofed the membrane should run up the wall three inches above the curb. Using a topical membrane over the walls down to the floor will overlap your waterproofing such that water can not get behind your walls.
Hi Roger
We just go a new bathroom fitted and all walls tiled in a white satin tile, including inside the shower enclosure. After just 4 uses, the tiles inside the shower cubicle turned a grey colour around the edges, both where it was grouted and along the edges sealed with silicone. I guess it must be water getting into/behind the tile? If left for long enough the tiles will dry and return to the white colour. It happens everywhere where the water from the shower gets to. You can hold the showerhead in one tiled spot and after 20 seconds you can see the discolouration happen. We have had both the owner of the tile shop that sold us the tiles and the tiler have a look at it. The tile shop owner tries to blame it on poor workmanship and the tiler on the materials (tiles, grout and adhesive were all bought from the same shop). We’ve had other people comment on how good the tiling job looks, and at closer inspection of the tiling and grouting I can’t see how it could be poor workmanship – unless he did something wrong underneath. So, the big question is, is it possible to say what/who is at fault and do we have any other option but to rip out and replace all the tiles?
Kristin
Hi Kristin,
It’s neither. Water will get behind your tile and grout – it’s completely normal. What you are seeing is called ‘framing’ and happens when the water is absorbed into the edges of the tile. Regular ceramic is very porous along the edges where there is no glaze. You can seal the grout really well with a couple of coats of sealer and it should diminish it considerably. The sealer will keep water out of it for an extended period. It won’t make it waterproof, but it will slow the absorption so much so that you’ll likely not see it during the course of a regular shower.
Thanks, Roger!
After having only a couple more showers the tiles at the bottom have turned grey completely. Would a sealer really do a good enough job? Should we wait until the tiles are dry and white again before applying this? I’m still a bit worried though that this will come back in a short time. Why is this happening to our tiles and I have never seen it anywhere else, even when old grout was falling out of the grout lines? Could it be that it is a bad tile we chose and could we be better off replacing them?
Hi Kristin,
It is exactly what I’ve described to you – water being absorbed into the sides of the tile. When water gets into the grout the sides of the tile may absorb it into the body of the tile. Sealer will not completely prevent it, but likely will hold it off long enough for regular showers. You can replace the tile with a different tile, but if you use ceramic the same thing may happen, just not to the same extent. Or, it may be worse. Depends on the tile.
If you have any more questions can you please post it as a reply to my answer? When I read your question I had no idea what you were talking about and had to go searching for your previous question to put it into context. With over 11,000 (seriously) questions on my site I really don’t have time to do that. Please help me help you. Thanks.
My father is building an accessible shower with a shower pan with out a curb. Unfortunately I’d higher then the surrounding floor and not level. I has a 1 inch slope toward the entrance over a 3 foot span. I feel a waterfall coming here.
Next, the Cement Board is not straight, level, whatever term you call it. It leans in on the person in the shower by a 1/4 inch every couple of feet. He didn’t shim or try to straighten anything. He has no waterproof membrane on the cement board. and he wants to install 4×4 ceramic tiles and just trim the entire rows and columns of tiles to make them “fit”
HELP!!!!!! I’ve already called the manufacturer of the shower pan to tattle on him because he won’t listen to me.. I’ve threatened to take a sledge hammer to the shower pan to cost us 800.00 but save us thousands of dollars in repairs.. any advice?
Thanks.
Hi Amy,
Not too much I can tell you – I can’t control your father either.
You already know what’s wrong, and I’m fairly certain that you already know that tearing it all out and starting over is likely the only viable option. Maybe show him my Flawed page?
If you could help me control him, you’d be a lot richer than I assume you are…. Don’t ever start a house rehab with family. He now stated that the floor pan manufacturer agreed that raising the level of the bath subfloor by an inch, to have it only 1/2 inch to 1 inch lower than the lip of the shower pan, might work. So he has cement board glued/ mortared to the sub-floor & a waterproofing sealant rolled on the cement board floor in two coats. He has not waterproofed the cement board for the tile walls inside the shower (yet). Assuming I don’t want to walk away from this house at this point, even though I wouldn’t want to purchase it either; is there any attractive way to tile the shower walls when they are so irregular. Is mosaic tile work, or cutting ceramic tiles down to create mosaic work weakening whatever waterproofing it may have to the extent it isn’t worth it? I can only think that by trying to “artistically” having an uneven and chaotic tile pattern in the shower stall may fool a person into thinking the uneven walls were intentional.
Before Dad touches the bathroom again I’m purchasing your books and sledgehammer to follow through with my threat. :P
Thank you again.
-Amy
Roger,
I’m remodeling a 70’s shower using Kerdi over drywall. They recommend unmodified thinset to put the membrane on the drywall. I followed the directions but the drywall really “soaks up” the moisture and I had to do the walls in small sections and that was a rush job even after going over each section with a sponge before the thinset. Given the porous nature of drywall, wouldn’t it have been better to use modified thinset?
I have one shower left to do and wonder if there is a better way.
thanks,
Bean
Hey Bean,
Modified thinset isn’t going to make a difference in that respect. The best thing to do is soak it down with a sponge, let it dry, then soak it down again and install your kerdi. It does need to be done quickly, quickly is relative, though.
ok so my wife just found your helpful site. just gutted the shower due to extensive water damage. reframed new subfloor. permabond cement board over 4mil plastic. no i see that i shouldnt put membrane over the cement board but already have. any suggestions
Hey Mitch,
What’s permabond? Do you mean permabase? What type of membrane? Is the plastic tied into the shower pan? Need a bit more info to help.
Roger
Although you explained it in your general instructions, I am still unclear as to how to waterproof the transition between my backer board and the flange of my acrylic shower base. I’m replacing a cracked shower base that was leaking and only removed enough tile and wallboard to get the old base out ans the new base in so I am stuck with the dimensions I have as I don;t wantto remove/replace all the tile I am going to be using Redgard to waterprooof everything becasue I am also rebuilding a bench behind the pan(out of 2×4’s and 3/4 plywood and then also covered in backerboard) so there are to many corners to make using sheeting behind the backerboard practical.. My pan butts up to the studs of the shower walls,and my qusetion is if I leave a gap between the backerboard and the flange aas you recommended and go to fill that gap with silicone what is going to keep the silicone from just oozing forever into the space between the studs? I’m thinking to staple a strip of the mesh I am using to seal the conrners and the seams of the backerboard t the studs before I installthe base and the backerboard to act as a backing to leep the silicone in place,as it has little thickness and won’t make my backerboard stick out and cause problems with the tiling being uneven. Do you think that will work or is there another standard way it is done?
Hey Paul,
That will work if you choose to do it that way. Normally I only leave about a 1/16″ space which is easily filled with silicone. When running a silicone bead you want to cut the tip off so your bead is a bit wider than your gap. As you install it the bead is bonded to each side of the gap. You aren’t squirting it in there until the entire space is filled. You’re blocking the space, not filling it, KnowWhatIMean?
Hello Roger,
Don’t know if you have ever done this before or not. Could I possibly install a solid cement or grout shower floor instead of doing tile. I like the sleek clean look of one solid surface, and a polished cement or sealed grout floor would give me that look. Obviously the shower base is completely water proofed with red guard so leaking isn’t an issue. I’m thinning a re-rod mesh and maybe rebar would help for cracking issues but I am skeptical about the eyes and changes of plane cracking, but wondering if a nice caulk joint could hide or abate that. Let me know. Thanks again.
Colin G
Hey Colin,
Grout won’t work, but no reason you can’t do polished concrete. Leave a good expansion gap around the perimeter and silicone it, it should be fine.
Hi Roger,
I have a bthroom with a mud job ( 50’s bathroom). What would be the best way to demo? Should we leave the mud and just take off tile or take everything off down to studs. How would you go about to do job correctly?
i will be following up with other questions.
Thank you,
Paul
Hey Paul,
I would take everything down to the studs and substrate. I have a bosch bulldog which works well for that. You can probably rent one, but it would be cheaper to buy one. You can probably pick up a used one somewhere for around $100.
I am following your manuals (which are awesome, but I sleep in every day due to the frequent consumption of chocolate milk!) and installing 12 X 12 granite tiles on a liquid membrane substrate. I know that I am supposed to start my tile rows near the middle of the wall but wonder how to support them. I have seen it recommended to install a thin board to keep the tiles from sliding until the thinset cures, but if I do that, how will I maintain a water seal? I have spent a lot of money and time on this project and would hate to see in ruined at the last stage. What do you recommend?
Hi Dawn,
I recommend starting at the bottom row. Ledger boards (which is what you are describing) are a viable option, I just don’t like them. If you do use them you can remove them the next day and go over the holes with more liquid or simply fill them with silicone.
My contractor formed my shower pan with cement (over waterproof plastic membrane). Harding backer on walls. I did the tile work. There was a gap between the end of the Hardibacker and the pan and I could see through to the wood/studs. The pan also didn’t slope towards the drain but, instead, towards the back corner of the shower. I took Thinset and built up the pan to seal the gaps and create a better slope. In some places it was almost 2″ thick. It seemed to take forever to dry, almost 2 weeks. Before it was completely dry I set the river rock for the floor in it. These were 12″ x 12″ sheets with the Rick glued on. I let this dry another 2 days then grouted. I let the grout dry for 2 days and then sealed. Everything looked great. I used the shower for 2 weeks and one morning noticed a loose rock…then another…and ended up pulling up a bunch of the rocks and grout. The grout wasn’t really hardened. The glue used to adhere the rocks to the sheets was gummy. The Thinset underneath was rubbery on top and kind if squishy underneath. I’ve removed all the rocks and grout; it came up much too easily. The Thinset is cracking now that its exposed. I’m not sure what to do next. It seems that I need to place the rocks and perhaps seal them; then grout and seal again, more than one coat? Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Diane,
It could be a number of things that created this. My first red flag is the fact that you could see the studs through the space between the mud deck and the backer – that means your shower floor is not waterproofed. The slope being wrong is improper as well, and it can not be fixed with thinset. Water will still run to the back corner of the shower. The gummy mesh is the glue bonding the tiles to the mesh – it’s water soluble. You have an improperly waterproofed and constructed shower floor which needs to be removed and rebuilt properly. Failing to do so will cause a multitude of problems. No amount of sealing your rocks will fix it – they need to be installed over a properly build shower floor.
Roger, i am ready to tile my shower thanks to the help of your manuals. The wife is getting tired of sharing the kids bathroom. I am stuck on the layout for the side walls. I am trying to do a running bond using 13×20 rectified porcelain tiles. The back wall works out pretty good at under 60″ using 19 3/4″ long tile I need to cut 3/4″ off the left side and right to get almost 3 full tiles across. The problem is the side walls, which from the back wall to the bullnose is 34 3/4″. The dry layout i did was not centered on the wall, but starts with a full tile in the corner leaving a 15″ piece before the bullnose. The next course would start with a 10″ piece followed by a full tile and end with a 5″ cut before the bullnose. Another thought I had was to start with a full tile at the bull nose and end with the cuts in the corner opposite of what i just stated. I am just worried about how it would look with a 5″ piece of tile next to the bull nose every other row. If I reverse it I could start with a full tile at the bull nose and the 5″ would be in the corner, but I will lose the wrapped look because the back wall will start with a 10″ piece every other row. I could also do two full tiles and end 5″ past the shower out into the room and then the bull nose, but would 8″ outside the shower look dumb? Thanks for any insight you might be able to shed.
Hey Ray,
You do not need exact measurements to have a wrapped look with a running bond pattern. Start with a full tile at the bullnose and cut in the corner. The next row start with a 1/2 tile at the bullnose and end in the corner. With the cuts in the corner butt the shorter cuts up to the longer cuts on the back wall. The longer cuts on the side wall butt to the shorter cuts on the back wall. That’s how you wrap a running bond.
Hi Roger, back with a couple of questions. If I go with 3/16″ grout joint, as recommended by American Olean for these 13×20’s, should I shoot for that in the corners of the intersecting walls and the shower pan joint or go with 1/8″ for those locations? Also you say to tile from the bullnose to the corner, does that mean to set the bullnose first or can I use a layout line and go from there?
Just 1/8″ in the corners. They don’t need to be the same size as the grout lines. You can go off a layout line and set the bullnose last.
I am installing a tub/shower combination. Can I apply redgard to the floor under the tub?
Hey Norman,
If you want to.
Thanks Roger a couple more that slammed into my head, I am doing the topical membrane, would I caulk the changes in plane (including the bottom next to the sub-floor?) prior to installing the mud deck and the topical? And in the book you talked about a skim coat of quick set on the deck since it so sandy how thick should this be as I am a big guy and will have to walk on it some time doing the topical?
No need to caulk the wall at the floor before doing the mud, but the corners changes of plane should be either caulked or taped and mudded before installing the membrane. It’s just a skim-coat, it’s only there to close the pores. No need for any significant thickness.
Roger when doing the corner bead on the outside of the shower door where the backer board and drywall meet how do you secure the corner bead to the backer board I am not wanting to use the screws that I used to mount the backer board so close to the edge….your thoughts
Hey GEM,
You can use nails or screws on the drywall side and us PL glue or something similar on the backerboard side. The plastic corner beads are a better option for walls near showers – they don’t rust.
In a cold climate when the shower wall is on an exterior wall do I need vapor barrier (6 mil) over the insulation then cement board then kerdi membrane or do I skip the vapor barrier? If no plastic what do I do at the transition between the shower wall and where the wallboard starts?
Cheers!
Hi Karen,
You want to skip the barrier. You can have the plastic at the transition, and beyond it into the shower side, as long as you don’t cover the entire wall cavity with it.
Roger
I just had a shower base (cement) installed to include plastic liner and one foot of cement board substrate up a foot or so above the pan. I intend to do the rest myself. (Cement board and tile)
The installer said no vapor barrier is needed on the studs as long as I use a water proofer (red guard) on the cement board prior to tiling.
Does this sound right?
Glenn
Hi Glenn,
Yes. They are two different waterproofing methods. Traditional (barrier behind the backer) or topical (redgard, hydroban, kerdi, etc.). You always want one or the other, never both.
Hi Roger,
Quoting from your article:
“If you are using a topical membrane and you have an exterior wall with either plastic facing or kraft paper facing you need to cut slits into that facing before installing your substrate. If you do not it will create the aforementioned mold sandwich. Give moisture or vapor somewhere to dissipate.”
I have a situation similar to but not exactly like this, and want to know if I should be cutting slits to avoid a mold sandwich…
In my case, the end wall of my alcove sits 8″ from the exterior wall of the house. The 8″ was used to house water pipes before I relocated them as part of my tiled-shower-replaces-bathtub project. I am using KerdiBoard, and will also have a deep niche in the end-wall, taking advantage of the 8″ of otherwise now unused space. The exterior wall has 2×4 studs with insulation between them, and a vapor barrier on the inside of the studs… then begins a 4 1/2″ gap before the beginning of the studs for the shower end-wall… add 3 1/2″ for these studs, and there’s the 8″ wall offset I’ve been talking about… Clear as mud? :-)
So, should I be cutting the external wall’s vapor barrier, given my use of KerdiBoard on the interior (adjacent, parallel) wall, or does the sizable gap in between negate the mold sandwich all on its own? I should mention winters where I am get very cold!
Peter
Hey Peter,
With that much space you don’t need to cut slits into your barrier. It’s just a small amount of vapor but if it’s lock in it’ll create problems. Yours will be fine.
Awesome! Thanks Roger :-)
Hey Roger,
I’m T minus 1 day before beginning the construction of my ensuite! In the final countdown still some lingering questions!
1. I’ve been unable to source Miracle 511 Porous Plus anywhere in town, and was recommended a product at a local tile store called Aqua Mix Penetrating Sealer… it is (as its name implies) water based… I need to seal unpolished marble mosaic tiles which will be on my shower floor… Do you know if this product will do the right job in my application?
2. My floor tiles and wall tiles are 2′ long… I want to install both in a brick pattern (wall tiles with the 2′ edge being vertical)… The same tile store advised against this, saying the tiles of that size always bow out in the middle, so the brick pattern means lipping all over the place… I did not buy my tiles there, and the tiles I bought are higher end (at least price-wise ;-))… Should I be concerned about this and avoid the brick pattern? My wife and I prefer the brick pattern but also want a very uniform result without unsightly lipping in the tile job…
BTW, I read your 50 tiling tips manual today… very helpful!
Cheers,
Peter
Hey Peter,
1. The aquamix will work fine. It’s good stuff too.
2. Place the two tiles against each other with the faces (shiny part
) together. Squeeze one end of the tile together tightly and see if there is a significant separation at the other end. That will be the amount your tile is bowed. If it’s more than 1/16″ or so you’ll get significant lippage (1/16″ with each piece leads to a 1/8″ difference!). The newest standards state that with large format tile like that it is recommended to set a running bond (brick) pattern offset by 1/3 rather than 1/2. In other words, overlap the edges by only 1/3. You’ll still get the patterned look you want with minimal lippage.
Thank you Roger!
Hi Roger,
I am using Kerdi-Board for my alcove shower… My question to you pertains to the shower curb, which is constructed from stacked 2×4’s… I understand I need to waterproof the curb. If I place Kerdi-Board on all 3 exposed sides of the curb, my concern is with the top side, which will then receive a 7/8″ slab of quartz, and then be required to support a 10 mil fixed glass shower panel at one end… the glass shower panel is VERY heavy… is the Kerdi-Board adequate under such weight?
Peter
The psi of kerdi-board over solid backing (2×4) with tile or slab on top is plenty strong and rigid enough to support your shower panel. Once the tile or slab is installed it will distribute the weight over the entire curb lessening the point load at any given spot.
HI ROGER,
Just finished sealing tumbled travertine and grouted the next day filling holes. like the look.(with your help)
1. I will wait 3 days and use 511 sealer again. Should I seal grout as well as tile 2nd time around(just did sealer before grouting obviously).
2. Down the road if I wanted to enhance, can that be done over regular sealer?
3. How often do I seal this travertine?
Thanks for all your help
Paul
1. Yes, you should seal the grout and tile both.
2. Normally yes, it usually works fine.
3. If it’s on a wall then likely never again. If it’s on a floor it depends on how much foot traffic it gets. The only thing that wears away sealer is abrasion.
I am sure I will be getting back to you for advice with other tile projects but appreciate all your help with my past two projects that worked out fine. Thanks to you.
Paul M.
Hello Roger,
I was young then and never thought I would get old!
Many years ago, I fell in love with a tile and installed it on my bathroom floor. It has held up wonderfully, except that now, what I then considered shiny, is now slippery and dangerous. Is there a quality non slip coating that I can paint on my still lovely floor so I won’t fall down and break? I wouldn’t mind having to recoat every year or so either.
Jeannette
Hi Jeannette,
There is, it’s called invisatread. You can find it on amazon.com here. I don’t know how often it would need to be applied, but I’ve heard it works well.
My grandfather always said “if I’d known I was going to live this long I’d have taken better care of myself”.
Hi Roger,
About a month ago I asked some questions about my backsplash with tumbled travertine and sealing before and after along with some recommendations for sealants etc. Can you direct me to where these questions and answers are on your site.
Thank you,
Paul M.
There is another Paul
I do not have the ability to search 11,000 questions for something specific – I need to go back through every page physically, one month is approximately 37 pages with 250 questions and answers on each. This is why I tell people to ask every question as a reply to the last, it keeps everything in the same place. Please do that. Please.
Here are your questions and answers about sealer. Enhancing sealer
Roger,
I am doing 3×6 tumbled travertine on my backspash and I started at the bottom where granite is and have three rows. When I come to the bottom of window I have a 1 1/2 inch. piece that will open to regular regular size at ends of windows with notches.
Should I try and make a smooth transition to window with a 4×4 accent of tumbled travertine(so no 1 1/2 sliver) or is the 1 and a half inch sliver okay using same tile for whole wall? Any suggestions for accent to go with tumbled travertine and santa celia granite?
Thanks for your help.
Paul
You can use either. There aren’t really any accent pieces that size, most liner pieces are 3/4″ wide. A small piece under a sill will not be noticed and it doesn’t look funny since it opens into a window.
Thanks Roger for everything.Patience being the big one.
When you do tumbled for most people do you do straight sealer, enhancer sealer of just grout and leave foe more natural look on backsplash?
Paul
It just depends on what the customer wants. I always seal travertine, it’s just a matter of whether or not they want the wet look.
Hi Roger,
Me again :-)
This time I want to ask you how I should calculate the length of sill to order for my alcove shower curb… I need to order it in advance of beginning any tiling. It is made of quartz, which is too expensive to mess up the order :-)
I’ll tell you what I’ve computed so you can comment…
Presently, the room is down to studs, and there’s 60 1/2″ from stud to stud across the place where the shower curb will ultimately go. I am using KerdiBoard, so that’s 1/2″ thick at each end wall, making my curb length now down to 59 1/2″.
I assume that my quartz sill will be butted up against the wall tiles (that is, the walls will be tiled before the sill is put in place, so the sill itself will have to be short enough to take account not only of the KerdiBoard, but of the tiles too)… Okay, so my wall tiles are 5/16″ thick… I’m guessing the thinset will be about 1/8″ thick beneath a set tile (comment?)… so that brings my curb sill length down to 59 1/2″ – 2(5/16″ + 1/8″) = 58 5/8″. Now I leave a little wiggle room which can be covered by caulking (comment?)… say 1/8″ total… making the length of sill I should order come out to be 58 5/8″ – 1/8″ = 58 1/2″.
What say you, Roger? Am I on the right track here? Should the sill go down before the wall tiles, in which case, I need it to be longer by tile + thinset, making it 59 3/8″?
And now for the width of this same curb sill… my bare wooden substrate curb is 3″ wide… do I KerdiBoard all 3 exposed sides of the curb? If so, my sill needs to be 3″ + 2(1/2″ KerdiBoard + 5/16″ tile + 1/8″ thinset + 1/8″ overhang) = 5 1/8″. Yes?
Finally, a train leaves London at 5 p.m. sharp, travelling west at 45 mph… okay, I’ll save that one for the next time :-)
Cheers,
Peter
Hey Peter,
Your math is correct, but you’re overthinking it. Order your curb 59 1/4″ wide and either install it before the wall tile or cut it to length after the wall tile is in. It can be cut with a wet saw. I would order it 5 1/4″ wide – better to have it wider than needed, you can always overhang it a bit more, it’ll never be noticed.
The answer to your train question relies heavily on whether or not the train has a bar car. If not, the answer is ‘who cares’. If it does the answer is ‘are you sure there’s enough booze?’
Thanks Roger,
I had originally planned to cut the sill to length myself, but my quartz supplier told me I would not be able to cut it with my DIY non-industrial tools… Are you saying I should have no trouble cutting thru 1 1/4″ quartz with my DIY tile saw? If so, I will proceed to order the length you recommend.
Also, is the 1 1/4″ thick quartz correct for a shower curb sill? Or would I better have them reduce it to 3/4″?
Peter
Yes, a regular wet saw will cut quartz. A grinder with a diamond wheel will also cut it. There is no standard for thickness, it can be whatever size you want.
Thanks Roger… I’ve ordered the curb!
… Which brings me to more questions…
Q1. I am installing an unpolished marble mosaic tile for my shower floor… I’ll need to seal the tile… I’ve read about two products I could use for this, and want to know if you have any comments about either or if you’d recommend something else altogether…
The products are:
* DuPont™ StoneTech® Professional Sealer
* Miracle 511 Porous Plus Sealer
Q2. Additionally, I am going to need a Schluter edge (or equivalent) product to nicely finish my tile edge where the shower wall tile will stop, and give way to the painted drywall (all in the same plane). My wall tiles are 5/16″ thick… How do choose the correct size for the Schluter edge?
Q3. Also, are these Schluter edges best painted to get a color match, or can I order something with the color I want?
Peter
1. They are both very good sealers. I prefer the 511.
2. The size of the trim will be right on the sticker. They vary, the sizes they state are accurate measurements from the top of the leg of the trim piece to the top edge – the space in which the tile sits. So if your tile is 5/16″ order a 5/16″ trim.
3. They do have some colors, but if you want it perfectly matched you’ll likely need to paint it.
Thank you Roger… very helpful as always…
As I continue to plan, I continue to hit more questions…
Q1. Should I put my quartz shower curb down with the same thinset I use for tiling the floor?
Q2. I am installing a glass shelf half-way up the niche… should I fasten the shelf with clear silicone? The shelf will be inserted between cut tiles on 3 of its 4 edges.
Peter
Correction to Q2. on my post above… the glass shelf will only be supported at its ends… it will be 10 mil glass (untempered), 10″ long by 5″ deep.
Oh, okay. In that case – STOP! Do not, ever, use untempered glass in a shower. It is not just a matter of bumping or setting something down on it that will break it. You don’t need to do anything to it. Regular glass can crack or shatter due to temperature differentials in your shower. It may shatter in the middle of your shower. Seriously. If you want glass in there it NEEDS to be tempered glass.
And for the next 100 emails I’m gonna get from people asking something akin to ‘well then why doesn’t glass tile shatter, smart ass…’ (Yes, I actually get those emails, a lot of them
) Glass tile is manufactured in three different manners, all of which both heat the glass tile at a higher temperature then regular sheet glass and anneal the glass for a longer period, leading to a product which is not affected by normal temperature differentials in regular showers.
Thank you Roger! I had originally requested tempered glass for the shelf, and my glass supplier explained that 5″ x 10″ was too small for them to temper, and that with 10 mil glass, it would be strong enough not to break. I am going to look at some other non-glass solutions given your input.
Cheers,
Peter
1. Yes, same thinset
2. If it is locked into the tile on three sides that fastens it. You can silicone around it where it meets the tile, but it’s not goin’ anywhere.
Hi Roger,
I am doing a backsplash and would like to get a cheap saw to use to make cuts without paying an arm and a leg,around 100-150. Can you give me a suggestion on which saw to get. I do know cheap is cheap but only do small jobs for both daughters and myself.
Thanks
Paul
How many times ‘ya gonna ask me the same question Paul?
I already answered it here: http://floorelf.com/tile-faqs/comment-page-16#comment-14278
Sorry Roger. I did not see your answer. I know you are busy answering lots of questions and overlooked your answer.
Paul
Roger,
I finally started my tile job after reading your site for a while. I did 1 of the walls in my shower last night. I’m pretty pleased with it, but just found a spot with some major lipage (it was 4:00am before I finished this morning, must have missed the spot). What’s the best way to address this? Is there an easy way to rip the tile off the wall? without damaging anything else?
I have 13″ x 13″ ceramic tiles. I’m using mapei ultraflex 2 for my thinset. The piece of tile is in the corner and is 6″ x 13″.
Thanks for your help.
Justin
Hey Justin,
No real easy way to tear it out but to tear it out. The sooner the better. Just get a screwdriver and pry it out of there (a paint can opener actually works well). Place a piece of cardboard under the tool on the tile next to it so you don’t chip it as you are removing it.
Well, I managed to get it out of there. The bad news is it must have been bonded very well to the cement board as it ripped most of that off the wall with it.
What’s the best way to fix that. Please don’t say rip down all the other tiles and put a brand new sheet of cement board in.
Cut a square out of the ripped-up wall so you can fit a patch piece in there fairly tight, then tape and mud the transition from the patch to the wall. If you don’t have studs directly behind where you are patching place 1/2 a 2×4 under the existing wall and screw through the backer to attach it, then attach the patch piece to the other 1/2.
For an interior residential tile shower surround…
Stucco mesh on interior corners and changes of plane while doing a RedGard installation on walls and ceiling?
A) Absolutely. I should totally do it
B) Recommended by not necessary
C) Meh
D) [insert appropriate answer here]
Thanks!
Hi Kate,
It’s A. You absolutely need mesh fabric at the changes of plane with redgard.
And D – Drink beer.