Tile Job: NIGHTMARE MODE (Biting off more than I could chew)
 

So, my one piece FG shower was cracking in various locations, and with another child on the way :thumbsup:, I had to do this far sooner than later. Now, I thought, I would sincerely love the look of natural stone, and I have done tile before, so "How hard could a shower be?"

Little did I know, my ass would summarily be kicked.

Now, my first entry in to working with tile worked rather well, don't you think? So how hard could a shower be?

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Now, lets' bear in mind I'm mildly insane and thrive on biting off more than I can chew with 3 of me (rue the thought).

So, demolition went cleanly enough, and the sawzall made short work of the FG tub, and the mortar bed was chiseled and removed in short turn.

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So, we're off to the races...I fucking suck at plumbing, but redid the entire thing, because, shit, propane and solder are not rocket science, then slapped up some cement board.

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So, everything I read online said, "start in the corner", so if it's on the internet, it should be true, right?

HERE'S WHERE SHIT GOES WRONG.

So, I started with the niche, which went simply enough.

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Then it was off to the races with tile, up and away we go!

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AND HERE'S WHERE IT ALL FALLS APART

With the first wall done, we see an OBVIOUS problem....it was square to the TUB, NOT THE WALL!!! Follow the top line...you'll see what I mean.

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So, everything had to come off. Being the cheap ass I am, I was not to trash any salvageable tile, either.

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Mortar was removed by immersing in a boiling pot for 20 minutes followed be scraping with a floor scraper.

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So, after a good amount of research, it was time to square TO THE WALL!!1

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So far so good. Now time to test fit the shelves.

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Well, that looks like donkey dick in a Playboy spread. Instead, I thought, "If I use extra mosaic and trim the crown, can I make my own???" Answer is, yes, you can.

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Here;s the crown...both ripped and mitered.

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OK, so let's go!

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Might as well fucking repaint while I'm at it.

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4' Verification

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So, finally I was done...and I'm sparing you all OH so many details, but nonethless....if you choose to do a small tile just know this...IT WILL TAKE AN ETERNITY!!!!!!!

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I've been meaning to do mine for 2 years.. You may have convinced me to delay more!

Looks like you did a great job though!

So, how long did the job take you?



It does look good, but you're much more patient than I-- I would have used 18" tiles. :tomato:

:rofl:

i worked as a tile apprentice years ago.

lol, it is pretty tough.
Math is your friend.

Great work! And your threads are always so fun to read :thumbsup:

came out great :thumbsup:

Wow, nice job. Love the pink loofa :gheylaugh:

I lament to report that I could have made my horrors all the more humorous were I not tanked off my ass at the time I posted the set, BUT, it provides a general feel of work required to do the job.

Truth be told...it was SO worth it. Every evening I am treated to a 5-start shower experience and for anyone arguing otherwise, you're selling yourself short. The showerhead tops it all off...it's a very "no shits given about water costs" head, and simply immerses the bather in a wonderful experience.

Regarding the color of the loofah, you're obviously not married/without child. At a certain juncture of this mortal coil. we needn't mark our territorial masculine boundaries.

EVERYTHING was specifically gapped to end with a proper half split upon both the top end and sides. Suffice it to say, a fair amount of time was spent with graph paper and pencil. :thumbsup:

Very nice, I love the shelfs for the soaps and shampoo.

Looks nice (the final product).

If it makes you feel any better, I could tell right away that the red loofah is yours. :O

Nice work. The extra work to deal with the imperfections in the walls the right way make all the difference in the world between a hack job and a good one.

Nice work! So THAT'S how you got ripped huh?

:werd: Very nice work, DM!

Fun read and a great final product! That looks great, especially with the shelves. :thumbsup:

Your experience was how things usually go for me, even with considerable planning on the front end. But for some reason, I continue to attempt things as opposed to being smart and just writing a check :snipe:. Gives me something to talk about at cocktail parties, I guess. However, even tanked, you do a much better job relaying the horrible experience than I would.

Spoken like a true married man :snicker:

By the way, do you still have XM in your TL? I let it drop after the trial, but I have it for a year in my new car. The Slayer show from Vegas was broadcast on Liquid Metal Friday night (and replayed yesterday). They sounded as good as ever.

Wow...that's really impressive. Nicely done!

oh man...that looks fantastic!

Looks great!

:thumbsup:

I have a few questions...

1. what do you use to cover the vertical seams where the tile meets the drywall at the sides of the enclosure?

2. Do you need to slope the shelves downward a little to let them drain or is it not really an issue?

3. How much alcohol was necessary to complete the project? (seriously though, what was the approximate total cost for materials?)

You did a pretty fine job once you corrected your problem. Tiling is tedious as hell but I have fun doing it. I only used those small natural tiles as accent pieces in my bathroom. My hat is off to you for doing the whole surround with it. Loving the cubby too.

:thumbsup:

Those water saving shower heads end up making my showers longer :tomato:

The final product does indeed look awesome :thumbsup:

Looks Great. :thumbsup:

Just drywall mud. Many, many layers over many, many days to get it flush and smooth.

I forget, but yes this would be a real issue if not sloped. You must slope them.

SIGNIFICANT VOLUMES. Total cost, all said and told, was $1538.17...add about a buck fifty for many, many 30-packs.

Which Loofa is yours? The light pink, or the dark pink??

Musta been so disheartening to have to rip down everything after going all the way up the wall. Probablt felt like a wasted day, the end result ended up being great though,

Nice work, buuuuuut...personally, I would have never put that center recessed shampoo area in. No matter how well you think you've sealed it up, moisture will find a way in and, at the least, mold will form.

Hey Death when ever you need some advice hit me up. I've been doing construction since 12yrs old.
Not bad for a first timer I will say. There are a few things I will point out for you to watch out for. The joint between your tile and sheetrock will crack open due to expansion and contraction. You could have cut the wall straight and used a tear away bead and died the tile the way you did but again that joint will open but the transition would look clean. Ideally you don't flush mount the tile like that without a proper substrate to prevent the joint cracking open. The other point is that before putting up the tile you should have water proofed the shower walls. There are different types of membranes to use as a liquid type you would roll on like painting and a more advanced type like Ditra. The joints on the hardy backer you used should have been sealed with thinset and mesh tape before tiling again the flexibility is always a factor. since all is done at this point you may want to invest in a sealant for the tile. try to clean out all the excess grout as possible beforehand otherwise you'll seal it in.

I'm not knocking you're efforts at all, just giving my input. If you need help in the future let me know brother! good job again on the bath reno!