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How Big Should Your Grout Lines Be? (A Comprehensive Guide)
How do you know what size a grout line should be? Are grout lines even necessary? When should you use 1/16-inch or 1/8-inch grout joints? […]
Recent Posts
Use These 7 Schluter Ditra Installation Tips and Avoid Problems (in 2023)
This post contains 7 real-world tips for installing Ditra. I'm a 25+ year tile installer and I use all of these tips when I install uncoupling membranes. First, let's clear up a couple of things: Here are the 7 installation … [Read More...]
How Big Should Your Grout Lines Be? (A Comprehensive Guide)
How do you know what size a grout line should be? Are grout lines even necessary? When should you use 1/16-inch or 1/8-inch grout joints? Well, sometimes there is a reason or a 'rule' that you should adhere to. Whereas other times, it's up to … [Read More...]
The Shower Corner Shelf: 5 Elegant Built-in Storage Ideas
Shower organization is an important consideration when building a new tile shower. You need to keep your products within reach and in predictable locations. The shower corner shelf is a practical way to tackle your storage needs. Shower … [Read More...]
Is the Schluter Kerdi Shower System Failure-prone?
Do Kerdi Showers fail? If you listen to some Youtubers you very well may come to that conclusion 'The Kerdi System wicks water and can't pass a flood test' is what they are claiming. However, I can prove the Schluter Kerdi Shower System … [Read More...]
3 Snazzy Tile-in Heat Registers your Floor will Love
So, you're redoing your tile floor but what about that old, dingy floor vent that you have in there? The good news is that you're not stuck with whatever floor registers the box stores have. Instead, here are three elegant tile floor vent options … [Read More...]
Popular Posts
Thinset
Tile Thinset Mortar: How to Buy the Best Adhesive for YOU!
It's difficult enough just selecting your tile let alone a tile mortar. Now you walk into the thinset aisle at the home improvement store and there are eight different choices of thinset … [Read More...]
Modified vs Unmodified Thinset: Deciphering which you need for Schluter Kerdi & Ditra
Are you wondering about modified vs unmodified thinset mortars? Perhaps, you are thinking of installing a Ditra-Heat floor or a Schluter Kerdi Shower System? The internet is full of information … [Read More...]
How to Mix Thinset Mortar
Mixing thinset. It must be a big secret. Otherwise, why can't you get a straight answer? Perhaps you've heard these: Yes, I've heard every one of those before and it's frustrating. I know … [Read More...]
How to Mix Small Batches of Thinset Mortar
At last, mixing small batches of thinset doesn't have to be a secret! Finally, you too can know the exact amount of water and thinset powder to add together to get the perfect thinset consistency. … [Read More...]
Premixed Tile Mastic: Where TO use it and What NOT to use it on
You know how tempting it is to grab that bucket of premixed tile mastic off of the shelf for your tile project. It's premixed, already the proper consistency, and it's really easy to use. But … [Read More...]
Tips & Tricks
Silicone Caulk: How to Caulk a Bathtub or a Shower
Silicone Caulk: How to Caulk a Shower or Bathtub The problem: If you’ve ever tried caulking with 100% silicone caulk you are well aware of how frustrating it can be. First of all, it can create a huge mess, be almost impossible to clean up, and can make your shower look uglier than before you started. […]
Don’t let your tile accent strip look like this
Getting your mosaic and glass tile accent strips to be flush and flat with the surrounding tile can be difficult unless you know a trick for it. Here’s a technique for building up the thinner decorative tile so that it’s even with the thicker tile without creating a huge mess of thinset oozing out of […]
How to Cut Glass Tile- 7 Tips Revealed- video
You want to install glass tile but you know that cutting it can be a challenge. Yes, more of a challenge than cutting regular old ceramic tile. Additionally, the average DIY’er may not have the right equipment and may not know the tricks for how to cut glass tile. But, alas, I’ve assembled some pointers […]
Waterproofing
No Waterproofing: Will this cause shower leaks?
A leaking shower. The last thing anyone wants when they build a new shower. Yet I hear the following questions quite often: Isn’t cement board waterproof? The tile and grout will keep the most of the water out, right? My contractor didn’t put any waterproofing in our shower. Will this cause a shower to leak? […]
Is the Schluter Kerdi Shower System Failure-prone?
Do Kerdi Showers fail? If you listen to some Youtubers you very well may come to that conclusion ‘The Kerdi System wicks water and can’t pass a flood test‘ is what they are claiming. However, I can prove the Schluter Kerdi Shower System works. Why can I be so confident? I, personally, have built an […]
Tile Backer Board Breakdown
Which Shower Tile Backer board is best? When it comes to installing a tile backer board you typically have the following choice: So which tile backer board should you use in your bathroom? I’m going to break them down by category and cover the finer points of each. We’ll start with Sheetrock/Greenboard Sheetrock in a […]
Recessed Shampoo Niches
How to Modify your Recessed Foam Shower Niche…
In this post we cover: Keep in mind, you can always add some snazzy corner shelves instead of one of these niches. No? Well, read on! The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Recessed Shower Niche Part 3: How to Modify your Recessed Foam Shower Niche Otherwise known as How to Void the Warranty on […]
How to Design a Preformed Foam Recessed Shower Niche…
In this post we discuss: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Recessed Shower Niche Part 1: Planning and Layout Why a recessed shower niche? Recessed shower shelves are more popular than ever. People are tired of wire caddies and shampoo bottles all over the floor. You want a shower that is built for your […]
How to Build a Recessed Shampoo Shelf…
In this post we discuss: Don’t forget, it’s not too late to add that fancy shower corner shelf! The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Recessed Shower Niche Part 2 Building, Installing, and Tiling a Recessed Shampoo Shelf Enough Planning- Let’s Start Building a Shampoo Niche! This is where you are going to actually determine […]
Top Shared Posts
Building a Custom Shower Niche from Scratch
This post covers: Cement board, foam board, and Hardibacker Cutting into wall framing Waterproofing LOTS of photos! The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Custom Recessed Shower Niche Other niche
Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips
Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips Subway tile- what's not to like? It's classic and timeless. Even in 2022, subway tile is a staple in tile design trends. I usually
Installing a Recessed Shampoo Niche in an Exterior Wall of a Shower.
Here's the dilemma. The customer wants a recessed shampoo niche. But once the walls were opened up there is no good place to put one. There are either wires and
5 signs your new tile shower will leak
You've hired someone to build your tile shower in your bathroom, but how do you know he or she's doing it correctly? How do you know that you won't have
