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www.diytileguy.com

Tile installation blog for the Do It Yourselfer

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modified and unmodified mortar

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 […]

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Recent Posts

mixing small batches of thinset 169

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. This means: No more wondering what "peanut … [Read More...]

mixing thinset basics

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: "Mix it until it's like peanut butter""thinset consistency should be yogurt-y""Thinset should stay on your trowel when you … [Read More...]

modified and unmodified mortar

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 and even misinformation on this very subject. In … [Read More...]

thinset decoded a buyers guide for tile adhesive

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 mortar. Suddenly, questions start furiously bouncing … [Read More...]

wet spot on carrara marble shower wall

How bad of an idea is a marble shower?

The appeal of a marble shower is quite understandable. Marble is beautiful and timeless. So, why would anyone frown on putting natural stone in your home? As a contractor, I get asked about putting marble and other natural stones in bathrooms … [Read More...]

Top Shared Posts

custom shower niche

Building a Custom Shower Niche from Scratch

This post covers: Cement board, foam board, and HardibackerCutting into wall framing WaterproofingLOTS of photos! The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Custom Recessed Shower Niche Other niche building posts: Planning

subway tile layout lines

Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips

Subway Tile Installation: Three Basic Tips Subway tile- what's not to like? It's classic and timeless. A fairly easy tile to work with and install. And the white subway tile

recessed shampoo niches in an exterior wall

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's no good place to put one. There are either wires and pipes

direction wood plank tiles

More tips for installing wood look tile flooring

Installing wood look tile Wood plank tile floors have gained a good amount of popularity in the last couple of years. For good reason: they don't have ugly wear patterns

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How to mix the perfect small batch of thinset
From proper mixing paddle selection to preparing your materials.
Did you know that your floor is supposed to be within 1/8 inch before tiling over it?

Popular Posts

tile backer board comparison

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: difficult to install and cheapeasy to install and expensive So which tile backer board should you use in your … [Read More...]

aluminum tile trim

Tired of Bullnose Tile Trim? Here are 5 Tile Edge…

Here are 5 alternatives to common bullnose tile edge trim. One of the mistakes that I see a lot of homeowners and DIYers make with tile installations is that they sometimes don't use any tile trim on the exposed tile edges. Many times they … [Read More...]

Which size notch trowel to use for tile

Trowel Size Matters: Which trowel size do I use…

You want to know which notched tile trowel size to use for your tile project. The boxes of tile that you buy usually don’t tell you which size trowel to use with them. Consequently, I get asked about tile trowel sizes quite a bit. Finding the … [Read More...]

Self-leveling Underlayment

Self-Leveling Underlayment: The Ultimate Guide…

Self-leveling underlayment. It sounds soooooo easy, doesn't it? You simply pour the leveling cement over the floor and the product then just levels itself all on its own. Sort of like...magic, right? Self-leveling underlayment is not what it … [Read More...]

cement board installation on floors

5 Ways to Screw Up your Cement Board Installation…

Cement board installation is not something that is incredibly difficult. I think most people worry about how to cut it and once they have a plan for that then they think it'll be a breeze. But I've seen these screw-ups for several years now. … [Read More...]

Tips & Tricks

crooked uneven accent tile

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

How to Cut Glass Tile- 7 Tips Revealed- video

Cutting glass tile 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 on how to deal with the quirks and challenges […]

silicone caulk tutorial video

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. […]

Waterproofing

tile backer board comparison

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: difficult to install and cheap easy to install and expensive So which tile backer board should you use in your bathroom? I’m going to break them down by category and cover the finer […]

Durock cement board waterproof

Is Hardibacker and Durock cement board waterproof?

Reader question: Hi there. I recently finished grouting my tile surround in my shower. I posted photos on Facebook and somebody questioned whether I had waterproofed the Hardiebacker 500 board. Much to my dismay, I had never even heard of this… Anyway, I went to the James Hardie website and see nothing about waterproofing being […]

tcna steam shower

Kerdi no longer acceptable for tile steam showers

In 2013, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), the organization that sets the guidelines for tile installations, is rumored to have made a modification to their specifications for constructing tile steam showers. It’s all about perm ratings- and Schluter Kerdi fabric no longer cuts it. (edit: this is now in place and no longer […]

Thinset

mixing thinset basics

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: “Mix it until it’s like peanut butter” “thinset consistency should be yogurt-y” “Thinset should stay on your trowel when you turn it” “Add powder until you make a volcano” Yes, I’ve heard every one of […]

thinset decoded a buyers guide for tile adhesive

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 mortar. Suddenly, questions start furiously bouncing into your head: What’s the difference between the $6 bag of thinset and the $40 bag? Do […]

mixing small batches of thinset 169

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. This means: No more wondering what “peanut butter consistency” looks like No more struggling to gauge how much a half […]

Recessed Shampoo Niches

How to Design a Preformed Foam Recessed Shower Niche…

recessed shampoo niche

In this post we discuss: What types of prefab recessed shower niches are out there Which preformed shampoo niches are best Shower niche design ideas Why you should plan for a shower insert before you install any tile How to lay out a shower niche Adding shelves to your recessed niches The Ultimate Guide to […]

Installing a Recessed Shampoo Niche in an Exterior Wall of a Shower.…

recessed shampoo niches in an exterior wall

Here’s the dilemma. The customer wants a recessed shampoo niche. But once the walls were opened up there’s no good place to put one. There are either wires and pipes in the way or the stud bay is too narrow. The only good place to install one would be on an exterior wall which would […]

Building a Custom Shower Niche from Scratch…

custom shower niche

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 building posts: Planning and Design Installing a prefab niche Modifying a prefab niche Part 4:  Building a Custom Shower Niche from Scratch Sometimes there’s no […]

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