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Shower Waterproofing Crash Course: Navigating through 4 different methods
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How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board | Video
How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board It’s time to work on DIY’ing your tile shower and you’re not looking forward to working with the dreaded cement board again. It’s dusty, crumbly, and hard to start screws into. Not to mention how heavy it is. Sure, there are waterproof foam backer boards on the market […]
Tips & Tricks
Sealing the tub flange for tile
That pesky tub flange. You have the tile backerboard installed and everything is waterproofed. Everything except that gap between the backerboard and the tub flange. How do you waterproof that? What to do with the tub flange? To begin with you can try reading the instructions for the backerboard… which then will reveal… nothing. What about […]
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 is usually pretty inexpensive. In this post I will talk about three things that can help to get you started with your subway tile installation. […]
Bathroom Floor Tile Layout in 5 Easy Steps
Bathroom Floor Tile Layout It seems like a simple project- a small bathroom floor. You’ve picked out your tile at the local box store along with a few supplies and your ready to go. The problem is: Where do you start? See my previous post on tile layout concepts and why this layout was chosen. […]
Waterproofing
Sealing the tub flange for tile
That pesky tub flange. You have the tile backerboard installed and everything is waterproofed. Everything except that gap between the backerboard and the tub flange. How do you waterproof that? What to do with the tub flange? To begin with you can try reading the instructions for the backerboard… which then will reveal… nothing. What about […]
No Waterproofing: Will this cause shower leaks?
Shower leaks. The last thing anyone wants when they build a new shower. And yet I hear the following questions quite often: Is 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 shower leaks? We […]
How to Design a Preformed Foam Recessed Shower Niche
The Ultimate Guide to Building a Preformed Recessed Shower Niche Part 1: Planning and Layout 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 […]
Tutorial
Ceramic Subway Tile: 3 Pro Installation Secrets
Ceramic Subway Tile: 3 Pro Installation Secrets I have 3 tips to share for ceramic subway tile. The first is a lesser known layout technique for subway tiles. The second is an installation detail and the third is a cutting method done tutorial style. Let’s get right into it. Also, don’t forget to check out […]
How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board | Video
How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board It’s time to work on DIY’ing your tile shower and you’re not looking forward to working with the dreaded cement board again. It’s dusty, crumbly, and hard to start screws into. Not to mention how heavy it is. Sure, there are waterproof foam backer boards on the market […]
Why a centered tile layout is a bad idea
This post deals with tile layout as a concept. If you are looking for a more How-to, nuts & bolts post then be sure to check out my related post on Bathroom Floor Tile Layout in 5 Easy Steps. Typical tile layout advice is: Measure off of each wall Find the center of the […]
Tile Installation Products
Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules
Typically I encourage people to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Especially when the company has clear, detailed, and easy to understand instructions. But when it comes to both Ditra Heat and Ditra Heat TB [edit: now called Ditra-Heat Duo] there are two things that I just don’t feel are good ideas. This post deals with the […]
Why Schluter Ditra is so cool: Uncoupling membranes explained
How tile uncoupling membranes work You’ve probably seen uncoupling membranes before. It’s not unusual to see these orange waffle-y products on some DIY television shows. You may have even wondered “Do those things really work?” In my quest to keep up on tile installation products I took one of Schuter’s training courses some years back. […]
Tile Backer Board Breakdown
Which Shower Tile Backer board is best? I often get questions on what sort of tile backer board to use for showers and tub surrounds. When it comes to installing tile backer board the easiest to install is usually the worst choice or most expensive option. The types that are the most difficult to install […]