Main Content
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 […]
Recent Posts
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...]
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 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...]
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...]
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
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 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
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
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
Popular Posts
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...]
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...]
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: 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...]
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
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
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: 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 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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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…
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.…
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…
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 […]
