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www.diytileguy.com

Tile installation blog for the Do It Yourselfer

  • Planning and Design
  • Prep
    • Showers/Bathtubs
    • Floor Prep
  • Install
    • Niches
    • Setting Tile
    • Thinset
    • Tile Layout
    • Tips & Tricks
  • Tools/Products

Prep

Self-Leveling Underlayment: The Ultimate Guide

July 7, 2020 by James Upton 100 Comments

Self-leveling Underlayment

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 seems Self-leveling underlayment is, quite … [Read more...] about Self-Leveling Underlayment: The Ultimate Guide

Filed Under: Floor Prep Tagged With: featured

Flood testing a shower pan: Why it’s done and how to do it

June 2, 2020 by James Upton 20 Comments

Flood testing a shower pan

Flood testing a shower pan. I get several calls per year about showers that are leaking. Some of these showers are leaking after just a few years. Some, just a few weeks after they've been built. I estimate that those calls could probably be cut in half if this one simple step were done. … [Read more...] about Flood testing a shower pan: Why it’s done and how to do it

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

5 Ways to Screw Up your Cement Board Installation on Floors

October 13, 2019 by James Upton 147 Comments

cement board installation on floors

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. It's the same ones over and over. Which … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Screw Up your Cement Board Installation on Floors

Filed Under: Floor Prep Tagged With: featured

How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board | Video

March 31, 2018 by James Upton 224 Comments

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 but they are extraordinarily … [Read more...] about How to Install GoBoard Tile Backer Board | Video

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

Shower Waterproofing Crash Course

September 27, 2017 by James Upton 287 Comments

Shower waterproofing systems

4 Shower Waterproofing systems for tile showers Waterproofing a shower. This seems like common sense, doesn’t it? Well, a lot of showers that are built these days still have no shower waterproofing whatsoever. Or they have poor or improper waterproofing. What! No Waterproofing!? How … [Read more...] about Shower Waterproofing Crash Course

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs Tagged With: featured

Installing Electric Floor Heat: How to Not Void Your Warranty

March 28, 2017 by James Upton 7 Comments

suntouch heat cable

"How do you know it works?" I've been asked this by more than one homeowner when installing their electric floor heat system. It's a good question. Frankly, it's too big of a risk to install the whole electric floor heat system with tile on top and then hope that it works when the project is … [Read more...] about Installing Electric Floor Heat: How to Not Void Your Warranty

Filed Under: Floor Prep

Sealing the tub flange for tile: 3 methods

March 14, 2017 by James Upton 148 Comments

tub lip sealed for tile

That pesky tub flange. You have the tile backer board installed and everything is waterproofed. Everything except that gap between the backer board and the tub flange. How do you waterproof that? How to waterproof the tub flange? To begin with, you can try reading the instructions for … [Read more...] about Sealing the tub flange for tile: 3 methods

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

Is Hardibacker and Durock cement board waterproof?

February 14, 2017 by James Upton 82 Comments

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 … [Read more...] about Is Hardibacker and Durock cement board waterproof?

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

Do Uncoupling Membranes Really Prevent Cracked Tile Floors?

September 20, 2016 by James Upton 33 Comments

cracked tile floors

You want to tile your concrete floor. But there's a problem. The concrete has cracks in it. You know that if you tile right over the crack that you soon will have floor tile that's cracked in the exact same spot. So what can you do to keep the tile from cracking? Do Uncoupling Membranes … [Read more...] about Do Uncoupling Membranes Really Prevent Cracked Tile Floors?

Filed Under: Floor Prep

No Waterproofing: Will this cause shower leaks?

September 6, 2016 by James Upton 108 Comments

Hydroban waterproofing

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 … [Read more...] about No Waterproofing: Will this cause shower leaks?

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

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Hi! I'm James!

I own a bathroom remodeling company in the Seattle area and blog about tile installation in my spare time.

DIYTileGuy was created to help get good tile installation information to DIY'ers so they can build their own tile projects successfully.

I hope you enjoy the site! Read More…

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