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Expert Tile installation information for the DIYers

  • Trowel Size
  • Thinset
  • Planning and Design
  • Prep
    • Showers/Bathtubs
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Prep

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

June 2, 2020 by James Upton 20 Comments

A shower pan with waterproofing membrane filled with water but before tile is installed. The words "Flood testing a shower pan: what to do and how to do it" are on the left hand side of the image

Flood testing a shower pan. I get several calls per year about showers that are leaking. Some of these showers leak after just a few years, and 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 taken: … [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 152 Comments

cement board installation on floors

Cement board installation over floors is not incredibly difficult. But I see people make the same screw-ups over and over again. The following are the most common mistakes I see when installing cement board over floors and what you should do instead. Cement board mistakes Let me throw … [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

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 systems. It's a good question. Frankly, it's too big of a risk to install the whole electrically heated floor 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: Heated Floors

2 Methods for Sealing the tub flange for tile

March 14, 2017 by James Upton 152 Comments

A post about shimming backer board past the bathtub flange

That pesky bathtub flange. It doesn't make a lot of sense to go to the trouble of waterproofing your bathtub walls if you don't handle the flange properly. But what is the proper way? And why do most residential remodels not do it that way? Let's dive in. The proper way to install … [Read more...] about 2 Methods for Sealing the tub flange for tile

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 you soon will have a floor tile that's cracked in the exact same spot. So what can you do to keep the tile from cracking? Do Uncoupling Membranes Really … [Read more...] about Do Uncoupling Membranes Really Prevent Cracked Tile Floors?

Filed Under: Floor Prep

No Waterproofing: Will this cause a shower to leak?

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: What inspired this post? A member of the John Bridge forum asking a simple enough question:  Is a moisture barrier required? He had hired a contractor to … [Read more...] about No Waterproofing: Will this cause a shower to leak?

Filed Under: Showers/Bathtubs

Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules

August 23, 2016 by James Upton 186 Comments

Prefilling Ditra waffles

This post was updated on July 2023. Typically, I encourage people to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Especially when the company has clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions like Schluter does. But when it comes to both Ditra Heat and Ditra Heat TB [edit: now … [Read more...] about Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules

Filed Under: Heated Floors

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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.

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