Litoc.com -- Home and Family

Preparation is the most important step for your tile shower installation. Everything you do in the beginning will influence your end result. For best results, be prepared!

You'll need the following tools and materials in the quantity required to complete the project. Here's a tip: Always order extra of anything that can break or chip -- five to eight percent more tile than you need to allow for cuts and breakage.

Tools

* Caulking gun and caulk
* Chalk line
* Combination square
* Floor scraper
* Framing square
* Grout mixing tray
* Hammer
* Large sponge
* Level
* Notched trowel
* Putty knife
* Rubber mallet
* Screwdriver or can opener
* Tape Measure
* Tile cutter
* Tile nippers
* Utility knife

Materials

* Backer board
* Grout
* Grout fortifier
* Grout sealer
* Mastic
* Roofing nails for backer board
* Spacers, if necessary
* Tile
* Wood for battens, if necessary

When you order your tile, be sure your measurements are accurate. A plan drawn out on graph paper can be very useful. The color of glazing will vary shipment to shipment, so if you have to go back later to get more tile you may find that the tile does not match perfectly. You'll also need to choose the grout you'll need. If you opt to use a colored grout, be sure that it won't stain the particular tile you've selected.
 
Surface Preparation:

Before you begin, clear away anything that will get in the way or get wet: rugs, towels, glass bathroom shelves, and all other items in the work area. Make sure to cover the drain with some tape so that debris won't fall inside and cause it to clog. Line the tub or shower with cardboard to prevent scratching. Take off the baseboards and door and window trims by using a pry bar. Take off the faucet handles, escutcheons, shower heads, and spigots. If the walls to be tiled are covered in wallpaper, it needs to be scraped off because you'll be preparing a better surface for your tiles.

Installing Backer Board:

If you are tiling an area with direct exposure to water, "greenrock" or moisture resistant drywall should be affixed over the studs as a basic wall surface. A mortar-based backer board should be put in over the "greenrock" for the best tiling surface. Backer board was created several years ago as a clean and simple method and compares very well to the traditional, yet difficult route of laying a mortar bed. It is done very similarly to hanging sheetrock. The height of the backer board will pretty much establish the height of the tile job. Once the tile has been laid, a line of quarter-round tiles will conceal the rough edge of the backer board.

Make a level lay-out line at the appropriate height for the backer board. When laying out these lines, be sure that there will be at least one row of tiles above the shower head. Use a level to verify an accurate level line all the way around the surface to be tiled. Measure precisely so that the spacing of the tiles will be exact enough to eliminate any need to cut the tile along the top row. Don't forget to also check the level of the tub. If you are working around a tub or shower pan that is not level and cannot be redone, cut your backer board so that the cut edge is along the lip of the tub or shower pan and is at the same angle as the tub. If possible, though, make sure the tub or shower pan is level before continuing. If you are installing a shower, use a ready-made shower pan and set it by heeding the manufacturer's instructions.

Begin with the backer board that goes on the back wall since it requires the fewest cuts. Find and mark the position of the studs at the top and bottom of the wall. Later, when putting the backer board up you can draw a chalk line from point to point and know exactly where to nail. The backer board should be nailed to studs that are at least 16 inches on center. If you are planning to use a floor and wall tile adhesive, install the backer board with the smooth side out. For an epoxy or acrylic mortar, affix with the textured side out. When using epoxy or acrylic, make sure the room is well ventilated as the fumes can be toxic.

Cutting the backer board is simple. With a straight edge, notch along your chalk line. The backer board will then crack along that notched line when it is bent, just like drywall. Turn the piece over and notch the back to cut through the mesh on the other side.

Use one and one half inch galvanized roofing nails so that the nails penetrate into the studs adequately, nailing at six inch intervals around the edges and in the center over the studs. Longer nails will be needed if you must nail through both the backer board and sheetrock. Nail heads should be flush with the surface, but not countersunk as it can make the backer board to crack or break. Joints should be close to each other but not tight. Some backer board makers require a nail and a large washer used at the edge for better holding. Read the manufacturer's instructions.

Position a quarter-inch spacer along the rim of the tub to hold the backer board up slightly. Once all the backer board is up, but prior to you laying the tile, fill the gap with silicone caulk to form a water tight seal. When making the holes for the faucets and shower head, measure very precisely. Don't forget the rule: Measure twice, cut once. Cut outs and holes for plumbing pipes and fixtures can be done by cutting with a saber saw with a carbide blade or a masonry hole saw attachment for a drill.