| Author | Content |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 17, 2008
09:23 AM Post #5900869
| My husband and I have finally “retired” to one place and I can now do all the art projects I have always longed to do. One of the projects is to have a shower that is completely mosaic. Now that I am “almost” done with the left side of the shower I am nervous about sealing the mosaic with the proper grout. Could someone recommend a waterproof grout by name. I have asked at Lowes but they do not seem to know “for sure” which would be best. Also, I will need a water proof grout for my Koi pond when it is finished. Can this grout be used for the Koi pond also? And one more question please. I need a “vine” type plant that will climb the shower wall once the mosaic is finished. It will sit on the column in the corner (see photo). Any suggestions? Thanks!! Other projects can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ptceramics/
This message was edited Dec 17, 2008 8:47 AM
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2zeus
(Zone 7b)
December 19, 2008
03:08 AM Post #5907329
| Mike Holmes on grout:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080918... |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 19, 2008
10:09 AM Post #5907765
| OOOhhhhh...Thank you so much!! I have dial up and navigating the internet is soooo very slow. I go to the library when I want to do real research and I just haven't had the time to research this “in-depth”. I am very glad I read this because my next step was going to be “sealing the tiles”!!
thanks again!
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2zeus
(Zone 7b)
December 19, 2008
03:37 PM Post #5908920
| You are very welcome! |
barrell
Tunkhannock, PA
December 19, 2008
05:00 PM Post #5909184
| You should have first hung tile backer board on the studs using special screws. Then you should have aplied a membrane using thinset. Now it doesnt matter if water gets through the grout. Ive never done a shower stall but have read many times that the membrane is a must. |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 19, 2008
09:31 PM Post #5910083
| I did do the mosaic on concrete backer board and I used thinset to apply the glass. Does that mean it is sealed enough that I don't have to worry about what kind of grout I use to seal in between the glass pieces? Fingers crossed... |
barrell
Tunkhannock, PA
December 19, 2008
09:58 PM Post #5910179
| It is good that you put up the concrete board but bad that you didnt laminate a membrane between it and the tiles, It may hold up for years it may not. Did you install a new shower pan on the floor and how did you waterproof where the shower pan contacts the walls. That is the most critical part of shower next to the drain instalation. |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 20, 2008
06:07 PM Post #5912869
| If I remember correctly, when I laid the floor for the shower, I laid the black tar cover over a plastic membrane - made for shower floor installation (a guy at Lowes walked me through it). Then I a layer of thinset and then concrete backer board. Another layer of thinset. Tile and grout. That is the best I can remember...I'd have to look back at my book with notes (if I could find it)...that was a year and a half ago.
I'm not sure what you mean by laminate a membrane between the concrete backer board and the tiles? Doesn't the thinset I laid down on the backerboard before I put the glass on count as a membrane? Please explain what you mean by ...laminate a membrane. I am also doing the pannel behind the shower faucet and I will do the rest of the walls in the bathroom eventually. If the first one wasn't done correctly I want to be sure to do the rest right.
thanks!! |
2zeus
(Zone 7b)
December 20, 2008
06:54 PM Post #5912984
| Waterproof membrane for a shower:
http://www.johnbridge.com/kerdi_shower.htm
(found by Googling the above sentence) |
barrell
Tunkhannock, PA
December 21, 2008
12:04 AM Post #5913947
| I dont undestand how you couold build the floor out of a piece of tile backer board which is flat. The floor must all slope toward the drain. The pros will install a one piece sloped floor with a curb in the front. They will then use multiple layers of membrane and thinset to make it stong. The membarane and thinset layers will continue up the walls but the many layers especialy where the perimiter and the floor meet will become one. So water has no where to go but down and out the drain. Im sorry to inform you that you need to get a pro in there to take a look at what you did and see if he can save it for you. |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 23, 2008
01:03 PM Post #5921962
| The guy at Lowes who taught the class gave me the products he said I would need. The topping I put on the backer board - waterproof floor adhesive - was put at different thicknesses...so that it slopes towards the drain...used a level for the slope. So far all seems to drain as it should, no standing water anywhere. After it dried, etc. I put thinset down and laid my tile pieces. I did the floor of the shower over a year ago and that seemed to be the easiest part compared to the mosaic with the questions about grouting etc.lol... |
scarediecat
Ashland City, TN
December 23, 2008
04:11 PM Post #5922566
| Now that I think about it... I think the confusion is coming from the difference between an old fashion shower and a newer idea of an “open shower” (new to us not to Europe, etc.). My whole bathroom floor has the protective plastic coating for any splash over but there usually isn't any because of the slant of the shower floor itself. I got the idea first from seeing my sisters bathroom. She is a paraplegic so she needs an open shower that she can get her wheel chair through. I wish I had a photo of her shower...now that's elegance.
My favorite professional designers can be seen at http://www.cmburke.com and http://www.trendir.com
Their photos will show why I didn't use the “pan” for a shower floor. OOOOhhhh, too many ideas - not enough time:)
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