hi. i've seen pictures and read your notes on how to put membraine and tile a shower. very good info. just few things not cleared about:
1)type and/or brand of sealant around drain
2)how thick each layer of mortar should be (minimum)
3)what is the purpose of the spacers on top of weep holes.
4)the mesh on top of the curb is worry me ( it's not going to rip the liner with time, since it sits on top of it and by stepping on the curb?)
5)if i'm using backboarder on the floor do i need roof felt and do i need to staple the mesh to backboarder?

P.S. i want to tile the rest of the bathroom and i have painted sheetrock walls. can i still tile over? do i need special thin set or adhesive? do i need to sand the paint off or make some scratches for better bonding?
P.S. SORRY FOR MANY QUESTIONS AND IF THIS CONFUSING TO YOU. ANY GOOD INFO WILL HELP. THANKS.

ALEX

Alex,

Building a shower is the hardest tile project a homeowner could attempt. Not everyone should try. If done wrong it'll leak or look bad. Correcting it will cost 2.5x what the original cost would have been. You can re-read Harry's step-by-step again. http://www.ontariotile.com/preslope.html

1. Silicone under the membrane at the drain.
2. The pre-slope min. 3/8 or so at the drain, rising at about 1/4" per ft. towards the walls. So maybe 3/8" to 1 1/2" or so depending on size of shower.
3. So the weep holes don't get clogged with deck mud.

4. The mesh is only fastened at the outer vertical part of the curb. It will not move inside the mud, guaranteed

5. Backerboard where? Not inside the shower floor?

You can lightly sand the walls and use modified thinset.

Jaz

Hi Alex
1. If you're talking about a clamping drain with liner, silicon if fine and it only acts as a gasket material
2. 1-1/4" minimum
3. to keep weep holes clear of mortar
4. Nope ... the mortar encases on consumes all voids ... so no movement of wire against liner.
5. Not sure why you're using backerboard on the floor, but yes, use the roofing felt of poly. Its purpose to help the mortar retain moisture longer for better curing.

If the paint is well boned to the drywall, then a polymer modified thinset will do the trick.

Jaz, you beat me to the punch.

hi. thanks for info. i was going to rip old shower and i'm sure i have just plywood underneath so i was going to reinforce the floor by laying backboard or cement board down.


P.S. i have professional guy to lay tile, no worries there. it just he doesn't have much expirience with building this mud bed for the shower, otherwise i wouldn't touch the project myself.

Backer board has no strength. If you need that, then additional plywood is what you need, then a backer board as the tile underlayment.

A Schluter Drain and Kerdi is an easier project than the liner method you have in mind. If you have not bought the materials yet, then I strongly suggest you look into it. A 1 1/4 inch mortar bed will be plenty of reinforcement for a typical shower floor.

If your tile setter doesn't know how to build a shower pan, that's a red flag IMO. Question him a bit on his experience. If he's planning to use mastic to set your shower tile that's another red flag.

thanks. do you have website that i can get info on kerdi system.

Yes, schluter.com I usually do shower pans this way: Greenboard the walls, Put down a curb made out of stacked 2x4's, Line the pan with poly, cover the pan and curb with lathe. Put in Scluter drain and sloped mortar bed and mortar the curb. Then kerdi the shower pan and curb and about 4 inches up the walls. Then Redgard the walls to the height of the shower head or all the way up. To me it's the most straight forward and economical way.

I have not tried the Shower Kits from Schluter because they seem way too expensive compared to what a mortar bed costs me for labor.

thanks guys. i dodn't know, i checked out the kerdi system and for some reason i don't like it, it seems complicated. i think i'll stick to regular method that Harry did.

P.S. I DON'T THINK HARRY METHOD TELLS ANYTHING ABOUT COVERING THE WALLS WITH LATICRITE WATERPROOF GEL. ANY THOUGHTS?

OK, you are free to go with second best.

What part of having a truly watertight shower don't you like?

It is more costly and may take a little longer to do. But installing an old fashioned membrane and getting all the folds right is no fun.

There is no better way to build a shower. Were you thinking of using one of those foam pans? I've never done one that way, probably never will?

Go to my albums to see a few Kerdi showers; http://picasaweb.google.com/tile4youinc

Jaz

I HAVE TO AGREE I LIKE THE THRULY WATERTIGHT SHOWER. IT'S JUST I NEVER WORKED WITH THIS SYSTEM VS MUD WHERE I GOT PLENTY OF EXPIRIENCE.

IT IS COSTLY AND HOPEFULLY WITH 4 CORNERS I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING TOO MUCH HASSLE THERE.

FOAM PANS SEEMS IDEAL. EXCEPT MY DRAIN IS NOT PERFECTLY CENTER I HAVE TO MOVE THE DRAIN AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ROOM TO WORK SINCE IT'S ON THE SECOND FLOOR VS GET ACCESS FROM BASEMENT. PLUS PAN ITSELF AROUND $700 - $900 PLUS S&H.

MY ? WAS ABOUT THE WALLS. DO I USE LATICRITE WATER BAN MEMBRAINE SEALER AND CAN I TILE RIGHT OVER. THANKS ALL.