I'll be installing 13x13 tile floor to ceiling in shower stall and then continue with the same tile around the whole room from the floor to 3'6". Do I used thinset or the White wall tile stuff? the tile is 3/8 thick. Also it is a linen marble look, should i use the white or grey thinset.

Absolutely use a modified thin set mortar which comes only in powder form in a bag. Color doesn't matter much with ceramic or porcelain tile, but I recommend white.

What are the walls made of? Are you installing some kind of mosaics on the floor or is it a formed pan?

Jaz

Jaz is absolutely right. You should also get a bag of tile spacers and a bag of tile wedges. I use 2 spacers and 2 wedges to support each tile as I work up. The spacers get stuck in flat, so it does not matter what size you get.

Currently the wall cavities are open( took out a one piece tub and shower encloser). My plan is to Wonderboard(CBU) the shower stall area and, with this sites step-by step instructions, Build my own Pan. It will be a 3' x3' Neo-angle with Glass Block walls and 27" shower door. Green board the rest of the room for the Half tiled walls. I understand using the modified thinset in thhe shower but what about the rest of the room? By the way this is the quickest forum I Have ever been on. Thanks Guys.

Are you doing glass block only where the shower access(door opening) will be?
You mentioned a 27" door. Are you talking about a custom hinged glass door or just an opening?
The reason I ask, is if this is a glass block wall with the intention of installing a glass panel door, your out of luck. There's no way that I know of to attach a door to glass block.

Any glass block I have done is just left as an opening only with no door. That only works if the shower is 5' long or more. And even at that there is some spray that gets out the opening.

As for the rest of the room which is outside the shower area, you can just use regular drywall and use modified thinset to install the tile.

Randall, you scared the living crap out of me. I immediately thought that I can't do this. So I surfed it out. Pittsburg Corning has a site http://www.pittsburghcorning.com/homeowners/installinstr.asp which explains how to do it. Look into it, something you could add to your portfolio. It is final MODIFIED THINSET all the way.

Thanx Guys

Sorry, you won't see that product in my portfolio.
I have seen it, but I'm not a big fan of silicone joined glass block. Too dam messy for my liking. If you get the slightest bit of silicone on the surface of the block it will smear and virtually never come off.
I do all my block with traditional mortar joints.

It's marketed to the DIY type person and theoretically should be easy for most homeowners to use a caulking gun and silicone or so they say.

I'll let you know how it goes. Saw your pics, nice work.

I did one of those provantage systems in a shower once. Fortunately, it was a standard tile shower with two 7' walls with only one row of block on top. The silicone was definitely very messy. I spent more time cleaning it up than I did constructing it.

Randall, given that those are mortar joints, is the moisture in a shower a problem?

The block mortar is a specific white mortar that's used to bond the block and fill the joints in one process. You can also use it for just setting the coarses and use a tile grout for finishing the joints if for some reason you want a different colour. I've never had anyone request a different colour for the joints so I just use the white block mortar.

The mortar is an exterior / interior rated product so there's no need for any special joint treatment(sealer).

Another quesstion. When the bcu meets the ceiling what do you use to seal the joint. (Tile will be going to the ceiling) do I use a)fibermess and thinset b) fibermesh and drywall compound or c) caulk ( and what kind). Thanks

There's really no benefit to sealing the joint between the CBU and the ceiling, although you can if you want. I usually just tile up to about 1/8" from the ceiling, then caulk the tile to the ceiling with painter's caulk. It can then be painted to match the ceiling. Alternately, you can use color-matched grout caulk.

You know I think I'll go that route. Pittsburg corning also offers a spacer system that could work for me. The ceiling below the shower is accessable so i decided to reinforce between the floor joist so it can handle the weight, is this overkill? I will caulk above the tile where it will meet the ceiling. But a side note now, how do you seal the joint where drywall and bcu meet along the same wall?

Since tile goes over that joint, treat it just as you would any other CBU joint. Mesh and thinset.

hey ive been on this web site for a hot minute and forgive me if i am violating some discussion protocol but i am in need of a little direction. i am installing a 6 x 4 shower in my basement. i have put in the mud deck and have installed the membrane liner with the intention of installing a vapor barrier and hardi backer board then tile.
however i have been reading a lot of comments about the kerdi membrane over regular drywall or greenboard instead of the durock or hardi backer board. so to get to my question is it advisable or applicable to install the kerdi membrane over a "normal " drain or should i just continue in the direction that i am going.

The above post now has it's own thread. (kerdi membrane or normal liner)
Please go there to leave any comments.
Thank-you

Ok, I have another question or just Clarity. When building the shower pan the instruction say the first layer is to be a mortar mix. Can this be a premixed (store bought) or sand and portland mix. Secondly the layer above the shower pan liner the instructions say 4 parts sand and 1 part portland. I do understand the consistencies of water content or additives wet vs dry vs crumbly. The issue is using the right stuff. Oh Sorry about starting a new thread.

Ok, I have another question or just Clarity. When building the shower pan the instruction say the first layer is to be a mortar mix. Can this be a premixed (store bought) or sand and portland mix. Secondly the layer above the shower pan liner the instructions say 4 parts sand and 1 part portland. I do understand the consistencies of water content or additives wet vs dry vs crumbly. The issue is using the right stuff. Oh Sorry about starting a new thread.

Prepackaged sand mix is a little on the rich side and should have a little more sand added to it. You might just as well make your own with construction or masonry sand and normal portland. Ratio for both layers is 4 to 1 or 5 to 1 and just enough water to make a ball in your hand without leaving your hand wet.

I thought so Thanks

What is the proper way to install metal tile edging? (for a wall)

Pick out the tile edging so that it's about 1/16th thicker than the tile. that's 5/16 or 3/8 for the most part. Draw a plumb line with a pencil 1/8th of an inch short of where the edging will go to. Put the edging up against the wall. If there are significant wows in the wall you may have hand bend the edging slightly to make it follow the wall (this part is tricky). Then trowel on a thin layer of thinset just past the line and squish the edging into it. Wipe off any squeeze out on the outside, there should not be any if you do things right. Then leave about a 1/16th grout line and set the tile, troweling more thinset over the edging as you go. I always apply the edging and the tile at the same time, that way you have a chance to move the edging if it's out a bit.

I do sometimes nail on the edging with drywall nails, but that method does not allow for adjustment as you are setting.

All the advice given has worked out great. The thinset on the walls, my shower pan looks just like the pics on this forum.and those little tricks work too. Now a confession. I should have listened to Randall about the glass block wall. The silcon method is not a viable one (it sucks). I have taken it all down and have to start over using the mortar method. (which he said is the way to go)
So, some questions about the install. (the techs at pittsburg corning are pretty general)
1. should I Tile my Curb before building my wall on it? (of course after it has cured)
2. Can I tile my shower wall and build the blocks agaist that? if so i need to fasten the panel anchors to the wall over the tile meaning i have to drill holes into the tile, won't that crack the tile?

Right now it's bcu for the walls and my cement curb.

Cover the top of the curb first with your tile or marble sill.
Tile the walls after the glass block installation.

I'm now ready to grout. The floor are a charcoal grey and walls and showers surround sre white. Which do I do first?

You could cover the shower floor and grout all the walls first.
Just remember to check the shower floor and remove any wall grout that may have got into the floor joints.

OR

Grout the shower floor , then cover it with poly really well the next day and grout the walls.

I always do the messiest one first, the grey in this case. Easier to get white out of grey than to get grey out of white.