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#15222 - 01/18/10 10:58 PM Shower wall tile cement/adhesive?
RJB Offline
New Member

Registered: 01/18/10
Posts: 14
Loc: Niagara, Canada
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.
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#15223 - 01/18/10 11:39 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RJB]
Jaz Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/11/02
Posts: 624
Loc: Troy, Michigan U.S.A.
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
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#15225 - 01/19/10 02:11 AM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: Jaz]
pistolpete Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 03/08/07
Posts: 438
Loc: Williams Lake B.C.
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.

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#15227 - 01/19/10 08:21 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: pistolpete]
RJB Offline
New Member

Registered: 01/18/10
Posts: 14
Loc: Niagara, Canada
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.
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#15228 - 01/19/10 10:02 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RJB]
RC Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 10/21/03
Posts: 1796
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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.
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Randall

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#15229 - 01/19/10 10:28 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RC]
RJB Offline
New Member

Registered: 01/18/10
Posts: 14
Loc: Niagara, Canada
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
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Measure Twice, Cut Once.

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#15230 - 01/19/10 10:49 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RJB]
RC Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 10/21/03
Posts: 1796
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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. grin



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Randall

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#15231 - 01/19/10 11:12 PM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RC]
RJB Offline
New Member

Registered: 01/18/10
Posts: 14
Loc: Niagara, Canada
I'll let you know how it goes. Saw your pics, nice work.
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Measure Twice, Cut Once.

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#15232 - 01/20/10 12:07 AM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: RJB]
Kman Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 854
Loc: Pea Ridge, Arkansas
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?
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#15234 - 01/20/10 06:46 AM Re: Shower wall tile cement/adhesive? [Re: Kman]
RC Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 10/21/03
Posts: 1796
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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).
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Randall

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