I wasn't trying to be harsh or anything. Just pointing out a couple of things to help out future DIY installers. The shower looks better than my first install, that's for sure.

its ok, i asked for feedback and i'm glad you gave me your honest opinion.

if we were having a sit down conversation i'd have interjected as such:

>your layout is all wrong. you always want to >start with full tiles at the edge and trim the >inside corner.

perhaps, i searched the web for this and couldn't find a good direction, i got mixed info. so i just decided for myself.. i thought that when i'm inside the shower that is when i'm going to care how it looks, and when i'm inside i want to see full squares, nothing trimmed. outside the shower then is where the trim (cut tiles to fit dimension) went. in retrospect, if i had known what tiles i was using BEFORE i began the shower i would have calculated to not have to trim anything.

>The tiles should extend all the way to the shower >pan and IMO all the way to the ceiling for a >luxurious feel.

i thought so too.. but the instructions for the pan clearly showed the backerboard resting against the top of the lip and the tile exending ever so slightly lower; definately not all the way to the pan. since i don't know, i just relied on the instructions. as for the tile all the way to the ceiling, i thought this a good idea too but i don't call the shots on decorating. i just do the work

>The outside edges of the tile should extend about >two inches past the shower pan and down to the >floor. And that outside line needs to be >perfectly straingt, yours is all over the place.

not sure why it has to be 2" instead of the 1" i have, but its surely not straight. i'm hoping i can cover this up some how.. we'll see.

>Don't get me started on the Dentshield >installation. You wasted a lot of time and money. >It is a great product, but you went a bit >overboard on the installation. Should have used >Thinset instead of gypsum to tape the corners.

the denshield was great for amature first timer, i would recommend it (so long as it lasts a lifetime). BUT in the future, i would go full kerdi. i knew i was going overboard with the installation, i did that purposely. i figured i was saving a few bucks by doing it myself so i could afford to build it like a tank.. whoaa to the person that has to remove it in the future!! the gypsum was recommended by the denshield manufacturer, they specifically said not to use thinset. dunno, so i followed the instructions.

>I applaud your effort, and your efforts in >writing about it, but as far as a how to manual I >would not recommend it.

thanks for the applaus. its certainly not a manual, but it does give tile newbies a lot of information from the perspective that THEY would be seeing things from. hopefully they can learn from my mistakes and do an even better job.

For a manual, refer to Harry's work - its beautiful.

Knucklez

by the way, i have a solution for the exposed brass fitting.

stay tuned...

my father and i came up with another solution that looks good (i hope). this was a 10$ can with lid from Home Sense. we cut a hole out of the top & bottom so the pipe would fit through it. then epoxy it to the tiles.

i still have to paint the walls and stuff, but that's about it.

oh, i should mention a side note about water pressure! when i first turned the shower on, i got just a drizzle... VERY disappointed!! i got all sorts of "advice" from home depot & rona.. which ranged from:
- no rain shower will ever have enough pressure
- temperature control valve has 3/8" inner bore, so even if you run 1" flex plumbing direct to the shower you'll still have low pressure
- there is such a thing as 'high flow' temperature control but they are illegal (i think?) in canada --> i.e. you have to buy it from ebay

in the end, it was just the areorator that was plugged. haha.. you experts know that you must flush the system for 2 minutes before you screw in the areorator. but that is not written in the book!!! so.. i found out the hard way. least it works great.

another tip... use painters green tape to make your silicon nice and sharp. i was a little frustrated at the time and didn't bother.. turned out OK, but still could have done it nicer if i were more patient.

now i need somewhere to store my soap.

got this 9' tall caddy from Linens & Things. was a bit expensive, but that's what gift certificates are for

so, this is it. final shower done. i really tried to make this a nice shower built to last 50 years... guess time will tell

final cost (from memory so might be wrong..):
wood for framing: $20
4" screws to reach wall studs: $5
bag of mortar to stabalize the base: $10
shower glass & base: $750
silicon: $4
kholer shower hardware: $250
shower caddy: $50
denshield board: $75
redgaurd water proofing: $30
tiles: $500
tile mortar: 2 * $30 = 60$
grout: $20
tools: $15

Total: $1800

skills learned during project = priceless

i have lots of left over water proofing so will come in handy with my next shower project

so... what do you think?