large ceramic tile for shower walls

Great synopsis of the considerations of what type of tiles. Pebble stone tile shower floors are very unique and compelling but there are some risks associated with them. So if you want these tiles in your shower, there are a few things you should know. This means that the foam base might compress slightly when someone is standing on these tiles because they are too small to adequately distribute the weight. I routinely use Aqua Mix Sealers Choice Gold. Installation of these tiles is very similar to any other natural stone tile and their maintenance is quite similar to that of granite tiles. Steve Gehrmann is a remodeling contractor (SKG Renovations) as well as a partner in Redblock Industries. Very clear and useful information. Natural stone tiles are quite popular in the bathroom and in the shower, but they can be tricky to handle, install, and maintain. On the unglazed base of any ceramic mug, you can see the tone of the ceramic gets darker when exposed to water. Anyways.. both marble and travertine tiles are sedimentary rock, which means they are quite soft and porous, travertine being the softer and more porous of the two. The problem is that no matter how much waterproofing is applied, drywall screws will rust over time and its difficult to predict the exact consequences and the timeline. Please keep in mind that this is strictly a nuts and bolts guide to choosing the right type of tile for your shower remodel it is not a design guide. Ceramic or porcelain or stone tiles in your shower? This post is for information purposes only and should NOT be interpreted as professional advice. The more permeable a tile is, the more work the shower wall waterproofing membrane has to do to keep moisture from getting behind the shower wall. Its not an easy choice because they are all very different products, and theres a lot of confusion about each of them. Please let me know what you think of the post in the comments below, and please ask me any question you like about choosing the best shower tile. It can also mean that the color and finish of marble tiles and travertine tiles can be altered or damaged with exposure to acids or organic stains. We currently have marble tile and sanded grout on out shower floor. As the mortar dries, it stiffens and become brittle as the ceramic draws the moisture out of it. Im super happy that I have managed to relay my thoughts clearly and to clear up some of the confusion around choosing and installing tile in the shower. It is for this reason that I believe that porcelain tiles are the best choice for your shower base. The pan will need to be replaced if this occurs. And because you can quite easily shape your cuts with tile shaping hand tools, your rounded corners can be made to look perfect without the need for an electric cutting or grinding tool. I received a bid from contractor which seemed fair. This is also a more expensive option because linear drains are quite pricy, and youll likely have to relocate the shower drain, and possibly restructure your subfloor. Even if you do seal these tiles regularly, you must be ok with the possibility of damage from soaps and other personal care liquids that may pool on the stone surface. Nothing is worse than your tiles being stuck in place after being set into the tile mortar. As mentioned above, the decision about ceramic or porcelain tile is all about material density. All it takes is to drop something solid, sharp or heavy near the edge of one of these tiles to cause a chip or compression mark. Porcelain tile has a clear advantage over ceramic tile in the shower but you must weigh the risks and decide for yourself. ", "Thank you Shadimate for making me meet my soulmate. If this doesnt work, you should politely suggest that youd like to settle the bill so they can move on to their next job. There are a lot of them around and I have used about a dozen different brands to seal stone tiles and regular cementitious grout. "I am very happy to have Adeeba as life partner. Granite has fissures and pits in its surface that can accumulate material so it may look like its staining but it will not absorb liquids, so it cannot stain. Unfortunately, this is not too helpful to the novice installer because mosaic tile can vary so much in size, but I can tell you that this warning is intended mainly for those planning to install mosaic tile sheets with the small 1 square tiles attached. The problem is also more pronounced between different boxes, even if they belong to the same tile lot. WARNING: In my experience, I have found that the lower the tile cost, the more exaggerated this problem becomes. In this post Im going to show you what type of tile (ceramic or porcelain or stone) is the best choice for your shower walls & shower base, and why. Is this a good combo to eliminate maintenance? Design by Shadimate. Im sorry to hear about your contractor troubles. few hours later he called saying price was for easy tile Im guessing ceramic, price went up 1,000 job. Schluter and most other foam shower base manufacturers indicate in their instructions that mosaic tile installation is not recommended on their shower bases. Depending on your choice of shower bases this could be an important restriction. Tiles larger than 4 always pose a challenge if you want to install them on any shower pan / base with a standard round drain. In a word, the primary difference between porcelain tiles and ceramic tiles is density. If you decide to take a chance and install these in your shower, you will inevitably experience tile delaminations as the tiles disconnects from the paper matte and pop off your shower wall or shower base. Some contractors prefer to just wet the back of the tile with a sponge and water before setting it into the mortar. The floor thickness also becomes unmanageable when tiling over existing tile. Really it was a wonderful experience to find most suitable,lovely life partner for me as I wanted. Most of these mosaic pebble tile matts are specifically made for installation on the base of the shower however, I am aware of some cheaper products out there using paper based matts and inferior glues. This indicates that its absorbing water. This could be a big problem. Period. Many of these liquids are acidic enough to damage the finish, or cause staining on marble or travertine tile. That means using a good tile and stone sealer. That means that there may be no need to install tile edging, as long as your cuts are clean and you are willing to do a little hand finishing. I thought odd. This type of mosaic tile is most often made out of granite pebbles glued to a mesh sheet or matt, but they can also be made out of small marble, travertine or sandstone pebbles. This arrangement poses no problems at all to installing larger tiles in your shower. A lot of extra work, but definitely worth it. Marble tiles are by far the most popular natural stone tiles chosen for the bathroom and shower. Because these tiles are composed of small pebbles, they share the same disadvantage of all small mosaic tiles when it comes to installing them on a foam shower base. If the pebble mosaic tiles are made of sedimentary rock, then they would definitely need to be sealed the same as you would for marble tiles and travertine tiles. It is also fairly easy to chip, scratch or mark their surface permanently. They can be as attractive as any other type of tile but they have the added advantages of high density and low moisture permeability. There is also a very real risk of wetting the back of the tile too much using the sponging strategy. You should always consult a licensed local contractor before undertaking any remodeling work in your home. If you use this strategy, the ceramic will be partially sealed allowing the tile to absorb only a small amount of moisture from the mortar. Ceramic tiles can vary in size significantly, even within the same box. . Youll also have to remove a couple inches of wall tile above the pan to reinstall the waterproofing membrane. A bit too much work for me. In this post Ill explain everything you need to know about shower tile backer boards so you can decide which one is best for yourRead More DIY Guide to Choosing and Installing Shower Tile Backer Board, In this post Ill show you 19 solid shower tile installation strategies I have learned over the years to increase my tiling efficiency and quality.Read More 19 Pro Tips on Shower Tile Installation, If you have completed or are planning to complete a shower remodel, youve likely wondered about shower waterproofing. Im not suggesting that the top face of the ceramic tiles in your shower will be unglazed like the base of your coffee mug, but its a good way to see the major difference between the material used to make porcelain vs ceramic tile. They recommend instead that a mortar base shower pan should be installed if you plan to use mosaics for your shower floor tile. Another solution to the large tile problem is a single slope shower base with a linear drain on one end. Both quartz and granite are very hard and essentially non porous. Because the back side of all ceramic tiles absorb water extremely well (hygroscopic), they tend to remove the water from the mortar reducing its ability to bond and set properly. However, it can cause some issues if youre planning to install a curbless or barrier free shower due to the large drop in elevation required from the high end of the shower pan, to the drain. Required fields are marked *. The main problem that I have with ceramic tile is that the shower wall is always going to be exposed to vast amounts of moisture, regularly throughout the life of your shower. Granite is made from naturally forming quartz crystals, so it has dents and fissures in its surface which can trap dirt and bacteria. When you are laying tile, the hydration of the mortar beneath your tile is extremely important for secure bonding to the substrate, and strength after setting. With this install, the pan almost always cracks when you remove the surface tiles. Think of a porcelain tea cup that you may have in your kitchen cupboard. Even the mosaic tiles with fiber matts may not be rated for showers, so its always best to make certain of this before you buy. Stone tiles can include marble tiles, slate tiles, travertine tiles, granite tiles, pebble stone tiles, engineered quartz tiles and a few other less common stones. 1. There are a few primers that allow this but you can never be sure if the original tile is still adequately adhered to the substrate. Is this a major problem for the integrity of the shower or should it be ok for awhile? I have installed a lot of tile over the years and from this experience I have compiled a list of little known facts and advice to help you choose your tile with confidence. Thank you for your comment! And because of the poor bonding, your ceramic tiles can eventually delaminate over time. John Canada. Although the density of porcelain tiles can vary significantly, porcelain is more like glass in the way it absorbs water. not being able to adjust them at all because the mortar is too dry and stiff. I left a link to buy this product in the Marble and Travertine section above, but its also quite easy to find at most home improvement stores. Ive made it pretty clear that I have a slight bias against ceramic tile. Any of these tiles are dense enough to be used on the shower walls or shower base with conditions. After all I have said about the deficiencies of ceramic tile, most of these can be managed with the strategies I have mentioned except one, the permeability problem. ), but I would always recommend removing existing tiles instead of tiling over them. The cement coated foam shower bases being a possible exception to this rule. Hopefully youre not as confused as theRead More Shower Membrane Waterproofing DIYers Definitive Guide. I painted 3 layers of red guard at least over all the seems and nails. You will likely destroy the drain assembly if its plastic and even if its not, you wont likely be able to re-bond the membrane to it after the demo. Just make sure that you verify the specs with documentation from the manufacturer because tile distributors and retailers often dont have the knowledge required. Granite tiles are extremely dense so they can be used anywhere in your shower. The benefit that quartz tile has over granite is that its manufactured under controlled conditions so its quartz surface is smooth and uniform. This results in eight intersecting flat planes leading to a square drain (see image below). One way to eliminate the ceramic or porcelain tile question is to skip both these options and go with natural stone or quartz stone tiles instead. Two questions: It means that they must be sealed with a good stone sealer! This is not a good look and creates some unanticipated problems with floor transitions. If you plan to install ceramic tile in the shower, a simple solution to the permeability problem is to apply a bonding agent to the unglazed back of the tile. If it gets too wet, the mortar will also not bond properly. The problem with these mosaic tiles is that the matte is sometimes made of paper and a light duty glue, which basically dissolves when exposed to water. My diamond file is my best friend when Im cutting the valve openings into a ceramic tile shower wall. Hopefully I was able to open your eyes to a few new things about these tiles, and give you the knowledge and confidence to choose the best tile for your shower remodel project. You can probably look in your kitchen cupboard again for another good example of this. Porcelain tiles and epoxy grout would be an ideal combination to make cleaning easier. In this case the grout would obviously need to be sealed. So what does this mean to you, youre wondering? One of the problems with tile wetting is that you must do it while you are in the middle of laying your tiles. All Rights Reserved. Below I will compare these two types of tile, assuming that they are being installed into an area of constant water immersion.. in other words, a fish pond you plan to build in your backyard (just kidding), or a shower (much more common). Although they make no attempt to explain themselves, they are recommending this because of the risk of point source compression. They are also both made from carbonate rock so they are very sensitive to acids of all kinds. ", About Shadimate: Sahdimate.com one of India's best matrimonial webiste which provide limited free service for different communities, was developed with a simple objective - bring peoples together. This can cause big tile lippage problems with larger tiles. Stone on mat with glass (eye drops) for appeal. Remember, Im a contractor, not a designer.. although I do have a lot of opinions about design. But if you have a shower wall waterproofing membrane with a poor perm rating, and you live in an area with more extreme temperature variations throughout the year, the permeability of your ceramic tile may become a problem. These are manufactured with fiber matts and waterproof glue. If your ceramic tiles vary too much in size, and youre using a fixed size tile spacer, your grout lines will drift out of level and out of alignment. This type of mosaic tile sheet is designed for decorative tiling applications like kitchen backsplash tile. Id like to remove these and replace with porcelain tiles and epoxy grout. If not, there will be movement under your new tile, which can cause grout and tile cracking. If the pebbles in the mosaic matt are granite then these tiles do not need to be sealed, unless you are using a unsealed cementitious grout. This can be a problem when youre building a tiled shower. This is Steve from SKG Renovations (Steves Bio) with one of three new additions to myRedblock shower remodel series, entirely dedicated to shower tile and shower tile installation. In contrast, ceramic tile absorbs water quite readily. This is not necessarily a terrible thing if your membrane is great and you live in a relatively mild climate. If you decide that youd like to install any of the porous natural stone tiles that I mentioned earlier, you need to be prepared to seal these tiles regularly if you want them to last long and look beautiful. If you dont feel comfortable for any reason, you should ask him/her a whole bunch of questions until you do. Some people like to read books of fiction, I like reading books of FACT, by Steve! This can be a problem with foam shower bases because they can be damaged by point source compression. Porcelain tile is the best tile for showers in my opinion. Since quartz or engineered stone became so popular for kitchen counter tops, there has been an increase in the production of tiles made out of this material for use in the bathroom and shower. It would definitely be a bigger problem if its an outside wall with inadequate insulation, because of a higher risk of condensation in this wall. to make even up the wall. I said sounds like a lot of waste. As soon as her profile came up on the search results, it was love at first site. Your email address will not be published. Much appreciated! He called saying stopping by to measure again, but didnt inform me of two guys coming doing tile work. The only way to solve the tile lippage problem in the shower with these large format tiles is to lay them adjacent to each other from the wall towards the drain, tapering the cuts diagonally and smaller as you approach the drain. Installing these pebble mosaic tile sheets in the shower can also be a problem if the mesh sheet that the pebbles are mounted on is not rated for use in the shower. Because moisture can permeate a ceramic tile, there is a risk of condensation and mold growth behind the tile and eventual tile delamination if mounted on an outside wall. Thank you Steve. Thank you so much for your comment and compliment! Let it rest for about 10 minutes and then wipe clean with a good microfiber rag (also works great for grout lines). If you are using modified mortar, the risk of delamination is a fair bit lower but I would still highly recommend pre bonding. Our bath floor is relatively solid, and if we decide on curbless, ouch, can we prep our existing 2.25 inch tiles and tile over them on the main bath floor, to gain some needed height for curbless? The problem is that the slope is not linear towards the drain.. instead it constantly changes as a tile position changes on the base. The fact is, the glazing on the top surface of all ceramic products only inhibits moisture from being absorbed. It is not completely water resistant like glass, but it does repel water similar to glass. If you have a traditional installation, there will be a liner under the pan. It was a long search. If the installation includes a modern under-tile waterproofing membrane, the pan is usually fixed to the substrate so theres a lower chance that the pan will crack during tile removal. , but I must admit that ceramic tile is much easier tile to work with, especially if you dont have access to a tile saw and youre using a standard scoring type tile cutter. In my humble opinion, a porcelain tile shower is generally better than a ceramic tile shower, but there are benefits to using ceramic over porcelain. Because these stones are relatively soft, it also means that they can wear unpredictably over time. This also causes a serious and very irritating problem of tile immobility. I regularly see the advice that granite needs to be sealed regularly, much like marble. But your biggest problem will be the wall/pan margin and the drain assembly. I had some fake contractors start a shower with only backerboard.they spent all day tiling over it with no membrane and I spent most of the night roping the tile off so they could paint redguard on it and then tile . This is the only solution if you insist on a standard left hand drain (LH), right hand (RH), or center drain(CD). Your email address will not be published. I do not recommend this. But there are also a few other things you should consider before choosing your shower base tile. Quartz tiles are not quite as hard as natural granite but this difference is not really important when it comes to installing them in the shower. And if there is no shower wall waterproofing membrane present this scenario only gets worse, as moisture condenses within the tile backer board or within the stud wall cavity. It sounds like there are at least a couple of issues that you are concerned about with this particular tiling contractor. I have noticed this problem with both ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles, but it seems to be a bigger problem with ceramics. They stated the stone and glass I chose was nice informed me what to get. This damage can be mitigated but not eliminated by regular maintenance. They are also pretty much worry free when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Wow! See my shower waterproofing membrane post for more information about compression risk and other important considerations if you plan to install a mosaic tile shower floor on a tile ready foam shower base. After all that, I still love the look of a marble tile shower just not quite enough to install it in my own shower. Of course there are other measures like increasing your outside wall insulation that can lessen this risk, but the risk is simply higher with ceramic tile vs porcelain tile. I met my better half through Shadimate.com. Its time that I balanced the scales a bit on the question of Ceramic or Porcelain Tile. I have actually spent many hours measuring and sorting through tiles so that I can alternate rows of smaller and larger tiles on a shower wall. Oxi-Clean powder dissolved in water and sprayed on the surface, works great for this purpose. This is often the only way to keep rows of tiles uniform and symmetrical. This makes it super easy to clean. When leaving contractor said stone square sheets would be laid behind new counter (?) A 5 long shower will drop in elevation 1-1/4 from one end to the other, which cannot be accommodated with a standard 5/8 3/4 subfloor. The size of the tile you choose depends on the shower base you installed in your shower remodel. As I talked about in my shower tiling post, the downward pressure applied from someone walking on larger format tiles is distributed across the entire tile. See my Shower Tile Installation post for more info about mosaic tile installation. We are highly committed to provide secure and genuine relationship.If you would like to make a suggestion or give us your opinion to help us to improve our service,please write us on [emailprotected], 2015-2021. So, if you want to install a tile ready foam shower pan like the Schluter shower tray, I would recommend that you not choose any tile smaller than 4 square for your shower floor tile. After all, these bases are made out of foam so they are quite easy to damage. Because this is a risk you cannot afford, you should be sure to ask for the specs on any mosaic tile sheet product you intend to buy and install in your shower. A huge benefit of these tiles over ceramic or porcelain tiles is simply that their color is the same throughout the tile. Like Ive said before, Im not a scientist, but I can tell you that granite is not porous and does not require sealing . Can the old marble tiles and thin set be removed only it does the mud pan also need to be removed? The more dense a tile, the less permeable it is to water (more on that later), and the more load stress it can handle. A terrible situation all around if youve ever experienced it. Looks like we have to remove and modify the subfloor under the tub ares, unless we go with Tile redi pan . Most popular member base are Hindu matrimonial - Muslim matrimonial - Sikh matrimonial - Christian matrimonial and Divorce matrimonial. Im guessing that because of its extensive use throughout history, its become an important part of classic bathroom styling (so Ive heard . Thanks to Shadimate.com for providing best platform as here i have found most of profile verified and personalized support. If you install either marble tiles or travertine tiles in your shower, you should thoroughly clean and dry out your shower a couple of times a year to apply a new coat of stone sealer. Because ceramic is so much softer than porcelain (less dense), it can be a breeze to cut with a tile saw or a standard tile cutter. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad7947ebb600504bd32360f721b9486f" );document.getElementById("j1bf4a70f6").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Join our Mailing list for blog and product updates, Click the Ad link below to leave the Redblock site and continue to Amazon.com, DIY Guide to Choosing and Installing Shower Tile Backer Board, Shower Membrane Waterproofing DIYers Definitive Guide.

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