# Niche idea



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

I have a client that wants a very clean niche with minimal corners and easy to clean but still needs to have some shelves. I have 48" tile available to use so I can make it as big as I need. I am thinking of taking the porcelain and making a large niche. For the shelves I would use glass. My idea is to drill shelf pin holes in the sides and use a stainless pin with a vinyl cover for the glass. This way the glass can be removed for cleaning and the niche is easier to clean. How can I drill the holes precisely and cleanly? I haven't had the best luck with the small diamond core bits in hard porcelain. Can a water jet be that precise? 

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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

How are you going to deal with the water that gets in the holes?


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

jlhaslip said:


> How are you going to deal with the water that gets in the holes?


Either not drill all the way through the tile or kerdifix/wedi sealant in the shelf pins. Don't we always preach the waterproofing matters and the tile if just the facade...lol! Seriously though I don't think the holes would be an issue...



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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Tempered glass, hopefully. That sounds like it would need more cleaning than the rest of the shower. 

How about setting a couple marble shelves instead? Ease the edges, maybe.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Tempered for sure!

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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I would probably epoxy some nice tile supports. How often are they really going to adjust the shelves once they put stuff on it.

Like you said, drilling tile is a pain. You might even get most right, but it only takes one miss and you are starting over.

Is there such a thing as cnc for tile. You could take your side pieces and have them jigged up and cnc drilled, then you just need to set them parallel.

Or you could have small glass panels drilled at a glass shop and inset them into the niche sides.


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## asevereid (Jan 30, 2012)

I don't do much tile work... Let alone showers ; but would a wide pencil trim be sufficient for supporting the shelves? 

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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Had an aha moment...going to propose a CRLaurence slotted glass shelf support. Clean and simple to install. 

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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

bet you a dollar Schluter makes some sort of trim for what you're asking for. 

I don't understand why you want to remove the shelf, does it have to have the ability to be removed for your design?

hope the picture shows up, maybe that kind of design will work for you. It's a recent niche I built with 12x24 tile and everything had a demi bullnose applied and polished. It was good quality tile, not sure how it would have turned out with tile that didn't have good color throughout the tile.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

the Schluter Dilex-BWB may do what you are looking for. it's not surface mounted but being creative you could come up with something. That rubber piece in the center of the profile is removeable. 

(https://www.schluter.com/schluter-u...ansion-Joints/Schluter®-DILEX-BWB/p/DILEX_BWB)


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

72chevy4x4 said:


> bet you a dollar Schluter makes some sort of trim for what you're asking for.
> 
> I don't understand why you want to remove the shelf, does it have to have the ability to be removed for your design?
> 
> hope the picture shows up, maybe that kind of design will work for you. It's a recent niche I built with 12x24 tile and everything had a demi bullnose applied and polished. It was good quality tile, not sure how it would have turned out with tile that didn't have good color throughout the tile.


She wants glass shelving and for it to removable for cleaning. Also for the glass to be away from the sides and back so as not to create an inside corner with caulking that needs cleaned/maintained. 

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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

jlhaslip said:


> How are you going to deal with the water that gets in the holes?


When you install a glass shelf you typically sandwich it between to tiles...that split tile is a hole lot more real estate for water getting in that some holes in the tile. Proper water proofing and as he mentioned filling with silicone or other waterproofing would suffice.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

VinylHanger said:


> I would probably epoxy some nice tile supports. How often are they really going to adjust the shelves once they put stuff on it.
> 
> Like you said, drilling tile is a pain. You might even get most right, but it only takes one miss and you are starting over.
> 
> ...


You can run tiles through a water jet cnc. I don't think they want to adjust, just be able to remove the shelves for cleaning. Any epoxied supports would be more of a dirt and grim catcher than pins.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

So here is the end result. Client loves it. I would have liked to find a slightly smaller glass support but this is all I could find that was solid brass. Used kerdifix in the holes before installing the supports.









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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Sweet. :thumbsup:

Did you "line item" that upgrade, and was it worth it?


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

MarkJames said:


> Sweet.
> 
> Did you "line item" that upgrade, and was it worth it?


Well... can't says it was a specific upgrade...just an evolution in the overall plan... and yes the client thinks it was worth it.


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