# Stacked Pebble



## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

I just designed a tub/shower combo where I will be using Maniscalco Botany Bay Sea Green stacked pebble sheets as the face of the tub surround.

I'll be running the stacked pebbles around both exposed faces of the surround so that it seems as if the travertine tub deck is resting on a pile of.......stacked pebbles.

I've never "set" (just for you Tom) these tiles before, but have seen them set without grout, which makes sense because you would lose the "stacked" effect by grouting.

Questions.....
Method to tint modified thinny thin to try and match QL2 Mushroom grout color.
(All stacked pebble occurring between 0-17" a.f.f., so no real "view" of mortar......but I'd like to tint it anyway)

One face of tub surround is also the face of the bench in the shower.
Groutless........small shower footprint.....38x40.....constant water????

Also....thinking of doing back of niche in stacked.
If ....I can get the stacked/tinted mortar thing working well so it is sweet enough for eye level.

(Shower floor is just....pebble)

As always.....much thanks for any advice,
Jonathan


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

Their not tiles, they're stone. You want to grout the stone?

You want to tint white thinset? Also anti microbial for water areas, maintenance nightmare.

Maybe grout could help this eyesore?


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

MIKE ANTONETTI said:


> Their not tiles, they're stone. You want to grout the stone?


No....
I won't be grouting the "stones"......stacked pebbles.
But will be grouting the stone tiles.....travertine.

I'm wondering how to tint my thin set so that it still looks nice if you really get on your knees and inspect it.

Also, wondering just how crazy I am to be running them into my shower ...un-grouted.

(I have seen pics of the un-grouted stacked pebbles in a couple showers)


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

MIKE ANTONETTI said:


> Their not tiles, they're stone. You want to grout the stone?
> 
> You want to tint white thinset? Also anti microbial for water areas, maintenance nightmare.
> 
> Maybe grout could help this eyesore?


Jackhammer......
meet Eyesore.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

My concern would be if tint could run, bleed, if any chemical cleaners used etc. otherwise concrete polishers have plenty of dye/stain colors, if they get locked into thinset, good question to pose to thinset manufacturers, their buying chemical companies to align with coatings business.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I've READ that you can use mortar color with thinset and it will hold up well. Personally, I'd go for a shadow color so it would just disappear. 

PS- I hate pebble floor unless it's a "sliced" pebble. It's so uncomfortable under bare feet.


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

EthanB said:


> I've READ that you can use mortar color with thinset and it will hold up well. Personally, I'd go for a shadow color so it would just disappear.
> 
> PS- I hate pebble floor unless it's a "sliced" pebble. It's so uncomfortable under bare feet.


I hadn't considered the shadow option.

Makes perfect sense though. 
Make it go away rather than even try to get a match (which may affect the way it looks in a contrasting lighter color anyway).

Haven't spent much time on a pebble floor myself.
I had the client take her shoes and socks off and stand on them for a while, and she seemed to actually enjoy it.
They offer a sliced version, so I'll have them consider it again before I order.

:thumbsup:
:thumbsup:


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

I've seen a few stone floors in showers, they end up looking like a ton of grout, had customer want me to remove due to not being able to keep clean. Sorry, I can't do it, glass over top as well.

I was wondering how it feels, I thought it was therapeutic Chinese medicine.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

BlueRidgeGreen said:


> Also, wondering just how crazy I am to be running them into my shower ...un-grouted.
> 
> (I have seen pics of the un-grouted stacked pebbles in a couple showers)


If the shower is going to be used, ie it is not a show piece bath for twice a year guests, then it is a crazy idea. No grout how are they going to handle the soap scum and mold that will grow in the nooks and crannies? 

Another concern here is the pebbles will only be supported by the mortar bond on the thin edge with a lot of standout. If they get bumped and torn off the face of the shower there is an even chance that it will damage the waterproof membrane, then what happens? 

Finally you might want to get a few and make a mock up so you have a workable method on how to make good looking inside corners. 

I think if you can over come these issues, the project will be killer


Edit I misunderstood your post. you are planning on running it on the outside of the tub, if that is the case. I would use a black epoxy mortar to bond the stone as it will give both strength and hide itself via shadow. Once again make a mockup on that outside corner because that will be the focus of of the set and if you get it right no one will notice it but if you botch it the whole thing will look hack.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

If the customer is still in design mode then make a strong case for the sliced pebble. It looks better because there is less grout, easier to clean, much cheaper to install. When you grout true pebble you're going to be raking and tooling around EVERY stone.

Someone on here had a great project using pebble floor and stacked walls. It was a good thread if I can find it.


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

EthanB said:


> Someone on here had a great project using pebble floor and stacked walls. It was a good thread if I can find it.


http://www.contractortalk.com/f73/my-master-bathroom-94769/index14/


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

charimon said:


> If the shower is going to be used, ie it is not a show piece bath for twice a year guests, then it is a crazy idea. No grout how are they going to handle the soap scum and mold that will grow in the nooks and crannies?
> 
> Another concern here is the pebbles will only be supported by the mortar bond on the thin edge with a lot of standout. If they get bumped and torn off the face of the shower there is an even chance that it will damage the waterproof membrane, then what happens?
> 
> ...


Yup...outside of the tub.....two faces (one outside mitered corner....where I will start)......small face is also bench front.

I just started typing and decided to draw it up real quick.....

Travertine will be cut in random width, thin strips with random joints to mimic bamboo growing out of the "pool" of green/blue pebbles on the shower floor.

Large trav tiles on tub deck with a mitered built up 1 1/2" edge so it appears that the travertine is "resting" on the stacked pebbles.

The whole design hinges on the full wrap around (into the shower) of the stacked pebbles on the tub surround.

I've already talked to my glass guy and decided I will "dado" a slot for the glass into the bench face so that water escaping the enclosure won't be an issue.

I'm going to look for the black epoxy mortar.....sounds like the PERFECT solution. 

Thinking about "double" waterproofing the bench/bench face, and possibly even coming up with a membrane "flashing" that might direct any subsurface water behind the pebbles onto the top of the shower floor rather than under the floor tile layer.
(Am I just over thinking it? I assume the epoxy mortar will be more impermeable than traditional cementitious though.)

Thanks for all the input. :thumbsup:


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I'd look at turning that miter into a radius or chamfer.


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## charimon (Nov 24, 2008)

I would caution on using the stack stone on the back of the niche for the reasons stated in my earlier post about mold and soap scum! The niche is such a prominent visual feature and is located at eye level on such a cool looking design, that once it starts happening it will look like a badly rusted fender on a Rolls Royce. 

If you want to go through with it. 
you could mount the stone stack on a sized sheet of stainless steel (the kind that is still magnetic). 
build the niche as normal with traverteen back wall. 
embed some button magnets in the back of the trav. to hold the assembly in place.

I know that my idea is kind of crazy complicated but it adds a level of custom cool factor that will make many tilesetters cuss us because of the housewives who seen it on pintrest and want their niches to have custom decorative back panels too.


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

charimon said:


> I would caution on using the stack stone on the back of the niche for the reasons stated in my earlier post about mold and soap scum! The niche is such a prominent visual feature and is located at eye level on such a cool looking design, that once it starts happening it will look like a badly rusted fender on a Rolls Royce.
> 
> If you want to go through with it.
> you could mount the stone stack on a sized sheet of stainless steel (the kind that is still magnetic).
> ...


I told the client that I may have to use the floor pebble in the back of the niche, based on the rusty fender principle.

Magnetic back panel........?
This is a concept I could explore further. :thumbsup:


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

This is funny. My bathroom has that exact same layout with the tub faucet on shower side. No stacked stone though. Whatever you do, waterproof the crap out of that thing. It is all sorts of leaks waiting to happen. I freak out about my shower all the time. I feel like it is just a matter of time until it comes crashing down into my dining room.


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## Peter_C (Nov 26, 2014)

Count me in on the sliced stone pebbles for the floor, with epoxy grout. Then again I have tender feet and hate cleaning.


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