# Tile showers in a production setting



## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

The 4x8 size is a huge benefit! Less pieces than cbu or Denshield. I will have to check availability for my next shower. 1 man could easily be waterproofed in a day.


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## BigW (Jan 28, 2012)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> I believe we got 1/2" 4x8 sheets for around $80 on a job we just did. I would think you could get a better deal buying as much as you would need for that job.
> 
> The weight savings is incredible. You can easily carry 4 sheets in one hand.
> 
> You have to waterproof the seams and screw holes.


Thanks for the baseline pricing info.

I'm going to call my supplier tomorrow. 

I appreciate all the ideas. Hell, keep them coming.

I can start another post for this job and keep you all updated throughout course of everything involved. If you guys are interested.


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## BradingCon (Dec 17, 2010)

BigW said:


> Thanks for the baseline pricing info.
> 
> I'm going to call my supplier tomorrow.
> 
> ...



I am very interested. This is a neat thread that even a lowly one bath at a time remodeler like myself could learn a lot from.


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## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

I love foam products but I don't think they pass the fire code for commercial buildings. If they do for your area, that would be my choice for the shower walls. Add backing for shower accessories and fly.

WEDI is more likely to pass the fire code since it doesn't ignite.


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## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

regardless of which substrate you choose, I'd consider using a Schluter trim at the wall floor intersection. The trims serve the function of draining the any water that gets behind the tile.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

olzo55 said:


> I love foam products but I don't think they pass the fire code for commercial buildings. If they do for your area, that would be my choice for the shower walls. Add backing for shower accessories and fly.
> 
> WEDI is more likely to pass the fire code since it doesn't ignite.


Good point. Neither would pass fire code because neither have a fire rating. They both suggest installing over a fire rated matetial. So there goes the benefits. 

5/8" Densshield might do the trick.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Like I said, we can keep guessing all day long. Until you know budget, code, logistics and crew capabilities these are incomplete suggestions. 

There have been some good suggestions but no clue if they're doable.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

BigW said:


> I'm open to any and all legitimate ideas.


Dang, you had to use the word "legitimate"... 

This is where you'll find out how fast you are and how organized you are. The biggest problem people have is they can't keep up, so they fall behind, or they work just fast enough to keep up, but not make any money.

With showers that small, shouldn't be anything complex, probably some slap on ceramic so a snap cutter should be it, along with a grinder. I'd be surprised if they had a tiled pan, prolly plastic. 
Should be easy peasy.

Water--getting it, getting it up to the upper levels--keeping the drywallers out of it--and disposing it will be your biggest challenges. The GC should put it up there for you. Water flows down hill. 

On jobs like this, your tools will tend to disappear, both during the day, overnight and especially over the weekend. Bring a portable box with you and bring all your good tools to/from every day. Don't leave your grinders in one room and be working in another. Stay with your tools when everyone else takes a lunch.

Going from what you're used to to this, multi level, it a big step, but as I said, doubt it will be hard. Assuming you are in the network of setters in the area, you might be able to call on them if you start to fall behind. That's the way we used to work, when someone needs help on a job they call us and visa versa, or when someone has work and someone doesn't, etc.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

charimon said:


> talk to your laticrete rep.


Yup, mfgrs want jobs like this. And they can be a good source to warrant any of their products, should one happen as which sometimes does. They can pay for any replacement, labor included.

They also should know who is doing this job. People know, so they want their products used, so having a hard time figuring out why no one is spec'd their products. Sort of like put whatever kind of euro stucco you want, as long as it's brown. Must be way on the front end.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

angus242 said:


> See, that's one of those unanswered questions. I assumed the walls would be done before you started.


Usually the drywall company has their mexicans hang the rock.
This is a very interesting thread.


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## BigW (Jan 28, 2012)

Like I said we average 5 new construction hotels a year all over the Southeast. 
We'very dealt with everything this job has to offer plus some except for all those tile showers. And no they don't use plastic, easy peasy pans in these properties.
The walls are 6"×12" polished pearl porcelain ran in a vertical running bond with a vertical glass accent. The pans are covered in themail same porcelain in a 3"×3" honed finish. Meeting with GC for a conference call with the architect so we'll see.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Got it. I saw some of it answered as I was going through the thread, reading it--I respond to posts before reading the whole thing, for better or worse.

Are these in a recreational/amenity area? Seems like definite niche, but I just may be waaaaay behind the times, like I usually am.



> We'very dealt with everything this job has to offer plus some except for all those tile showers.


I'v only just had one cup o joe, so it may be a stupid question, but, the only things that will be different is the number of full tiled showers and they being on different floors?

A shower is a shower, so if you've done a lot of them, over time or in a row, you know how it's done, how long each part and in total it takes. Like I said earlier, you should be able to bring in other setters to help on this job if need be, but don't know if that's common in your area. I'd think it is because of the volume difference in commercial/new const multi family vs. residential onsies.

Get plastic garbage cans, fill them with water and have the GC put them on the floors. Keep a lid on it and clearly mark it as drywallers will steal it, clean their tools in it, etc. I don't know if you guys use Americans or mexicans for drywallers, but with mexicans, that's my experience. Oh, and they're illiterate in spanish too...and don't care, so leaving long notes for them in spanish won't help.

The biggest problem will be your waste water. Usually there's a single dump site scooped out.

Back when I did this, we used cbu and chloraloy. Later on in life, those black plastic curbs came into being and they made life easier. But that was the era before foam and we were pretty darned fast and could wetset.

Sounds like a fun job. Presently I'm doing a resid remod and POS builder went cheap on everything...and his people didn't care or were drunk or...had to cut into a wall on the backside to stiffen up the wall in a spot that I missed and could only access it from a basement stairwell anyway. Oh the days of doing what you're about to do.....


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## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

Gee, CO, you make me just want to run out there and get a hotel tile job!:laughing: Seriously, sounds like a big hassle. I hope it was profitable ( in 90-120 days). :thumbsup:

I bet you learned how to punch them out. what size tile is best for wet set on the shower floor?


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

I really liked it and working with occupied homes makes me really, really miss it. I'll take commercial/new construction over remods any day.
I've found occupied homes a PITA to work in and if given a choice, mainly stick to carpentry.

They key to punching them out is to not have to.  Never go back. Oh, were you talking about something else? 

Targets/Felkers were beasts, but too slow for doing a lot of different type cuts and not easily moveable. Dewalts you bring the saw with you. And another thing is at the end of the day you can bring the motor/frame with you--no one steals the rest.

If ya have a lot of work to do, don't have to wetset as there's always , well, work to do elsewhere. This is how smaller, faster crews do more IMO. We'd do it when it made sense, not as a rule. 

Now, on to second cup o joe....
Edit: It was very profitable, but like I said, when it's piece work not everyone can make money, so they bring in more people to work faster, but that usually slows them down and now they split up their money into more parts, so more people wind up making less money.
If you're just doing sub work, usually paid weekly as is the standard. Holdbacks are another.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

Yeah what type of tile setter does this work? 

Must not be a Holiday Inn Express.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

Sounds like Mexican labor to me.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

MIKE ANTONETTI said:


> Sounds like Mexican labor to me.


Only ones that would be doing it around here. Then again, any commercial site around here looks like someone in Mexico City hit the lottery... Two older white guys in the GC trailer and 30-40 Mexicans working.


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

I got no interest in exploiting Mexicans at the expense of our trades, while fat cats collect a big check.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Been out of that game, but the problem was mexicans couldn't keep up. Their strengths were a lot of very low wage people thrown at the job, but that usually is counter productive. Later in life doing a res remod a shop threw their mexicans at this house. Tiny bathroom they tried to do a tub surround in and I swear there were 5 of them in there trying to do a picture framed diamonds with dots. Took them a handful of times.

There can be really good money in commercial. If you're hourly you're a slug--which are the shop guys. Win-Win is piecework.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

MIKE ANTONETTI said:


> I got no interest in exploiting Mexicans at the expense of our trades, while fat cats collect a big check.


Good for you. It was funny when it happened, more and more illegals being hired but the americans until unless you speak spanish, you don't work for that company because none of their (fake) employees do. Then later, they start to wonder where all the work went--you trained your replacements stupid. They can afford to work for less because they/their family gets a whole lot of benefit$ american's don't.

I get a smile on my face when I think about a company I knew of that hired illegals and were somewhat arrogant about it. Huge failure at the fault of their mexicans and they went out of business. The funny thing is some people saw what they were doing--or better yet, not doing--and no one said anything. "not my job to train them" comes to mind for those that noted things I would guess. 
It was a spectacular fail. I'm smiling now.


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