# Tile shower layout



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Just hoping for input on what you guys think looks good for layouts.

Do you try and center things on walls be it a grout joint or the center of a tile?

Do you try to never have slivers no matter what?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzqLSL9NWPOkU0lRSUNralVuN00/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzqLSL9NWPOkU0lRSUNralVuN00/edit?usp=sharing

On this shower the waterfall was the starting point. Would you have done half tiles to each side instead of fulls to avoid the sliver in the corner?

I did it that way because it looks like it wraps the corner but maybe nobody cares about that.

As far as the niches go. Is there a "standard" rough height? Those are about 48" to the center. For them to have been in the grout joint of the tiles would you have moved them up or down?

The niche on the left is touching studs on each side. No room to move it. I should have moved the right one to the left and made it the size of the tile, I see that now.

Angus, if you see this, is there a need to kerdi fix one side of the niche to a stud? That's why I placed it where I did because I wasn't sure if it would work to just slide it into an opening.

Anybody who has general opinions on how they would have done this better are more than welcomed.

For what it's worth, the client is thrilled with the shower and has told me several times how much she loves it. Her husband has said he likes it also (I know he's just glad she likes it :laughing

*edit*
If a mod could embed images and can fix it that'd be awesome.
Or anyone who wants to tell me so I know how...


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Just hoping for input on what you guys think looks good for layouts.
> 
> Do you try and center things on walls be it a grout joint or the center of a tile?
> 
> ...


I hate to say it but that layout drives me nuts.

Symmetry above all else.

You really have to think of these things in the early stages. The shower valve isn't centered, if it was your problem would be solved.

Often times I've seen the designed produce an exact layout for the tile indicating where the grout lines should be and how they will line up.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

It's centered on the floor. Should it be centered on the wall? If so the drain and valve would line up.

More commentary? what would you do different?


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I can't tell from the pic, I though it was a little to the left and the border piece was the width of the curb.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

No. The valve is dead center of the inside of curb to the drywall opposite.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Use the image URL

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2...Fba9M_WCi05w-bi2sNOYZxNdbgOoyqlrEvikqWHw637MA


----------



## Dustincoc (Sep 14, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> Use the image URL
> 
> https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2...Fba9M_WCi05w-bi2sNOYZxNdbgOoyqlrEvikqWHw637MA


Beat me to it, I was gonna post the pics for him.


----------



## SuperiorHIP (Aug 15, 2010)

The small tile strip next to the bullnose makes it look like a double bullnose and then the sliver on the left looks pretty bad. I don't care for the mosaic in the center running all the way up, think maybe it could have been done horizontally to break things up a bit which then would have allowed you to center a tile (or grout line) to make the front wall look more appealing. I would rather ditch the mosaic then have those pieces like that.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

SuperiorHIP said:


> The small tile strip next to the bullnose makes it look like a double bullnose and then the sliver on the left looks pretty bad. I don't care for the mosaic in the center running all the way up, think maybe it could have been done horizontally to break things up a bit which then would have allowed you to center a tile (or grout line) to make the front wall look more appealing. I would rather ditch the mosaic then have those pieces like that.


They saw it at the tile shop. It's supposed to be a "waterfall" coming down from the shower head. It's interesting... yeah. They like it and I guess that's what matters.

I think I might would go for half tiles on each side where I doing it again. That would help have larger tiles instead of slivers/small to the side.


----------



## Unger.const (Jun 3, 2012)

Man after reading shower valve dead on center. My eyes kept calling you a liar. Then I figured out that the larger strip of tiles to the right of valve before the boarder is half over the curb and half in.

I racked my brain on how to eliminate the sliver in corner. Then it dawned on me I would have widened the mosaic strip till full tile to corner. (I rather like the mosaic strip up and down I thinks it's different). I would have moved the nitches to meet the grout line of the top and middle grout line. 

I feel your pain though. Before setting the walls I think I stare at it and scribble out lines for like 3 hours at that point my brain hurts from trying to plot out any issues. 

So how come the curb and floor isn't waterproofed before the tile? (I run all the kerdi or kerdi board and get it all done then start setting tile)

Other then that I think you have one pretty cool shower there! I am starting a 3 wall shower next week. Niche to the left. Niche in center back wall. And a around the shower valve mosaics to match the niche on opposite sides.


----------



## GO Remodeling (Apr 5, 2005)

I would have increased the size of the mosaic area around the valve to eliminate the sliver in the corner.


----------



## SuperiorHIP (Aug 15, 2010)

I've done plenty of things I didn't care for, when the customer tells me how happy they are with it that is all that matters!


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Layout is one of the first things to consider when designing a bathroom. I try to layout in Google Sketchup first and get a sense of what it will look like. On this one, it would have been a bit easier as there are not that many design elements.

I think you have to line up the valve with the drain, very few exceptions. You also need to setup some tiling rules. One of mine is less than half tile the pattern gets shifted to compensate. Another is all tiles that butt a bullnose have to be more than 50% larger than the bullnose. So if the bullnose is 3", the butted tile must be larger than 4.5".

With all of that said, I agree that the best solution in this case would be to increase the size of the Mosaic, which I do like BTW, and also move the bullnose to the outside of the shower, which is typically what I do so that there is no drywall exposed in the corners.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Unger.const said:


> Man after reading shower valve dead on center. My eyes kept calling you a liar. Then I figured out that the larger strip of tiles to the right of valve before the boarder is half over the curb and half in.
> 
> I racked my brain on how to eliminate the sliver in corner. Then it dawned on me I would have widened the mosaic strip till full tile to corner. (I rather like the mosaic strip up and down I thinks it's different). I would have moved the nitches to meet the grout line of the top and middle grout line.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I guess it's just an issue with me not designing the shower. My dad does the estimating and such. So when I got to the job the first time, my brother and brother in law had finished all the demo pretty much and I started doing kerdi and getting ready for laying tile. 

So the idea was 8" mosaic in the center, use the leftover 4" will be around the tub surround and across the granite on the vanity.
That and then vertical tiles with bull nose on the outside.

That's pretty much the extent of the layout and design that was done before purchasing tile which was already there when I got there. So I marked for mosaics, and then started trying to figure the rest out and that's what I came up with. Never really thought to widen the mosaic cause he said "8 in the center, save the 4 for elsewhere"

The roll of kerdi band and the second piece of shower curb were missing from the box. I had enough band leftover to do the verticals but I couldn't do the floor. Plus the floor had to be extended with a mortar bed cause of pan size which I had to let dry before doing the floor with kerdi. The installation handbook says you can do walls first so that's why I did it that way.

I think it will be cool too, I just want it to be better next time.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Layout is one of the first things to consider when designing a bathroom. I try to layout in Google Sketchup first and get a sense of what it will look like. On this one, it would have been a bit easier as there are not that many design elements.
> 
> I think you have to line up the valve with the drain, very few exceptions. You also need to setup some tiling rules. One of mine is less than half tile the pattern gets shifted to compensate. Another is all tiles that butt a bullnose have to be more than 50% larger than the bullnose. So if the bullnose is 3", the butted tile must be larger than 4.5".
> 
> With all of that said, I agree that the best solution in this case would be to increase the size of the Mosaic, which I do like BTW, and also move the bullnose to the outside of the shower, which is typically what I do so that there is no drywall exposed in the corners.


So wrapping the corners like that, no one does really, cause you get small pieces? I guess I did it like that cause we do it on backsplash and it looks nice but showers are different.

The tiling rules make sense and I see how using that on this job would have given nicer looking results. I guess it's good the customer's aren't as critical as yall. :laughing:

I don't understand what you mean about drywall exposed in the corners. The bullnose is there to line up with a granite curb that will go in on Monday. Then usually our glass guys do the glass dead center of the grout joint.


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> So wrapping the corners like that, no one does really, cause you get small pieces? I guess I did it like that cause we do it on backsplash and it looks nice but showers are different.
> 
> The tiling rules make sense and I see how using that on this job would have given nicer looking results. I guess it's good the customer's aren't as critical as yall. :laughing:
> 
> I don't understand what you mean about drywall exposed in the corners. The bullnose is there to line up with a granite curb that will go in on Monday. Then usually our glass guys do the glass dead center of the grout joint.


On the outside of the shower.


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> On the outside of the shower.


Maybe I'm stupid but I'm still not following. There is drywall exposed everywhere... Corner at the floor, outside corner, a different corner?


----------



## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Maybe I'm stupid but I'm still not following. There is drywall exposed everywhere... Corner at the floor, outside corner, a different corner?


Where the curb meets the wall down to the floor. That area is probably the number one area that will have issues with water. So I just bring the bullnose outside the shower or tub down the wall to the floor or base depending on the circumstance.


----------



## JackP23 (Jan 1, 2013)

Another thought on these kind of showers is to skip the bullnose. A polished edge on the 12 by 24 gives you a nice clean look. 

Nice work.....the clients happy!!!!! :clap:


_______________
Mike


----------



## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

TNTSERVICES said:


> Where the curb meets the wall down to the floor. That area is probably the number one area that will have issues with water. So I just bring the bullnose outside the shower or tub down the wall to the floor or base depending on the circumstance.


Alright. I understand now. I didn't think it would get wet. Maybe it does... Thanks for the advice.


----------

