# tile shower stall



## MSSI (Mar 25, 2006)

What is the proper method for building a custom shower stall?
I have seen it done in the past but didnt pay much attention,, As I was busy doing my electrical work. I remember them framing the seat and basin with dimentional lumber and then sheeting it over with rubber.
Was there cement board somewhere in that picture. I just cant seem to figure tile/mastic sticks to well to rubber........Thanx Oh by the way this is for my own home project. Still scary though huh? lol


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Rubber first, cement board over that.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

#1 - forget you ever heard of mastic.

http://www.kerdishowerbook.com

http://www.schluter.com/english/articles/showersystem.htm

Watch this video

http://www.schluter.com/english/products/2002/sectionh/part1.htm


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## tzzzz216 (Dec 25, 2005)

I just watched the video and seems to me thats really work intensive.


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## sage (Feb 3, 2005)

Are you asking how to do the shower pan as well?


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

tzzzz216 said:


> I just watched the video and seems to me thats really work intensive.


LOL, yeah, most stuff done right takes some time to do.:whistling 

You are sh!t outta luck if you think that is labor intensive because those are short cuts using new methods and technology compared to the old methods, especially the 2nd link.


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

Mike Finley said:


> #1 - forget you ever heard of mastic.
> 
> http://www.kerdishowerbook.com
> 
> ...



Whats the beef with mastic? We mortar(super flex-latex modified) all floors.

Walls get mastic. Mortar on wall tile (especially with heavy porcelin) ends up sagging even with spacers.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Sag is no excuse to ever reach for mastic. 

Easy solutions 

- no sag thinset
- what I always do - ledger board on first row. No sag and it ensures a perfect installation. By the time I get to the top I can remove the ledger and install the bottom row.

Mastic blows, it isn't for wet areas. It has limitations on tile size you can use with it because of lack of curing. I have thinset for everything so why carry along another product that is so limited in use? Just my opinon.


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## MSSI (Mar 25, 2006)

Thank you for the feed back. Awsome...OK no mastic then....


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## R&D Tile (Apr 5, 2005)

Boy oh boy.:whistling

This is the other way it's done, no need for the wire in the mortar bed though, but it is needed around the curb, then the curb is done with what is called fat mud, has lime in it.


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

R&D Tile said:


> Boy oh boy.:whistling
> 
> This is the other way it's done, no need for the wire in the mortar bed though, but it is needed around the curb, then the curb is done with what is called fat mud, has lime in it.



Thats how we do it. Although, we lay our curb flat rather than on edge.


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## Gordo (Feb 21, 2006)

Mike Finley said:


> Sag is no excuse to ever reach for mastic.
> 
> Easy solutions
> 
> ...



You must not have durabond available at supply house. Directions state for use in wet areas although not for areas under hydrostatic pressure (thats where we use super-flex). Also, use for tile up to 12x12I would not consider this product "limited". Who wants to mix when you can open the bucket and go?


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

Gordo said:


> You must not have durabond available at supply house. Directions state for use in wet areas although not for areas under hydrostatic pressure (thats where we use super-flex). Also, use for tile up to 12x12I would not consider this product "limited". Who wants to mix when you can open the bucket and go?


Unless I am mistaking what you are referring to Durabond is a thinset not a mastic so I'm not sure what your point is?


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## R&D Tile (Apr 5, 2005)

Gordo said:


> You must not have durabond available at supply house. Directions state for use in wet areas although not for areas under hydrostatic pressure (thats where we use super-flex). Also, use for tile up to 12x12I would not consider this product "limited". Who wants to mix when you can open the bucket and go?


Durabond is a mastic, a good one, but still shouldn't be used in wet areas, I use it all the time for backsplashes, no sag.:thumbsup:


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

i just finished up tile on a custom two person shower stall with a curved glass block wall. the curb was out of 2x4s on edge, and then the vinyl pan was run up over that. the mud pan was put in, with wire mesh in the middle, and that was run up and over the curb, that gave me a way to thinset my tile to the curb without having to attach any hardie board to it, plus it was was curved in one spot, so that would be hard to put hardie board on. it worked well. the stone cap for the curb was set on with thinset and glass block on top of that. i'll post some pics of it when it's all done.
I also used this stuff called REDgard over the cured concrete slab before I did the shower floor tile. its suppose to seal the concrete from cracking over time at the surface and I also used it heavy in the corners, so that there isn't much of a chance of water ever getting down under the cement, and if it does, it's tapered, so it goes into the drain anyways. vinyl pans always scare me, i know people use them all the time but nothing is as good and safe as a precast fiberglass shower pan. the first time we test the shower stalls with vinyl, i am always praying that no one put a hole in anything and that nothing fails and ruins the whole finished job.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

ApgarNJ said:


> the first time we test the shower stalls with vinyl, i am always praying that no one put a hole in anything and that nothing fails and ruins the whole finished job.


Out here we have a building inspection for mud pans.


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