Ceramic Tile Repairs | Floor Tile Replacement | Shower ReGrouts

Ceramic Tile Repairs Floor Tile Replacement 

and Shower ReGrouts

MA Reality persuaded us to rewrite several of Tile Excellence's blog posts for their publication, including contractor "Guides" and "Expert Contributors". Nice gig!

This "Guide" is on Ceramic Tile Repairs: Floor Tile Replacement and Shower Regrouts. The article is about the controversial issue of Copper Pans vs. Rubber Membrane in shower installation. Catch them all on ask tile excellence, or read a couple here! Read Chris's Profile on MA Reality.

Links to his profile and articles. 
http://www.massrealty.com/experts/chris-lawson

Copper Shower Pans vs. Rubber Membranes

Copper Shower Pans vs. Rubber Membranes 

By Chris Lawson

I always want to give my customers and blog followers the best advice on the most economical yet highest quality tile-related installations. I've learned this information from years of hands-on doing of the jobs myself. As you may know from my actual web site I do all my jobs personally and have over 34 years of experience.co

In all those years out on the job I have pretty much seen it all. So when I make a recommendation on what's the best way to go, it's because I've weighed 

out the best options for my customers out there on he job. I also do repairs and always have: many in my industry overlook the repairs as not being lucrative enough to warrant their time, so I do get a lot of repairs.

The most costly repair is the leaky walk-in shower pan, which can sometimes be in 

excess of $500. I've done well over 100 of these repairs in my career and only 1 or 2% of these were rubber membrane repairs, while the other 98% were copper pans. In the instances of the rubber membrane repairs it was always improper installation by nails being nailed below the waterline. As we have all heard from the eco criers, it takes hundreds of years for plastic and heavy rubber products to deteriorate in the environment, so it only makes sense that a rubber membrane would almost never be affected by water and would surely last past my lifetime when installed correctly.

The copper pan, on the other hand, is metal and starts the deterioration process

almost immediately when in contact with water. We've all seen a green copper penny, and that green on the copper is just like rust on iron and steel. I have removed so many copper pans that were rusted through (for lack of a better word). I've seen it again and again: tearing out a shower floor and 12 inches up the wall because water was dripping into the living room ruining the ceiling and requiring more costly repairs.

Furthermore, copper pans are very costly even without repairs: most have to be 

custom-made and the plumbing labor is very expensive. The cost is $400 to $800 and even more depending on the layout of the shower floor to be dried in. On the other hand, I install rubber membrane to dry in the shower floor at a total cost of $175 and that includes the concrete in the floor to slope to the drain. I have several contractors who used to use copper who now call me to come out just to dry-in showers for them at a huge savings for a much more reliable and longer-lasting product. Using logic and common sense, it seems obvious that for less money and a longer-lasting, dependable shower floor the rubber membrane is the best call.

I don't supply materials on any of my jobs and don't ever gain monetarily on any of my recommendations: I speak only from experience and the desire for my customers to get the most for their money.

For more answers to all of your tile-related questions, visit my "Ask Chris" blog here

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Rubber Membrane Shower Pan Installation

Rubber Membrane Liner Do's and Don'ts

In the past we've written  about copper pan vs rubber pan liner. This article focuses exclusively on the rubber pan installation itself. With step by step pictures of the rubber pan going in including the drain attachment you will see and understand the do's and don'ts associated with the correct install so you never have to worry about a leaky shower.

   

Always use a single solid membrane for your shower pan. It needs to be 2 feet wider and longer than your actual shower floor area. Example  if your shower is 3 ft by 5 ft  then you need a 5 ft by 7 ft solid rubber membrane. Your rubber membrane needs to go 1 ft up the wall nailed to your wall studs. NEVER nail below 8 inches from the floor. TO CLARIFY KEEP ALL NAILS 8 INCHES ABOVE FINISH FLOOR. Wrap rubber liner over curb and nail Only on outside of curb. NEVER NAIL ON INSIDE OF CURB . Fold corners inside studs when possible. The drain is a 3 piece set, The adjustable screw in drain attaches to the bolt down plate which creates the actual seal against the rubber membrane. The solid one piece membrane goes right over the bottom drain plate and is cut only with a small slit for the 4 mount bolts. The actual drain hole is not cut until the seal plate is bolted\screwed down. The pictures below clarify this process. 

After the membrane is installed  the Hardi board can be installed on the wall AGAIN  NO NAILS BELOW THE 8 INCH MARK ALL NAILS NEED TO BE 8 INCHES ABOVE FINISH FLOOR  as not to create a leak in the membrane. Hardi board can be nailed on top of the curb with generous amounts of caulk used under the Hardiboard to insure top of curb seal .  Hardiboard on inside of curb is NEVER nailed  and will be held in place by the concrete packed on shower floor to create slant to drain.

Rubber membranes installed correctly can always be counted on for decades of leak free shower use. They are by far the most dependable as well as the most economical options for shower floor dry installation. The highest quality option and the most affordable; can't do better than that!! 

Follow the photos below for the step by step walk-through. Ask any questions below. 

regards   Chris 

Rubber membrane nailed 1 ft up bare wall studs

Notice rubber membrane tucked into wall stud  and nailed 12 inches up wall stud

Rubber membrane wraps over curb then nailed on outside of curb and

  Hardi board on top with caulk under to seal

A closer look of membrane nailed up wall studs notice nails 12 inches high 

Rubber membrane ready for top plate to screw down to create 

watertight seal between drain plate and membrane

Top plate screws down in equal sequence to create watertight seal

Final tightening of seal plate om rubber membrane

Finish adjustable screw in drain  ready for concrete slant to be packed

Another view of membrane wrapping over shower curb

Hardi board nailed on wall after membrane installation NEVER 

nail below 8 inches from finish floor

Tops of curbs finished with Hardi board sealed underneath with caulk and nailed

Finished Hardi board installed after membrane installed.  Notice Hardi board caulked

 in corner to seal board

How To Install Marble Tile Walk In Shower I Rip Out Bathtub Replace With Marble Shower

Tub To Be Torn Out and Replaced With Walk-In Marble Walk-In Shower 

At the beginning of this job there was a cast iron tub to remove and fabricate a walk in marble shower.This is how it looked when i first arrived This marble job is a start to finish walk in shower completely torn out and built from scratch. Marble work is a specialty service that many tile guys don't have the expertise to do correctly. Marble is one of the softest materials I install I always recommend against use on floors because of the ease of scratching and the maintenance required to keep it looking good over the years. This blog walks the reader through the process of the entire installation from start to finish with text and photos .this is the first of 3 blogs that will be entitled " MARBLE DAYS" each marble blog will be more elaborate than the last. This first one was the easiest of the 3 installations;  the other 2 bloggs will be forthcoming soon regards chris

Tape Outline Where the New Walk-In Marble Shower Will Be

Here is the side view and the blue tape outlines where the new shower will be

Marble Materials to Be Installed in a Brick Pattern w/ Hexagon Tile on Show Walls and Soap Boxes

This is the marble material that will be installed brick pattern on walls hexagon tile on floor and inside soap boxes

Aftermath of 9 lb. Sledge Hammer!

Cast iron bathtub broken up in pieces with 9 lb sledge light enough to carry down stairs

Rubber Membrane in Shower Floo

Rubber membrane installed with drain to dry in shower floor

Hardi Board Over Soap Boxes With Cualk

  Hardi board installed in soap boxes and sealed with caulk creating a barrier

All Hardi board corners sealed with calk so shower will never leak

Hardi Board on Top of Curb

Hardi board installed on top of curb NEVER NAIL ON INSIDE OF CURB!

Redgard Waterproofing Membrane Paint

Redguard waterproofing paint on membrane as a added insurance that shower never leaks before marble installation

First row of tile installed perfectly level ready to run up rest of walls. See the vertical row of marble bullnose that starts off the finished wall

                                    

Concrete floor creating slope to drain ready to tile

Wall box partially tiled with hexagon tile in back

Another view of partially laid wall notice level used to check each of course

Walls almost finished ceiling done

Detailed photo of bullnose finishing ceiling where marble ends

Soap boxes with bullnose bottom shelf with slight angle toward inside  of shower

Finished soap box and wall

Finished ceiling wall and bullnose

Finished hexagon shower floor

Copper Pan vs. Rubber Membrane-Unsanded vs. sanded grout-Durock vs. HardyBoard Lowes and Home Depot? Ask Chris I Tile Excellence

Is your plumber insisting on using a copper pan for your shower but you remember reading that rubber membranes were not only much more economical, but lasted forever, and did not leak or rust? You can't remember the details, but you want to talk to the plumber and ask questions or insist on using a rubber membrane, but you need your facts.   "ask chris", the do-it-yourself,  and consumer friendly tile installation blog of Tile Excellence, Inc, is written and answered personally by owner Chris Lawson based on his 34 years experience. There are posts all about copper pans vs. rubber membranes.

Doing it yourself? Tile on top of wood? Durock vs. Hardyboard? Is the tile from the designer store necessary, or can he purchase nice tile at a discount store or at Home Depot?

Hired a contractor or tile installation company?  Is three days a long time for installing a backsplash? Is uneven marble floor installation "expected" as you are being told?

At Lowe's or Home Depot and have a question about a product or material? Do you need sanded or unsanded grout? Less expensive thin set, or the more expensive one the salesperson recommended?

His searchable blog allows you instant access to your questions, ask questions or follow his helpful links.

Need more or need immediate answers? Call him directly! You'll find his email and direct number on his site, and almost without exception, he'll answer the phone the first time you call!