The Worst Tile Shower Floor Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
As a DIY enthusiast or professional, it's essential to avoid common mistakes when installing tile shower floors to ensure a beautiful and functional space. Unfortunately, many people make these mistakes, leading to ugly tile shower floors, wasted time, and money. In this article, we'll explore the three worst tile shower floor mistakes and provide tips on how to avoid them.
Choosing the Wrong Type of Tile
The first mistake is choosing the wrong type of tile for your shower floor. Marble mosaics are a poor choice for shower floors because they're porous, which means they absorb anything and potentially discolor over time. Additionally, marble requires regular sealing, which costs money and takes time out of your day. Some DIYers love the look of stone tiles but forget to seal them prior to installation, causing the tile to discolor from grout, soap, shampoo, or hair dyes. The other issue with stone is irregular shapes and sizes, making it more challenging to install, especially when using mats.
Inspecting Mosaic Tiles for Excessive Adhesive
The second mistake is related to mosaics. DIYers often don't inspect the back of mosaic tiles for excessive adhesive, which can lead to problems later on. When setting tiles in mortar, the mortar sticks to the adhesive rather than the tile, causing the tiles to pop off the mesh over time, even after grout application. If you spot excessive adhesive, it's best to avoid buying that particular tile. To ensure high-quality mosaics, always put multiple sheets together, and if the grout joints look askew inside the mosaic or against adjacent mats, it's a sign of poor quality.
Using the Wrong Thin-Set Mortar
The third worst mistake is related to mortar. Many DIYers and professionals use the wrong thin-set mortar or mix it incorrectly. Using modified thin-set mortars with polymer or latex additives and Portland-based cement can help improve bond strength. Schluter ALL-SET and Ardex X5 are two popular options that offer excellent performance. However, using the wrong type of mortar can lead to a weak bond between the tile and shower pan, causing tiles to lift or fall over time.
Trowel Selection and Technique
The fourth mistake is related to trowel selection and technique. There are many types of trowels available, but it's essential to choose the right one for your project. The principle to remember is that 95% of the thin-set should cover the tile shower floor in mortar. This ensures a strong bond between the tile and shower pan. When selecting a trowel, consider the size and shape of the tiles you're working with. A smaller trowel may be necessary for smaller tiles or when using a notched side to apply more thin-set.
Troweling Techniques
Proper troweling techniques are just as important as trowel selection. When burning thin-set into the shower pan, use the flat side of the trowel to create a thin layer of mortar. Then, apply more thin-set with the notched side of the trowel, working in one direction to allow the ridges to collapse and air to escape when the tiles are tapped into place. Holding the trowel at a 45-degree angle maximizes the size of the thin-set layer and improves the odds of achieving 95% coverage.
Bonus Tips: Using a Colgate Toothbrush and Light Sponging
Finally, using a Colgate toothbrush is a bonus tip for removing any excess thin-set that gets into the grout joint. This may seem like an unusual suggestion, but it works surprisingly well. Additionally, lightly sponging the tiles after installation helps keep them clean and prevents dirt from accumulating in the grout joints.
Conclusion
By avoiding these three worst tile shower floor mistakes – choosing the wrong type of tile, inspecting mosaic tiles for excessive adhesive, and using the wrong thin-set mortar – you can create a beautiful and functional tile shower floor that will last for years to come. Remember to use the right mortar, choose the proper trowel selection, and follow proper troweling techniques. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating stunning tile shower floors that you'll love forever.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIn this video, you’ll see the 3 worst tile shower floor mistakes and what you can do instead. Sadly, many DIYers and professionals make these mistakes. This can lead to ugly tile shower floors as well as wasted time and money. Today, you’ll learn how to avoid these mistakes and what you should do instead.Unfortunately, many DIYers set themselves up for failure right from the start.And the first thing they do is choose the wrong type of tile for their shower floor.For instance, they choose marble mosaics. In my opinion, marble is a poor choice for shower floors because it’s porous. This means it will absorb anything and potentially discolor over time In addition, marble has to be sealed on a regular basis. This costs money and takes time out of your daySpeaking of sealers, some DIYers love the look of stone tiles.But they forget to seal it prior to installation. This can cause the tile to discolor from grout, soap, shampoo or hair dyes. The other issue with stone is irregular shapes and sizes. So it takes longer to install, especially if the stones are on mats. While I’m on the topic of mats,Several DIYers make two critical mistakes with mosaics.First, they don’t inspect the back of the mosaic for excessive adhesive.Here’s an example of a mosaic that my client picked.Notice the shiny film on the back of the tile. That’s all adhesive holding the mosaic to the mesh. The problem happens when the tiles are set in mortar. The mortar will stick to the adhesive and not the tile. And over time the tiles will pop off the mesh, even after grout application. If you spot excessive adhesive don’t buy the tile.The second problem with mosaics is grout joint spacing.Always put multiple sheets together. If the grout joints look askew inside the mosaic and against adjacent mats, that’s bad. This ultimately makes the tile shower floor look unprofessional. So don’t buy mosaics with bad grout joint spacing.The second worst mistake deals with mortar. Specifically, the mortar used to set tile.Unfortunately lots of DIYers and professionals Use the wrong thin-set mortar orMix it incorrectly There are two thin-set mortars I use.Schluter ALL-SET And Ardex X5Now here’s the deal, Both of these mortars are modified,This means they use polymer or latex additives with Portland based cementSchluter approves the use of ALL-SET for setting tile shower floorsArdex warranties the use X5 for setting tile over Schluter productsI like ALL-SET and X5 because it’s easy to mix small batches.Small batches of thin-set are beneficial for three reasons.First, you will maintain the mortar consistency. This is important because it helps you set the tiles at a consistent height. Which in turn keeps all the tiles even with each other on the shower pan Second, small batches help the thin-set maintain its moisture. That moisture and the mortar ingredients increase the bond strength And when there’s good bond strength the tiles will stick to the shower pan. Finally, small batches save you money.Too often I hear DIYers wasting lots of mortar because it hardened in the bucketIf you mix a small batch, you’ll likely use it You’ll save money, reduce mistakes, and have a better installation The third worst mistake deals with trowel selection and technique. There are many types of trowelsBut there’s one principle to remember, You need 95% thin-set coverage in a showerThis means 95% of the thin-setted tile shower floor should be covered in mortarI recommend choosing your trowel based on the tile shape and sizeFor example, if my tile is a 2x2 mosaic that���s 1/4” thickI start with a DITRA trowel I apply thin-set to a scrap piece of backer boardEmbed the tile Tamp it with a grout floatThen remove the tile and inspect the back If the back of the tile is 95% covered in thin-set I’ll use that trowel If I don’t have 95% thin-set coverage I’ll increase the size of the trowel To a 1/4” x 1/4” square notchTrowel technique is just as important as trowel selection Normally I burn thin-set into the shower pan with the flat side of the trowel This ensures a nice thin layer of mortar and improves the bond strength Then I apply more thin-set with the notched side of the trowel There are two important principles you should remember First, I trowel the thin-set in one directionThis allows the thin-set ridges to collapse and air to escape when the tiles are tamped into the shower shower pain Second, I hold the trowel at a 45-degree angleThis maximizes the size of the thin-set layer And improves the odds of getting my 95% thin-set coverage Now here’s a bonus tip, I use a Colgate toothbrushed to remove any thin-set that gets in the grout joint I don’t know why, but the Colgate toothbrush works really well This plus lightly sponging the tiles keeps em clean And the next day you’ll have terrific looking tiles that you’ll love forever The main point of my tutorial is that you can get beautiful tile shower floors Just avoid the wrong tile, use the right mortar, and remember the proper troweling techniques I hope this video helps you save time and money.And if you’re doing a bathroom remodel and want more tips and tricks,visit homerepairtutor.com today Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next video\n"
