shower rebuild

[Jeff11]

Hi,
I'm a DIY'r . I have put up a glass tile backsplash in my kitchen that came out nice. I had a tile shower installed by a pro 10 years ago but had some loose tiles in the floor, musty smell, and dampness. I started digging and found problems: no pre slope in the copper pan, silicone filling the weep holes of the drain, and tile adhered to soaking wet sheetrock instead of durarock. Big mess.
I am in mid demo but planning ahead. Thinking about the kerdi system but would like to use white porcelin subway tile with a 4-5" glass tile accent strip, using 3/4" to 1" glass tiles, about 2/3 up the wall. After reading about glass tile and kerdi problems I am thinking about just a black tile accent, but I really like glass. Is it worth the trouble? Should I use an epoxy mortar just for the glass accent?
I haven't ordered anything yet but am planning on ordering the kerdi 48" kit and building up 6" on 2 sides. The shower is 4'x5'. With the kerdi kit, will I still have to order other kerdi stuff or is it pretty much complete?
Also, I wanted to order the kerdi book but saw you had other books. Do I need to order all 3 or is there overlap material.
I love the forum. Already learned a lot.

Thanks,

Jeff

[cx]

Welcome, Jeff.

There is no problem setting those small glass tiles over Kerdi membrane. Use a good quality modified thinset mortar as recommended by the tile manufacturer and give it a little extra time to cure before grouting. There is no need for an epoxy mortar and your glass manufacturer may not sanction such use.

Unless one of the Kerdi foam trays fits your shower footprint and drain location near perfectly, I recommend you build a mud floor for your shower instead.

Not sure just what comes in the kits these days, but you actually need only the drain (compatible with your drain pipe material) and membrane to make a shower. I always use the KerdiBand as well, and the pre-made corners are handy, too.

You want to visit the Schluter website and download the Installation Handbook. You might also find John's Kerdi Shower book quite useful. Schluter also has a number of useful youtube videos available out there.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Kman]

There are a couple of articles in the Liberry about Kerdi installation, as well as a number of videos on YouTube. One of our members, Paul (Houston Remodeler) also made a good video on Kerdi installation.