16x16 tile in shower.... too heavy?????

[ledgbro]

Would it be o.k. to use 16x16 tile on the bottom half of shower... or would it be to heavy .. I was going to use 16x16 on bottom then a boarder and a 12x12 on the top half.. What would be the best thinset ... the shower is hardi.. any pics of this that someone has done... thanks justin..

[Shaughnn]

Hi Justin,
You need to make certain that your CBU is well attached to your studding but after that there it's really a size limit for walls. We don't like to recommend larger tiles on ceilings but I've set stone of the size you are suggesting onto properly prepared lids and not yet heard of any problems. ("Man dead in shower,... news at Eleven" ). With larger stones, you will need to take greater care to plumb your walls as even a minor diviation will be noticeable. Take your time and you should be fine with the larger tile all the way up the wall, if you like.
Shaughnn

[bbcamp]

Justin, your big porcelains are not too heavy for walls. Any medium priced modified thinset will be fine. You will have to support the tiles until the thinset cures, but that's true with any size tile.

Remember that big tiles need very flat surfaces, so check your walls for bows or dips, and flatten them as necessary. 1/8" out of plane it too much.

[ledgbro]

thanks for the replies... I'll check the walls and see what I can do...

[Autoplay]

The house I'm working on now,I'm installing 18x18" tiles on the walls. If I had known sooner,I would of taken a few pics for ya. If I remember monday lol...I'll snap a few to give ya an idea.

Woulda been close to done with this cut up mess lol....but the listello came in yesterday,and then I got pulled yesterday to do another job. Just started the walls today.

And like everyone else said...try to get it as plumb and as flat as possible!

[noel256]

Originally Posted by ledgbro

Would it be o.k. to use 16x16 tile on the bottom half of shower... or would it be to heavy .. I was going to use 16x16 on bottom then a boarder and a 12x12 on the top half.. What would be the best thinset ... the shower is hardi.. any pics of this that someone has done... thanks justin..

I hope not - these 3/4 inch 12"x24" marble pieces are really heavy and I put it up on 1/2 inch hardibacker with thinset made for marble and granite at Home Depot ($20 a bag). I screwed the hardi into the metal studs where the layout suggested (every 8 inches or so). So far we're still alive but it's only been a few weeks.

look at

http://johnbridge.com/vbulletin/show...5&page=2&pp=15

Good luck.
Noel

[Autoplay]

Here's a few pics of the BS I'm doing now. Sorry it's late,I forgot my camera yesterday.

[opiethetileman]

wow rich tight shower man. hope you are getting a buck a foot for that one.

[Autoplay]

Dollar twenty five as it's above 5'/grin. Wifey just got home...off to eat. When I return,you can school me in the finer art of knifing101 lol.

I'll buzz you in a few.

[Dave the Tile Guy]

Here's a shower I was doing with 20x20 porcelain hung on the ceiling as well as on the walls all the way up.

[opiethetileman]

Dave how you doing the celing??? thinset of deck mud?? i have a tub hop they want 13's on the celing I havent done one that size in months. i was gonna use semi loose thinset and smack it up there. I have used a hot glue gun and thinset once it worked

[Dave the Tile Guy]

dont bother with the hot glue...it doesn't even stick if it comes in contact with the wet thinset. All you have to do is make sure you've got 100% contact. I notch the ceiling and then notch the tile. Push it into place and it wont move at all on you. Just try taking it down! You literally have to use your pointer and pry it loose. The suction will hold it in place.