Can I install Schluter Profile on alcove edge the day before tiling?

[jadnashua]

There may be some thinset accumulation where the spacer was, so you'll need to clean that up. Still, usually easy the next morning, but a rapid set may be harder.

[borisj]

Is there a consequence to using *too large* a notch trowel, aside from wasted thinset? Asking for 2 reasons:

1) I'm installing 16x24 tiles on a floor, with 5x5 "accent strip." Both tiles ~10mm thick. But if I use standard trowel sizes (1/2" for big boys, 1/4" for small), the thinset-thickness-difference could cause lippage. So is it okay to use the 1/2" for both tiles? High traffic area in a shared bath, plenty of point loading on those 5x5s.

2) I'm tiling a shower with Kerdi Board. Before I installed the *Band*, my walls were dead plumb & flat -- but not now, thanks to buildup at overlaps (e.g. around niches). IMHO, I installed it perfectly, using All-Set, with no excess thinset. There is clearly lippage if I dry fit a few 6x12 wall tiles. I was gonna use a 1/4" notch here... what if I use a 1/4" x 3/8" notch instead? Or maybe a leveling system? In lieu of floating the whole thing... These are not the flattest 6x12s I've ever seen... Thanks!

[jadnashua]

1. In theory, if the tile are the same thickness, when properly set, they should be at the same level. In practice, the larger the tile, the harder it is to fully embed it which would have spread the thinset into a single, flat layer. You can apply more psi on a smaller tile, which can make it easier to set. I'd set the larger tile, then use something like a grout float to help press the smaller tile i place so you can get them even with each other.

2. Except where you need to do a flood test, sometimes, it's best to install the banding while tiling so the thinset under and over it is still flexible so you can avoid the speed bumps. A 1/4x1/4" trowel assumes a very flat surface and the back of the tile...you may need a deeper notch.

What trowel did you use to install the banding? That can make a difference on how thick the end result is and the consistency of the mortar is critical, too, so you can successfully embed it without excess remaining beneath.

[borisj]

Hi Jim, thanks for replying, I've learned a lot from you here and at Terry Love over the years!

I used a 1/4" x 3/16" V-notch trowel to embed the band, per Schluter. My All-Set was probably stiffer than needed, but I embedded it *hard*. I also wiped off the edges with a barely-damp sponge to keep it neat as I went (which in hindsight only worsened the issue, could've feathered it).

My shower tile is definitely not very flat. It's not awful, just old-school, fired ceramic, so it has some wave to it. To install the tile, I had planned to use a 1/4" x 3/8" notch trowel. Think that'll do it? Or should I upgrade to 3/8" x 3/8"? I can try that in the moment of course. I also have a T-lock knockoff wedge-type leveling system I can use.

I don't really care about thinset waste here, it's my first job so just trying to do it perfect as I can. But I've heard that too-thick thinset can lead to problems, though mostly on floors due to point loads (hence question 1).

[jadnashua]

IF the tiles aren't very flat, you'll likely need a trowel that will put down more thinset. Set a few sample tiles on a flat surface and measure how big of a gap there is at their worst points...you need a bed deep enough to leave at least the minimum industry standard thickness (3/32?), then fill the bow or cup of the tile.

[borisj]

On a flat surface, they look fine (a little lippy for a floor (talking "low end custom home" lippage, not "Popeye's bathroom" lippage), but not visually noticeable for a wall). On my Kerdi Board -- pre-Band -- they looked fine. Now, with 2 (or 3, to deal with pinholes or fastener mistakes) layers of band in a few places, they don't. The tiles being 6x12 makes the localized bumps worse. And I just check with a caliper... my thinset didn't add any measurable thickness.

[ss3964spd]

You could try to comb the mortar a little thinner over the areas where the humps are, James. That's how I delt with band build ups.

[borisj]

I was going to grout this shower tomorrow, but I made an inexplicable mistake. The shower has 3 glass corner shelves, with the tile above the shelf notched to fit over it, with 1/8" space around each shelf for grout-color-matched silicone. Somehow I managed to jam one tile right up against one shelf.

How can I carve in a grout joint here? All I can think of is drilling holes with a 1/16" masonry bit, but I'm not sure how to stop it from skating on this glazed ceramic.

Some people are saying I should just put a fillet bead of the silicone to hide it, but I'm worried about the tile cracking over time if it is butted up tight to the shelf (I always read to never butt tile tight to other stuff). Thanks for any suggestions! Photos in reply below.

[cx]

James, it'll help if you'll post your photo as an attachment from storage on your computer so it appears in your post and won't disappear later when your third-party storage facility changes the URL, rendering your post useless to future viewers.

[borisj]

Photos attached, question in post above

[cx]

And your concern is the one place where the front edge of the glass is too close to the tile?

Can you still remove the shelf at this point?

[borisj]

Yes, that's the concern. The shelf is well set in mortar. I'd have to break it to remove it.

[cx]

If that's a soft bodied tile, as opposed to a porcelain or similar, you might find a small bit for a Dremel-type tool that would allow you to cut a simulated grout joint there, but I think your more likely successful solution would be to learn to live with it.

But perhaps one of the more creative members will have a better solution for you.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[borisj]

If that's a soft bodied tile, as opposed to a porcelain or similar, you might find a small bit for a Dremel-type tool that would allow you to cut a simulated grout joint there, but I think your more likely successful solution would be to learn to live with it.

I can definitely live with it aesthetically. But I thought there'd be a risk of cracking over time since there is no expansion joint there, not even 1/32" (which is the smallest I've ever seen). That's my real concern.

[Kman]

I'd leave it and count it as a mulligan.

Is it ideal? No.

Is it fatal? No

Keep tiling and try not to look at it.