Painters tape to hold tiles?

[heknowsbetter]

I found this image on local add with a comment "...another shower made per client's desires..." or something similar. Definitely made by some sort of professional or at least someone who got paid for it. Is this some sort of common practice or may that indicate sketchy professionalism and adhesion problems?

I'm intentionally leaving apart all the typical aspects of type of backing, membranes etc. as I know nothing about the materials or steps used in this particular case - blue tape only.

[speed51133]

well, it is better than using nails to hold them up. It can work IMO but that looks a bit...suspect.

He really messed up the tile pattern though on the right side

[Just In Tile LLC]

The trend I'm seeing now-a-days is finish quality is taking a backseat as long as the shower is watertight with these new systems. It doesn't leak, so it's right.

[cx]

Peter, I've used many different methods of supporting a wall tile installation in progress, including masking tape. I don't see anything at all wrong with using tape in that application (gotta question his taping pattern, but....) if he made it support the tiles in the correct position while curing.

I think the bigger error there (other than the pattern as was pointed out) is that he took a photo and published it.

[CaliGrown]

Damn! Must have a good budget, to waste that much blue gold. Lol. “That’s one way to do it!” Definitely agree with CX on his bigger error..

[smifwal]

Hell I got at least 5 pics on my phone that I could summon easily that have some sort of blue tape in them holding tile or schutler profiles. Though I have never used half of a roll of blue tape on 3 little bitty tiles like that.

[Davy]

I use a lot of blue tape too but not in that situation. Place a board under the tiles and add a couple legs under it. The boards in my pic is to support my mud but I'll do the same thing to support the tiles.

Peter, the row of tile at the top should have the 4-5 inch (whatever size it is) cut against the wall. If you don't change it, it's going to look weird up against the end wall tiles. Every other row should have that cut against the right wall.

[cx]

Generally I would do something like Davy shows there, but I'd customarily wait 'till the wall was ready for tile.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Who *doesn’t* use blue tape to hang tile?

[jerrymlr1]

Whatever works. I am no stranger to unconventional techniques and certainly have no criticism for the tape job. Probably a bit quicker than the some bridge contraption for the job at hand. If it looks good in the end allzwell.

I agree the pattern on the right should follow thru on up but if the homeowner has limited tile perfectionists as friends then that too is ok in my book.

[cx]

I generally don't, Goldstein. I use plain ol' white (or yellow or whatever color that is) masking tape when I gotta use tape.

[Davy]

Jerry, Like I mentioned, the bridge above is to hold my mud. It tends to sag down and fall in that situation. But, I'll keep the bridge and re use it when tiling. If I taped those, I'd have to give them time to set. Using the bridge allows me to stack the wall on up higher over the shampoo box the same day.

[jerrymlr1]

Sorry Davy. I meant nothing against your mud bridge. My only point was that tape is eezypeezy and did the job righteous in this particular case.

[heknowsbetter]

Not my job, not my tile, not my shower, not my problem. I was just surprised to see the tape as I wouldn't trust it with a tile. If I had to do a bridge like that I'd rather make supports or get a single bag of something like ProLite Mortar for that area of risk. That thing holds pretty much on the spot from my limited experience.

Thanks for all the opinions!

[Jim Farrell Tiler]

i would use whatever tape the painter has (as long as he isnt looking)