master bath project

[John Bridge]

Vince,

Your drain is fine. It's just not adjustable. You will just need to get your final floor mud in perfectly. You won't be able to fudge the drain up and down. No big deal. You can handle it.

I don't know which is better. As you said, PVC is available, and it works fine. I use it.

[Vince]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Next stop is HD for some PVC liner.

Vince

[Vince]

I've got the PVC pan liner in. I've leak checked it twice and it is still leaking! I'm having trouble with one of the dam corners. After my second leak test I found a small area of the dam corner that I thought I had stuck down good before, but it came up a tiny bit. I pulled on the corner to try to get it completely off so I can start over, but the part that's already good and stuck won't budge. I've put a bunch of the PVC liner glue to try to get this area to stick already. If I try to jam some more glue into this tiny spot I won't be able to keep the mating surfaces apart to allow them to dry before sticking them together.

I thought I would run an idea by you guys that I was considering to see what you all think. How about putting some silicone caulk in or around the spot to seal it off? I haven't seen any information on this anywhere, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. If this is a bad idea, any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks again-----------Vince

[bbcamp]

No, don't do that. Better to make a patch from a scrap of liner and cover the area.



Unless the pros have a better idea, of course.

[twinstates]

hi vince,

noticed your situation and have a few questions for you -- could you email me directly?

[Vince]

Sorry about the delay twinstates, but I can't seem to figure out how to email you directly. If anyone knows please fill me in.

O.K., I got sick of patching the shower pan so I tore it out and started over. The new pan is in and passed the leak test no problems. I discovered that I missed the part in the pan installation section about putting the dam corner INSIDE the fold of the liner and I was trying to cover the entire fold with it . I've installed 6 mil poly as a vapor barrier and the bottom row of 1/2 inch hardibacker.

I've got a few more questions before I proceed:

1) I used 1/2 inch sheetrock on the ceiling which will be tiled. I've got 2x6 ceiling joists spaced 16 inches o.c. with a max unsupported span of 3.5 feet. I will be using ceramic tiles no larger than 6x6 on the ceiling. The house is one story and this space will remain empty. I've read several posts in this forum that say this method is acceptable and that cement board is not acceptable for ceilings. I'm questioning my method a little after-the-fact, but the sheetrock can come down if something else would be better. Any ideas or comments on this method?

2) I installed the poly on the ceiling joists as well. Do I need any kind of sealer or waterproofer on the outside of the sheetrock?

3) I'm going to build a masonry bench in the corner like the one in the liberry and am having trouble locating the mason mix or quikrete mortar mix. Are these available Home Depot or Lowe's? Do they look exactly like the pictures in the liberry or do they go by other names also? Are they mixed with just water or does sand need to be added? I have some stuff called Rapidset mortar mix that is used for stucco repair and was wondering if this is the same stuff?

As always, everyone has been very helpful in answering my questions and I thank you all in advance.

Vince

[twinstates]

hi vince -- you can reach me at: ablatas@yahoo.com

[John Bridge]

Vince,

You've elected to now recieve emails through our server. That means you won't have the option of emailing other members from here. You can correct that by going into the user CP (icon top right) and changing your setting on mail.

[Vince]

I got the email thing fixed so now I was wondering if anyone had any information about my previous questions regarding the sheetrock ceiling or mortar mix?

[John Bridge]

Vince,

The ceiling is fine the way it is. No sealer. Just tile it.

You can use any brick mortar you can find to build your bench with. You can make your own from masonry cement (70 lb. sacks) mixed with masonry sand or play sand. Actually any kind of sand works for the bench.

Don't use any sort of rapid patch. Only brick mortar.

[Vince]

Got it. Thanks John.

[Vince]

I've got the shower backer board and benches completed thanks to everyone's help and am turning my attention to the floor now. The backer board is on the floor and I am tiling it with 16x16 travertine tiles with some decorative ceramic insets. I have a few questions:

1) General plan: I will be using modified thinset in white (Versabond?) to adhere the tiles to the hardibacker. I was going to use unmodified, but the hardibacker booklet recommends modified. I will be using a 1/4 x 1/4 notched trowel to comb out the thinset. Does this process sound correct? If not, what should I do differently?

2) I understand that these large tiles with somewhat irregular backs will need to be back buttered, but I'm not sure of the exact process for this. Do I comb out ridges with a notched trowel onto the back side of the tile and if so what size notched trowel? If not, how thick should the mortar on the backs of the tiles be?

3) The ceramic insets are 1/4" thick while the travertine is 3/8" thick. What should I do to fix the height difference between the two?

Any other comments or suggestions about my project will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again in advance-------Vince

[Steven Hauser]

Hi Vince,

1) 1/4 by 1/4 is fine.

2) Use the smooth side of the trowel to apply a layer of thinset to the back of the tile, and use the notch side on the floor. The layer on the back of tile is thin and even. I would still be using the 1/4" trowel unless the floor was not flat enough. You will notice that if you hold the trowel at different angles you will get higher and lower ridges. I would have tall ridges that were perpendicular to to me. I then would place the tile into the the thinset and slide it into place back and forth.

3) Since the decos are a little thinner, I kind of clean the area where the deco is going to be on the floor, and put the thinset on the back of the deco to get it level with the surrounding tile. I use a 4' level to make sure I am staying flat. My thinset for this installation is a little stiffer (meaning the ridges when combed stand up and don't sag that much but do compress when flattened.

Generally, I say to go slow, this is not a race. Check behind yourself to be sure the decos don't sink. Sometimes they do. I then throw my thinset away and start over. No big deal.

[Vince]

Thanks for the tips Steven. I've got my backer board cut and my tile layout complete and I was wondering if I had to wait for the thinset between the subfloor and cement board to set before I can begin tiling?

Vince

[John Bridge]

Nope. Go for it, Vince.