the number one most problem prone ugly soon to be dated bad idea of a shower floor in history.

Try walking on a sample with bare feet . I much prefer a simple flat tile with a darker grout to avoid white getting dirty quickly.

it looks so cool, but i see so many dilemmas involving how much grout, having them look like they were installed on sheets (they are) and poor drainage. do a search for the topic in 'dilemmas' so you can head off problems before they happen to you.

Go for it, as long as you deal with professional tile setter. They are flat to the touch, so no issue in too much grout that can cover some others. As for grouts, choose a color that looks natural with pebbles; and that has additives (depends on brand) in it for stain resistance.

Done professionally no problem. The odds of finding that qualified installer are not in your favor. Don't use Flexcolor CQ as suggested above. Mapei does not approve it for shower floor pebble stone applications. I confirmed this with their tech dept a couple months back. Always pays to get your info directly from the source.

Hours and hours of fun cleaning the grout around each and every pebble with a toothbrush forevermore. Please buy a sample and walk on it. Then leave it in your current shower, propped up to catch the soap scum, for a couple weeks.

We are speaking sliced pebbles here not rounded. Grouted properly it will drain fine and not feel uncomfortable under foot.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4750666/pebble-tile-in-shower-needs-to-be-re-done#20407446

Creative TIle, Mapei's own written specifications for use permit the use of CQ for shower walls and floors. I'm not doubting that someone in tech may have stated the restriction to you, but I'd be curious as to the reasoning given, and why that statement is not in writing.

They stated it was due to the variations in the size of the joints. Some areas would be touching while others could easily exceed 1/2". This would cause many issues with curing. They did not hesitate to tell me no. It's very difficult nowadays with so many products and such rapid advancements in technology. Thus the reason I always check with manufacturers for approval. They all have their limitations and I prefer not to learn the hard way. Glass tile is the big risk out there. Beware.

We have the smooth ( not rounded) pebbles and like it very much. I have found that drying the floor with an old towel after each shower helps keep it clean. This would help any shower floor for that matter.

but then, you'd be drying the floor of your shower, after you shower. might as well put in hardwood! ; )

Just to throw our $0.02 in the mix:

We love our pebble/flat stone tiles, and when
installed correctly (with the right products) you can have a very stylish and
durable shower floor.

Some things to keep in mind:

These types of tiles are often irregular in shape and size, and have varying grout joint widths & depths;
so Flexcolor CQ would not be the best choice. (Under limitations on the TDS we
actually warn against using it in these scenarios)

Rather, use Ultracolor Plus FA, as it can
handle joints from 1/16” up to 3/4" wide/deep.

Pebbles/stones are natural stone and will need
to be sealed. (Sealing before grouting will make things easier on the installer)

Sealing will become a maintenance duty (so get a quality
sealer), once the stone begins to darken when wet, this usually means its time
for another coat.

Some more textured stones will not drain properly with a
standard shower floor pitch, and the pitch will need to be increased to the
drain.

Plus you can always call our Technical Department at
1-800-992-6273 if you’re ever unsure.

Ultracolor Plus FA is my first choice. Great product. Thanks for chiming in Mapei.

It sounds like too much hassle on the front end and way too much maintenance on the back end. If you have someone who cleans your bathrooms though, go for it.

Thanks for that info Mapei! Now I have to check out that grout. I haven't specified that before. Any tips to using it that my installer or I need to know? Love your local rep and customer support BTW!

Stay in the kitchen and let your tile crew educate you on the grout THEY use. You specify color and approve sample board. I like a smart designer but it ends where the tilers liability takes off.

Hi The Cook's Kitchen,

So we don’t divert this thread, please give us
a call at 1-800-992-6273, we’d love to talk grouts with you! You can also send us a direct message on Houzz if you’d like.

Creative Tile, thanks for the comments; keep up
the great work!

Thatsmuchbetter, I'm sorry if I offended you by asking questions. But, my jobs get materials specified by me. I work WITH my installer or rep when I have a question, and have never had the pat on the head stay in the kitchen condescension expressed above from any of my local partners. At least not in this century.

As if I need to justify intellectual curiosity, but...Different manufacturers have different color palettes, and different areas of strength for different materials. It does no good to select the exact perfect shade of grout for a project when the grout chosen would be unsuitable to either the tile, or the installation. That all has to be decided on in the design phase, thus the need to know about each product's strengths for different installation scenarios. My local Mapei and TEC reps have been outstanding in supporting education by anyone in any field that could be involved in a tile project. There is no downside to learning about unfamiliar products.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

children, children....