Bathroom Remodel - Tile dilemma

5 years ago

1. Can you give me some advice on the best way to tile out my bath tub walls? My original plan was to stagger the tiles to the ceiling on all three sides. I didn't think the 12"x18" tiles would take so much space! I love them, but with the niche I don't know how this will look with only two rows staggered as the first stagger would have been the niche row.

2. Next, if I go in a grid design straight up, can I still do the stagger design on the outside back wall of the tub and have it look ok? I thought 10" then 24" next row 24" then 10"?

3. I am planning a vertical of the same mosaic as in the niche down through the shower head side. Because of the size of the tile those will need to be stacked, not staggered.

4. Finally, if I continue though the backwall where would I place a border or would that be overkill?

Help! Pat (thank you :)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Rip our everything you've done and hire a Pro. No waterproofing is an immediate failure.
PRO
toddinmn
5 years ago
There could be a membrane behind the durarock or you could put a membrane over it, no need to tear out. Maybe go vertical with tile? I think you would be fine with or without a border. I remember arguing about tile and patterns when doing my house and all anyone besides me sees is the curtain.
MongoCT
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
First, was there any guidance from the manufacturer on allowed tile patterns and offset?

Some large format tiles like yours can come bowed. When you set them in a stacked pattern all the highs and the lows line up. Worst case is if you set them with a 50% offset, then the high midsection of one tile will be adjacent to the low ends of the tiles in the courses above and below. You end up with "lippage", where the tile edges are not flush with one another. The manufacturer may recommend a maximum offset; 25%, or 33%, for example. On an 18" tile, 25% would be 4-1/2", 33% would be 8". Or the tiles may be dead flat and you can do as you wish.

An easy check is to lay two tiles together, face-to-face. See if they lay flat against one another, or if they rock against one another. Any rocking would indicate they may not be flat and their may be pattern installation restrictions to minimize lippage.

Although I'm no designer, with inset deco patterns in relatively small spaces like a tub surround, I think often times less is more. So I'd recommend just the vertical mosaic inlay on the shower head wall.

I'd keep the pattern the same throughout. Stack the entire thing (taking what the mosaic inlay gives you on the shower head wall), or offset (within the manufacturer or tile lippage allowances) the entire thing.

Your installation as a whole looks quite neat. If you haven't already, review Durock's installation instructions to make sure you have adequate fasteners along the panel edges and in the field, and that you've taken appropriate actions for waterproofing the installation. The Durock board itself will not suffer moisture damage if it gets wet. But being porous, it can allow moisture through, into the framing bays. The niche, with the inset shelf, will be the weak point.

Best of luck with your installation.