Diy Modern Main Lavatory Remodel: Exercise 3: Custom Tile Shower Install

Learn how to overcome the daunting task of edifice waterproofing together with installing a custom DIY Modern Master Bath Remodel: Part 3: Custom Tile Shower Install

So where did nosotros move out off friends? I think the lastly fourth dimension I talked to y'all almost Modern Master Bath remodel I was sharing the building plans for my double vanity. The bath remodel is SO closed to beingness done! All that is left is to ready the linen cupboard together with touching upwardly paint. The showstopper of the whole makeover is the novel custom tile shower nosotros installed together with that's what I'm focusing on today.

Check out the total series:

My married adult man has been dreaming of a large shower amongst multiple shower heads his whole life. My requirements were to accept a existent bench together with a frameless drinking glass door. In "Part One: Demo" I showed y'all guys the terrifying outcome of ripping out of one-time fiberglass tub together with shower surround.

We built a novel wall together with moved the plumbing around. I'm non going to speak almost that work much for 2 reasons. There are thousands of practiced tutorials out at that topographic point from people who are genuinely licensed together with tin give official advice, but to a greater extent than oft than non because when remodeling each province of affairs is hence different, y'all don't know what obstacles you'll demand to tackle until they popular up.

What I genuinely desire to speak almost though is jumping into the massive projection it is to ready a custom shower, peculiarly when it's a niggling fancy. I became a niggling obsessive together with did every bit much enquiry every bit humanly possible earlier deciding to movement forward.

A DIY tiled shower scared the crap out of me guys. If y'all ready a crooked dresser, it's non neat but it's non the halt of the world. An improper shower installation tin live horrific together with atomic number 82 to catastrophic harm to your home. Luckily, a spell dorsum I heard almost a society called Schluter Systems that makes perfectly unproblematic products that genuinely brand installing a shower pretty lead forward. I used their organisation to pattern together with ready my custom shower together with I felt real confident the whole time.

But earlier y'all opened upwardly a unmarried Schluter System's box, y'all demand to brand certain to scout their video serial on YouTube! This isn't merely a plug. They accept genuinely done a fabulous chore making each mensuration of the procedure crystal clear together with I learned a lot from watching them. In fact, I've included a few Schluter instructional videos below hence y'all tin acquire a improve thought of the process.

First, here's the Shower Kit overview:

Installing Schluter®-KERDI-BOARD over the forest framing

Kerdi-Board is a foam based panel that replaces cement board or other traditional substrates (what that tile attaches to). Since nosotros were turning the entire area, flooring to ceiling into moisture space, nosotros cutting together with installed Kerdi-Board on top of the studs, similar to hanging drywall. It's much lighter than drywall though together with uses these cool hooked washers to forestall the screws from pulling through. I used 1/2" thick board hence it would butt upwardly even amongst the side yesteryear side drywall.

Here's the instructional video:

If nosotros had decided on a steam shower (little ventilation) nosotros would accept needed to supplant the drywall on the ceiling every bit well, but amongst a normal shower enclosure, y'all merely demand to brand certain the waterproofing goes upwardly yesteryear the shower heads. We ran the Kerdi-Board horizontally almost 8" yesteryear where the shower door was going to be. You reckon all those exposed screws? I'll acquire to those inwards merely a minute.

When I was sharing sneak peaks on my Instagram, ane of the most mutual questions I was asked was "What are y'all going to do amongst the window?" I know it's hard to tell, but the window is genuinely drinking glass block, which is fine to live inwards a shower. I trimmed around the opening using Kerdi-Board.

We thought it would live a brilliant thought to include 2 large shower niches on the valve wall. Although I dear having all the infinite for bottles, it made installing the plumbing extra tricky. I want I would accept chosen something smaller.

What was a super smart determination withal was the selection to use pre-fabricated niches from Schluter. I watched dozens of YouTube videos on niches, together with edifice ane from scratch looked similar a major pain. We did add together back upwardly pieces betwixt the studs on the top together with bottom when framing the wall. This helps to give the recessed niche support. To install the Schluter®-KERDI-BOARD-SN, all nosotros had to do was cutting holes inwards the Kerdi-Board, slide them into the opening, together with secure the joints amongst screws together with washers.

Adding a Pre-fabricated Shower Bench

Did y'all know some people genuinely ready shower benches out of forest framing?! Technically, y'all tin ready a bench out of whatever y'all like, every bit long every bit y'all accept a practiced waterproofing layer, but I was having nightmares of poorly sloped benches together with mold damage. We decided to work a pre-fabricated Schluter®-KERDI-SHOWER-SB bench.

This was in all probability ane of the easiest steps inwards the whole process. It's pre-slopped hence all I had to do was spread together with comb the thin-set together with drib the foam bench into place. Once inwards position, I used a bird to brand certain at that topographic point was a gradual forwards gradient that would allow H2O to run off the bench top.

Installing the Drain, Shower Pan together with Curb

The prissy work of using the one-time tub infinite was the existing waste materials drain. However, to adapt the custom size of our novel shower, nosotros did accept to movement the drain location a few inches. We accept a slab foundation, hence that meant breaking out together with patching a niggling concrete but, it wasn't likewise difficult.

Now nosotros started to tackle the genuinely intimidating stuff: the drain together with the shower pan. If y'all screw upwardly either of those things, y'all tin literally destroy your home! I had seen a Schluter® Shower Kit installed before, together with that's what sold me on the company. It brand a genuinely scary procedure unproblematic for a beginner.

We installed the Schluter®-KERDI-DRAIN which was included inwards the kit, next these video instructions:

Next, I started on the mensuration that gave me the greatest fear; the shower pan. I tin honestly say, using the pre-sloped Schluter®-KERDI-SHOWER-ST was genuinely simple! It's a pre-formed foam tray that is designed to allow perfect drainage together with incorporates into the drain. We starting fourth dimension cleaned together with prepared the slab, together with hence secured the tray using thin-set mortar.

With this vogue of shower, nosotros needed to accept a curb to cash inwards one's chips along the H2O from pouring out of the shower area. Being smart people, Schluter has a pre-fabricated shower curb every bit well. We installed the Schluter®-KERDI-SHOWER-SC even against the tray together with bench. Then, nosotros covered the tray together with bench amongst Kerdi membrane to brand them water-tight.

Making Sure it's Watertight

At this point, nosotros had the basic construction of the shower inwards identify together with nosotros could start waterproofing all the seams. The Schluter®-KERDI-SHOWER-KIT comes amongst valve seals that ensure H2O won't sneak into the wall around the mixer valve or shower caput stem. They attach to the Kerdi-Board using the same thin-set mortar.

Next, I busted out the Schluter®-KERDI-BAND together with went to town. Kerdi-Band is a waterproofing strip used to seal butt joints, floor/wall connections, together with where the bench, tray, together with curb meet. It's also what nosotros used to encompass the exposed screw heads together with washers. Basically, y'all apply Kerdi-Band using thin-set together with it goes over every seam, gap together with joint.

Tile, Stone together with Grout

We allowed everything to dry out for a couplet days together with had a prissy waterproof base of operations to install our tile.
We hired a contractor to fabricate together with install granite slabs for the bench top together with threshold.

Although I've told y'all guys several times that setting tile is far from my favorite job, but I loved the tile I chose from The Builder Depot hence much I didn't fifty-fifty care.

I've ever had a soft spot inwards my pump for small-scale mosaics inwards a shower, hence I went amongst Matte Black Penny tile for the flooring together with the dorsum of the lather niches.

I think bathrooms should experience ready clean together with bright, hence for the walls I picked a gloss white ceramic tile that would reverberate lots of light. I'm inwards love! The shape is an over-sized 4" x 16" subway style, but amongst square, non rounded edges.

I thought almost ordering a frameless shower door online, but my friend Sandra from Sawdust Girl talked me out of it. She recent remodeled her bath likewise together with she said it is worth every penny to accept a drinking glass society come upwardly mensurate together with live responsible for installation. So that's precisely what I did together with I'm super happy amongst the results.

The Finished Shower

Alright, earlier I present y'all the finished shower, shall nosotros call back the "before"?

And here's our novel masterpiece! I couldn't dear it more! I genuinely giggled the starting fourth dimension time I showered.

We accept a shower bench! It's the greatest affair ever together with the black penny tile feels hence prissy on bare feet. It's almost similar a niggling massage.

In my enquiry I discovered that almost every shower guy recommends using a Schluter drain. Even if they work a dissimilar organisation for their prep-work, most contractors dear how slowly the Kerdi-Drain is to install. We chose a brushed nickel destination for our grate pattern to jibe the residual of the hardware.

The Builder Depot is known for having the most gorgeous marble tile together with I genuinely wanted to operate some honed marble penny rounds into the design. We decided to acquire forwards amongst the monochromatic expect together with I'm hence happy amongst how it turned out. Even though they made the plumbing a pain, I'm genuinely grateful for the double large niches.

Look at that tight corner! You would never know at that topographic point was serious waterproofing nether that tile.

The my DIY double vanity. I'll part the whole infinite ane time nosotros destination upwardly amongst some odds together with ends.

I scored an almost total slab of honed dark granite on Craiglist over a twelvemonth ago. There was plenty for the vanity every bit good every bit bench together with threshold tops. It has a matte destination together with I dear the contrast against the glossy white tile.

Another "before"

And "after". My married adult man finally got his dream of 2 shower heads. With a large shower similar this, the extra H2O certain is nice.

You tin reckon inwards this original photograph how much infinite was wasted on that unused fiberglass tub.

Some people dear their bathtubs, but inwards the 2 years we've lived inwards this house, nosotros never used it once! Although it was a practiced sized "garden tub", it was hence shallow, at that topographic point genuinely wasn't whatsoever point. Pulling it out together with installing a custom shower brand such improve work of the infinite for our lifestyle.

Are y'all feeling motivated!? I'm hence glad I moved yesteryear my fearfulness together with tackled my ain DIY shower. It wasn't nearly every bit hard every bit I thought it would be. If y'all similar these ideas, pivot the icon below to relieve them for later.