Ceramic tiles with qualities such as affordability, durability and ease of cleaning is the best flooring and walling option for tiling an ideal shower. Tiling a shower with ceramic tile also ensures ‘fringe benefits’ such as prevention of humidity as well as that of dust-mite population and growth of fungi.
In addition, ceramic tiles (especially the glazed variety) promise waterproofing and natural resistance to chemical and biological agents.
Tiling a shower with ceramic tile is without any doubt a laborious mission. In fact, it does not require any special skill, but then a little care and dedication will help you get your job done with commendable fineness.
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Tiling The Shower Walls
Tiling a shower with ceramic tile requires you to go about the job in a planned manner. The first step is all about laying the foundation for the shower walls. Backerboards, such as WonderBoard or Durock cement board, will be ideal for the walls. Being resistant to water, they will best meet the standards as base for installing ceramic tiles to high-moisture areas.
Backerboards can easily be installed directly on walls and fixed firmly to wall studs and ceiling beams with the help of hot-dipped galvanized nails or galvanized wood screws. Once the backerboards are well set, you need to cover all the joints with fiberglass mesh tape. Apply a coating of latex thin-set or an adhesive mortar before going ahead with installing the ceramic tiles.
Tiling The Shower Floor
Tiling the shower floor requires you to start with pre-sloping the floor. Thus, a layer of mortar is applied to the floor in such a way that it forms a gentle slope from the shower wall edges to the center of the shower (where the drain resides) and thereby directs the flow of water towards the shower drain assembly.
When the pre-slope of your shower is fully cured, you will need to prepare for the installation of a shower pan membrane liner.
The shower pan membrane liner is a flexible plastic liner, which lies below the tile and mortar layers and channels every water-droplet (seeping through floor grouting) through the shower drains underneath.
You will need to lay the pan membrane liner at the base of the shower area and secure it to the sides of the shower wall frame using nails. You will also need to cut out a slit in the membrane to slot in the adjustable shower drain assembly.
Now engage yourself in laying the floor backerboards. When you are done, give the shower floor a final coating of mortar to give it a solid foundation. You have now arrived at the final stage of tiling a shower with ceramic tile.
Install the tiles carefully – take every care to maintain level and balance. The layout should essentially be centered. Adjust the shower drain assembly once the tiles are set and grouting is fully cured.
The thrill you experience the first time you bathe in the shower-room will exceed the pains you take in tiling a shower with ceramic tile.
by Manuel Kupka
