compleTely ReVISeD AND UpDATeD - builder tested code approved Tiling from the editors of - builder tested code approved TILING h from the editors of B Text © 2010 by the Taunton Press, Inc. Photographs © 2010 by the Taunton Press, Inc., except where noted All rights reserved. Pp The Taunton Press Inc., 63 South Main St., PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506 e-mail: [email protected] Editors: Christina Glennon and Alex Giannini Copy editor: Diane Sinitsky Indexer: Cathy Goddard Cover design: Alexander Isley, Inc. Interior design: Cathy Cassidy Layout: David Giammattei Front/back cover photographer: Justin Fink, courtesy Fine Homebuilding © The Taunton Press, Inc. Taunton’s For Pros By Pros® and Fine Homebuilding® are trademarks of The Taunton Press Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Tiling / author, from the editors of Fine homebuilding. p. cm. Includes index. E-Book ISBN 978-1-62710-074-8 1. Tile laying. I. Taunton Press. II. Fine homebuilding. TH8531.T56 2010 698--dc22 2010042430 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The following manufacturers/names appearing in Tiling are trademarks: Akemi®; Alta®; Aqua Glass®; Aquabar®; aSquare®; Better-Bench®; Chloraloy®; DensShield®; DeWalt®; Ditra® Mat; DitraSet™; Durock®; EzPoxy™; HardieBacker®; James Hardie®; Keralastic™; Laticrete®; Makita®; MAPEI®; Murphy® Oil Soap; NobleFlex®; NobleSeal® TS; Oceanside Glasstile®; Pine-Sol®; Polyblend®; Protecto® Wrap; Ridgid®; Scotch-Brite™; Schlüter®; SpectraLock® Pro; Speed® Square; Stand Off® Limestone & Marble Protector; Superior Tile Cutter®; TEC™ Super Flex™; TileLab®; Tilematic®; WonderBoard®. About Your Safety: Homebuilding is inherently dangerous. From accidents with power tools to falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, builders risk serious injury and even death. We try to promote safe work habits through our articles. But what is safe for one person under certain circumstances may not be safe for you under different circumstances. So don’t try anything you learn about here (or elsewhere) unless you’re certain that it is safe for you. Please be careful. Except for new page numbers that reflect the organization of this collection, these articles appear just as they did when they were originally published. You may find that some information about manufacturers or products is no longer up to date. Similarly, building methods change and building codes vary by region and are constantly evolving, so please check with your local building department. Special thanks to the authors, editors, art directors, copy editors, and other staff members of Fine Homebuilding who contributed to the development of the articles in this book. C o n t e n t s Introduction 3 part 1: bathroom projects tiling a tub surround 4 Upgrading to a tile shower 15 Installing a shower Niche 24 tiling a shower with marble 30 Glass-block shower on a curve 38 tiling a bathroom Floor 45 a sloping Floor for a barrier-Free bath 54 Installing a Leakproof shower pan 64 bubble bath 72 bathroom-tile Design 78 Details from Great bathrooms 82 part 2: kItcheN projects putting tile to Work in the kitchen 86 tiling a kitchen counter 95 tiling over a Laminate counter 108 tiling a backsplash 113 Details from Great kitchens 118 part 3: tILING techNIqUes buying or renting tile saws 122 cutting ceramic tile 132 Grouting tile 140 a Fearless approach to epoxy Grout 148 a New Way to tile a big Floor 153 Glass tile 163 tiling with Limestone 171 replacing a broken tile 180 credits 184 Index 186 i n t r o d u C t i o n For only a few dollars per square foot, you can upgrade from an ordinary fiberglass shower to a ceramic-tiled shower surround. The inexpensive tiled shower will require more maintenance than the fiberglass and may look only marginally better. But if you can afford to kick in a few extra dollars to add a band of glass or a handful of accent tiles to the surround, you can quickly start to make the project sing. Of course, if you’re not careful with your budget, you can easily blow your retirement on tile, too. For all of these reasons, particularly its great range of style and price, tile gets a lot of coverage in Fine Homebuilding. It’s not only a durable option for showers, either. Tile is ideal for kitchen, bathroom, and entry floors, backsplashes and countertops. Like most homebuilding projects, however, the materials you choose are only as good as the installation. Whether you’re tiling over an existing laminate counter or tackling a new floor, it’s the small details that make the difference between a finished project that looks good and one that looks great; one that will stain and crack and one that will last for decades to come. For nearly 30 years we’ve been lucky to have tile setters like Tom Meehan and Jane Aeon share their hard-earned experiences with us. Manufacturers are helping, too. Today there are tile backerboards and membranes, mortars, thinsets, and grouts that are easy to use in every tile application. This book, a collection of the best tile stories Fine Homebuilding has published, is meant to help you sort through the design decisions, products, and installation details you need for a successful tile project. Build well, Brian Pontolilo, editor Fine Homebuilding 3 1 s t c e j o r p Tiling a Tub M o o r h t a b Surround by Michael byrne When it comes to low cost and ease of installation, it’s hard to beat the fiberglass tub-and-shower unit. It’s simply slid into its berth and nailed through the flanges to the framing. When the job is done, everyone gets to bathe and shower in a synthetic shell. I prefer standard tubs enclosed by tiled walls. Tile is not only peerless in beauty and durability, but it also can be installed with minimal expertise. Whereas tub sur- rounds once were tiled over skillfully pre- pared beds of mortar, most tile pros now favor the thin-bed method. It substitutes various prefabricated backerboards for the mortar bed, saving time and trouble without compromising durability. In this chapter I’ll explain how to tile a basic tub surround using the thin-bed method. The job shown is a remodel, but the principles apply to new work. To satisfy the design of the room, I did two different edge treatments, one of which mimics the look of a traditional mortar-bed surround. Fine-tuning. after packing a wall with grout, use a damp sponge to shave high spots and fill voids. 4 Framing and along the top of the tub so you’ll know where to fasten the backerboard. Waterproofing I staple felt to the studs or, if the framing is drywalled, I laminate the felt to the Bathtub bays must be framed plumb, level, drywall with cold-patch asphalt roofing and square using straight stock. I add extra cement. Adjacent bands of felt are lapped studs and blocking to support the edges of shingle-style to shed water. For insurance, backerboard, plus double studs to support I also seal the joints with asphalt caulk and tub enclosures, such as shower doors. run a bead of caulk along the top edge of the Tub surrounds need a waterproof mem- tub to seal it to the paper. brane somewhere between the tile and the If I’m working solo, I usually cut the top framing to prevent moisture infiltration. band of felt paper into two pieces for easier For this job, I installed economical 15-lb. handling. If you do this, lap and seal the asphalt felt beneath the backerboard. vertical joint to keep out water. Before you install felt paper, it’s a good idea to mark stud locations with a crayon Start with a solid frame. backerboard should be affixed to a sturdy and accurately framed wall that includes studs and blocking for the backer- board seams and for the tub enclosure. Put a membrane under the backerboard. the author laps bands of 15-lb. roofing felt, stapled shingle-style to the studs, to keep moisture out of the wall. at vertical seams, he caulks the laps with asphalt to prevent leakage. Tiling a Tub Surround 5