How Tile Shower Wall/Floor? (tiling, Home Depot, drain, color)

[Jedi5]

So we are putting in a bathroom in our basement and for the shower,
we're leaning towards tiling the walls... maybe the floor too.

So starting from scratch, how would we go about doing this?
This is sorta the look we're going for:



I've tried to search this and while I get directions, what I don't see
is what the wall should be prior to tiling.
We have mold resistant drywall. Is this good enough or should I go for cement board?

Now the tile/adhesive goes directly onto the wall or is there something else that should come between them?

If I can find a better example of what I'm looking for, I'll post a pic.

And this shower will be a corner unit.

[VegasGrace]

Go for cement board and a waterproofing membrane. But that may be overkill...but would ensure a water tight seal and no water problems.

Water resistant is just that...resistant...not water proof. So while the resistant may not cause mold for year 1-3...it won't resist much longer....just my opinion.

[JimRom]

First, mold resistant drywall is not going to cut it. Use cement board in the shower area, but you can use greenboard for the rest of the walls. Personally, I always try to use the KERDI system when I do showers (if I can talk the customer into spending the money on it), as the extra cost at the start of the project is more than offset by knowing you won't have any water issues in the future.

It's fairly easy to install, and their downloadable manual walks you through the construction. It says in the manual that you can install it over drywall, but I still use the cement board for the added structural strength.

[JamesGirl]

We are putting in a large shower in our bathroom as well and going to tile the floor and walls. Use cement board for the walls for sure and tile over that. There is also this gray color mat material that you can lay on the floor and tile on top of that, I'm not sure what its called, in my tile book they refer to it as waterproof membrane, they sell it at Home Depot and a 5x6' piece is only $25. Best part about it is its a custom size. For the size shower pan we wanted that can be tiled over was going to cost $600 to be made. Using the membrane is much more cost efficient.

[K'ledgeBldr]

The easiest way is to use a precast base.
But if you're going to do a tile floor- install the membrane first- lay it out inside the space, you fold the corners so there is continuous containment and the membrane should go up the wall at least 12" higher than the door threshold. The membrane material should completely overlap the threshold to the floor. Secure the membrame at the edges. Then apply the cement board to the walls over the installed membrane. The premise is if water was to infiltrate the tile and run down between it and the backer board, it would still be contained by the membrane. The drain is a cut, caulk, and sandwich. Be sure to allow enough height in the drain for the mud bed (which should have slope from all sides to the drain).
If it were me- I'd remove the drywall within the shower area all together and replace with 1/2 inch backer board (wall remains "flat"). This way you don't have to use edge tile/bullnose.

[akck]

I suggest you check out the John Bridge Forum for how to do a shower. There are a lot of tile professionals there who offer help to DIYers. Also, John Bridge has written a couple of how-to-do-it books on the subject.

[Uconn97]

Defintely use the cement board on the shower walls. green board in the rest of the bath!

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by VegasGrace

Go for cement board and a waterproofing membrane. But that may be overkill...but would ensure a water tight seal and no water problems.

Water resistant is just that...resistant...not water proof. So while the resistant may not cause mold for year 1-3...it won't resist much longer....just my opinion.

It may be overkill, but probably not. I can't really think of any reason NOT to overkill a bathroom.

You will never be sorry that you did everything you could while you had the opportunity to keep water only where it is supposed to be.

OVERKILL 'EM ALL!

[harald]

i dont know whats on the market over there,but here we dont use the membrane on rolls any more.why use it when its difficult? if its not installed correct,you ruin your bath . No, go for the floating membrane.easyer,dad can do it himself,and no edges to align with other costy materials.

[Streamer1212]

Originally Posted by akck

I suggest you check out the John Bridge Forum for how to do a shower. There are a lot of tile professionals there who offer help to DIYers. Also, John Bridge has written a couple of how-to-do-it books on the subject.

John Bridge Ceramic Tile Forum

This is the best place to get detailed, step-by-step info for your project. You will be asked for this type of info:

What's the existing wall? Masonry? Drywall over wood studs? Paneling?
How large is the tile you're using on the walls? On the floors?

Try to provide as much info as you can when you post your question. Otherwise, you'll be asked to furnish it befoe anyone will try to answer your question.

By the way, Jim Rom's suggestion regarding the Kerdi system (made by Schluter Systems) is a good one. They also now make a shower "kit" that has all the components in a single package. K'ledge also provided a good system that has been the standard for about 30 years now. Do not buy a "membrane" and simply tile over it. Same thing with the shower pan. Both of those things are components in a system, but are not tileable surfaces.

Regards,
Streamer1212