Redi Base® one-piece, leakproof shower pans come in over 100 standard models with a variety of sizes and drain locations. Installation doesn’t get easier than this! And because every shower design is different we offer a variety of entrances as well: single curb, double curb, triple curb, or barrier free. Can you dig it!® Redi Trench® award winning shower bases are the bath industry’s most exciting marriage of design and function! Nowhere else will you find a one-piece, tileable shower pan with an integrated linear trench drain and choice of either tileable linear grate or designer linear grate tops. Choice of single curb, double curb, or barrier free entrances further enhances your shower options. WonderFall Trench™ shower pans feature an Infinity Shower Floor™ showcasing your beautiful tiled shower. Our innovative technology allows for any size tile from a 1” mosaic to a 1-piece slab! The latest in shower trends, you’ll only find it here: one-piece, Ready-to-Tile™, with a molded-in linear trench and tileable linear drain top.
Available with single or multi curbs in a variety of sizes.Can you install ceramic tile directly onto plywood? What about a plywood subfloor? Even if you can, should you?The short answer to the first question: Yes. Before you go too far, ask the opposing question: Why not use cement board over the plywood?Plenty of professional tile installers do install tile directly onto plywood.Bill Vincent of Creative Ceramic and Marble, based in Bridgton, Maine, set his first tile in 1967 and has been in the tile trade since 1980 A member of the influential John Bridge tile forum, Vincent affirms to us that you can indeed tile over plywood. He does this frequently.However, it is important to know that you should not install directly onto the plywood subfloor. You must have an intervening layer of one sheet of plywood.Several conditions must be met in order to do this:1. Proper Thinset: Higher Latex ContentThe first condition is to have the right type of thinset.
Thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick.Vincent notes that "a quality unmodified thinset [should] be used and mixed with a latex additive, such as Laticrete's 317 thinset mixed with their 333 liquid latex additive."Higher latex content is essential for bonding to plywood.Buy on Amazon - Laticrete 317 Thinset2. Proper Plywood Subfloor: Five Conditions That Must Be MetEnsuring a perfect subfloor may be difficult and may not be within your control if the subfloor has already been laid. However, if you are laying your own plywood, Vincent recommends these conditions: Or you can use a waterproofing, uncoupling membrane between the tile and one layer plywood. Schluter Ditra is one popular brand of membrane. Schulter expressly notes that Ditra replaces that second layer of plywood.As mentioned, a tight, unmoving bond between mortar and subfloor causes cracking. Uncoupling membrane does exactly what it says: it uncouples, or releases, the bond between plywood and tile mortar, allowing each surface to move independently of each other.
In addition, uncoupling tile membranes prevent moisture from infiltrating surfaces below.Shulter mentions that tile uncoupling is not a new practice. Shear release interfaces have been used for thousands of years, beginning with the Romans and Greeks.One downside: they do add height to your installation, as you have two layers of thinset plus the membrane. Schulter Ditra is a pricey product when used over large expanses of flooring. A 54 sq. ft. roll currently runs about $86 at Home Depot. For an average kitchen sized at 150 square feet, you would spend $260 just for the Ditra.The safest, most prudent course is to install tile on top of a cement backerboard, such as Durock®, Wonderboard®, or HardieBacker®.Cement backerboard is made for tiling. Backerboard does not shrink or expand when it comes into contact with water (mortar and grout both contain water). Even though exterior grade plywood is designed to stand up to harsh weather, nothing can tolerate moisture better than a product that is entirely composed of minerals (cement board) vs. an organic product (plywood).
Cement board will not mitigate floor deflection, but it will provide an optimal surface for tiling, by:Homepage » Areas of Application » Tile Building Panel Systems » Wall applications » Tub walls and tub enclosures Tub walls and tub enclosuresTub wall surround applicationwedi Building Panels are the natural choice for use with tub walls and tub enclosures. The panels can be installed directly to framing or over gypsum, cement or wood underlayment products to create a waterproof underlayment for tile. They can be easily scored and shaped to provide radius surfaces on tub skirts and do not scratch tubs or fixtures during installation. Additionally, the dimensions of the wedi Building Panels make for quick installations with standard tubs – laid horizontally the panel will span the full five foot width. Cut out a notch at the bottom edge of a wedi Building Panel and safely connect to a tub flange with just a bead of wedi joint sealant in between to safely waterproof this critical connection and create plumb walls, square wall corner areas as well as a full backing for the tile all the way down to the tub's horizontal perimeter area.
Tub deck applicationto overviewDetailed information wedi building panelAs a tile shower floor ages, its imperfections quickly turn into an eyesore. Each settlement crack in the grout creates a pathway for water to seep into the shower floor's concrete subfloor. A low spot lets water puddle. Both of these issues promote mold and mildew growth in the grout and subfloor, which darkens the grout in the problem area. Many shower floors have cut tile with sharp or rough-looking edges. The bad cuts can turn an otherwise good-looking tile floor into an amateurish looking maintenance nightmare. Laying a new layer of tile over the existing shower floor can solve these issues without removing the old tile and grout. Preparing the Existing Shower FloorMost good tile setters will tell you that a high-quality tile project always starts with subsurface preparation. A tile shower floor uses a mortar and sand mixture as a subfloor. The tile setter dry packs the mortar mixture in the shower pan. He then cuts in the floor's slope with a straightedge.
Once dry, the mortar gives the tile a solid surface to rest on. An improperly created subsurface causes high and low spots in the finished floor. Sometimes it takes as long to prepare the subsurface as it does to lay the tile. Remove the shower drain cover and set it aside. Stuff a rag into the top of the drain hole. The rag prevents debris from falling down into the drain pipe. Hold one end of a bubble level on the drain opening and slide the other end of the level across the existing tile's surface. Check the floor's slope. When measured from the drain opening to the furthest wall, the level should show about 1/4-inch of slope per foot. Slide the level across the floor and mark all high and low areas with a wax pencil or permanent marker. Put on all safety equipment, including safety glasses and leather work gloves. Remove any raised tile, using a hammer and chisel to dislodge the tile. Do not worry about damaging the neighboring floor tile. A single raised tile can hold enough water to create a puddle.
Remove all of the old caulking material from the perimeter of the shower floor, including the caulking covering the bottom six inches of each of the wall's corners. Thoroughly clean the entire shower stall, using any household cleaner that removes soap scum and hard-water deposits. Mix a white-colored thinset in a bucket, using the thinset manufacturer's instructions. White-colored thinset will not bleed through the new shower tile's grout. Dampen the floor with water. Fill any dips or missing tile in the existing tile floor with the thinset, using a flat trowel to feather the thinset into the surrounding tile. If the existing shower floor does not have the proper slope, build up the low area with thinset. Run a straightedge across the floor's surface and shave off any high areas of thinset. Let the thinset dry before continuing. Double-check the floor for slope and dips with the level. Continue to add thinset to the problem areas, as needed. If the added thinset created a high spot, rub the high spot with a sanding stone or cinder block.
Clean up all of the debris. An extension ring will hold the shower drain cover flush with the new tile. Mount a shower drain extension ring, a 1/4-inch-thick plastic ring, on top of the existing shower drain. The extension ring's mounting screws secure the ring against the top of the existing shower drain opening. Use a ring of the same diameter as the existing shower floor drain opening. Most extension rings bolt directly to a four-inch diameter round drain opening. After the new tile floor dries, the ring will hold the drain cover flush with the new shower floor tile's finished surface. An adapter can convert a round drain cover into a square cover. The square cover makes cutting the tile around the opening easier. If using a square cover, mount the adapter to the extension ring now. Installing the Shower Floor TileMake a bucket of white-colored thinset, using the manufacturer's wet-mix ratio, if applicable. Most shower floors require about one gallon of thinset. Spread the thinset on the shower floor with a notched trowel, starting at the far corner and working toward the shower curb.
Only cover as much of the floor as you can reach with a sheet of tile. When working on a larger shower floor, consider laying about half of the tile at a time, completing the far half first. If the thinset rolls with the trowel, add a little more water to the mixture. Position the first full sheet of shower floor tile against the most visible corner. If you are working in a larger shower, start at a far corner and work back toward the door. Shower floor sheet tile have several rows of small tile that are held together with a mesh backing. The small pieces lets the tile follow the slope of the floor. The backing keeps the grout joints between each small piece even. Lay each full sheet of uncut tile on the shower floor. Do not install the tile surrounding the drain opening or any cut pieces of tile near the shower walls yet. Adjust each full sheet of tile until the grout joints between the sheets match the joints between the individual pieces of tile. Lightly tamp the tile into the wet thinset with a grout float.
Measure the space between the full sheets of tile and the adjacent wall. Transfer the measurement to a sheet of tile. Layout the cuts surrounding the drain opening, using the drain cover as a template. Make the cuts with an electric tile cutter or a set of tile nippers. Set the cut tile in their respective spots on the shower floor. Lightly press the shower floor tile into the wet thinset with a clean grout float. Wipe any excess thinset from the grout joints with a wet sponge. Check the floor for high and low spots with the bubble level. Tamp high spots down with the grout float. Add more thinset to any low tile. Wash the floor with a damp sponge. Wait about one hour before continuing. Inspect each grout joint for thinset. Often while tamping the floor, excess thinset will fill the grout joints. This thinset will bleed through the grout covering it. Once the floor has dried, any excess white thinset will stand out against the grout; white grout makes white thinset look grey. Carefully run a handheld grout saw across any thinset.
The saw's carbide blade will cut a groove in the thinset. Vacuum any debris from the grout joints. Finish the New Shower FloorMix sanded tile grout, using the grout manufacturer's directions, in a bucket with water. Always follow the manufacturer's powder grout to water ratio. Continue to stir the grout until all of the dry powder has mixed and the wet grout has a uniform color. Dump the grout on the tile floor and press the grout into the joints with a rubber grout float. The grout must completely fill the cavity between each set of tiles. Cut in the corners with the edge of a margin trowel. The margin trowel will give the corners a 90-degree cut. Clean the floor with a damp sponge, using circular wiping motions. Wait 24 hours before continuing. After the grout has dried, polish the tile's surface with a clean dry rag. Clean any leftover grout on the tile that the rag will not remove with white vinegar and a stiff-bristled nylon brush. Let the floor dry completely. Run a bead of tile caulking around the perimeter of the shower floor, covering the floor-to-wall grout joint.