How not to tile a shower...

jimbo51 said:
Tom

The text below is from the Daltile website. It seems to contradict your advice or am I misunderstanding something.

Check to make sure that the cement backer board is sound after removing the old tile. If not, you'll need to remove the old and install a new backer board.

Apply a waterproof membrane to the backer board to ensure that water can’t seep through and cause damage.

The building needs the ability to "dry", either internally, or externally.  Based on how I understand it, the direction is climate dependent.  Buildings in "heating day" majority climates dry from one side, and buildings in "cooling day" majority climates dry from the other. 

If you have a moisture retarder on both sides, any water that gets under the first water barrier becomes trapped by the second, with no escape.  The membrane over the top of the substrate is different than the membrane behind the substrate.  Tom's statement is accurate.
 
Cheese said:
tjbnwi said:
I don't use cementitous backer, I'm to old to be lugging that heavy stuff around. My go to is Schluter Kerdi board or Kerdi on walls. Floors get Ditra or Dirta Heat.

Well I’m also well into a bath remodel and even though I’m probably older than Tom [poke] I am still willing to lug that cementious based product around. It’s just my knee jerk reaction to using a belt and suspenders approach. It’s also the difference between doing this stuff for a living and doing this stuff for fun. Bottom line is, I’m getting too old too fast to not ensure that every project I tackle will be the last time I need to touch it.

I concur with everything thing else Tom has stated and will be using Kerdi membrane over the cement board and using Ditra Heat on the floor. It appears to be a well thought out system.

There will also be no shower curb. Just another obstacle you have to hurdle.

The USG Durock Lightweight Shower System is a nice product.  You can get custom cut sloped pans delivered in about a week.  They are more expensive, but not terribly so.  I just finished my first shower using it.
 
Alan G said:
1/2"

Directly to the studs.

Tom

I'm sure it is since that's what is spec but I would not think a 1/2 foam panel would be rigid enough for tile on that wall. Did you ever have that concern?
[/quote]

You need to ensure the studs are in plane before you screw the backer on the wall.  Failing to do that will result in hills and valleys that should be floated.  The bond between the waterproof membrane and the foam core is pretty tough.  It isn't going to shear.  Additionally, once the wall is set and grouted there isn't really any compressible space where shearing could occur.
 
tjbnwi said:
Wet shimming Kerdi board is your friend....

Tom

I take it wet shimming is when you put tight thinset on the studs, place the Kerdiboard into place and then tap them plumb and in plane.  Is this what you're referring to?
 
Kodi Crescent said:
tjbnwi said:
Wet shimming Kerdi board is your friend....

Tom

I take it wet shimming is when you put tight thinset on the studs, place the Kerdiboard into place and then tap them plumb and in plane.  Is this what you're referring to?

Here's a good reference to wet shimming. 
 
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