Tiled shower flooring are visually appealing as well as hygienic. Tile flooring do not require as much cleaning and care as ceramic or ceramic pans and are also more resistant to the growth of mould and bacteria. Installing a tile floor is not so difficult and will only require one weekend to complete. Considering that the shower is a potentially hazardous area it is recommended to use only ceramic, glazed, or tiles specifically created for high moisture areas.
Use the level to check the entire concrete slab for any unlevel places. Fill in any low spots with leveling compound and abandon the compound to cure for 24 hours. Grind down high spots using a rounding stone. Sweep debris away from the concrete slab and wash the region with water. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Cut the membrane 18 to 24 inches wider and longer than the shower floor. Set in place and indicate the position of the drain hole. Cut out the hole for the drain.
Place the membrane back to the concrete slab, stretching the hole around the drain. Secure the membrane. The membrane should extend up the wall 9 to 12 inches on each side. Tuck the corners into the openings between the wall studs to lessen the bulk in the corners.
Tape around the borders of the watertight membrane with waterproof tape to fill out the seal and hold the membrane in place.
Pour a layer of mortar over top of this shower membrane and shape down the incline to the drain hole. Typical incline for a shower flooring is 1/8 to 3/16 inch per foot throughout. Leave the mortar to heal.
Mark a chalk line throughout the center of the floor in a north-south direction plus another line throughout the center within an east-west direction. This will form a large plus sign that meets at the exact centre of the shower. The lines will be your guide for setting the tile.
Lay a set of tiles along the lines without adhesive to dry match a row. Shift the tiles as needed to reduce the number of tiles that need to be trimmed for the borders of the wall.
Pick up the tile nearest the center of the floor and spread adhesive using the trowel above the bare floor. Use the notched edge of the trowel.
Press the tile back into place touching both lines. Twist the tile lightly forward 1/4-inch then back into place to create a bond with the adhesive. Continue setting tiles in this way along one line until you have completed a single row.
Decide on another row of tiles in precisely the exact same method. Clean away any oozing adhesive on the surface of the tiles as you go. Set the tile leveler in addition to the tiles and tap with the mallet to place the tiles in place.
Continue lying rows of tiles and setting each other row until all the full-sized tiles have been placed. Leave the space round the drain available for now.
Measure the openings between the last full-size tile on every row and the wall. Use the tile cutter to reduce leftover tiles to match in the openings. Lay the tile pieces in precisely the exact same fashion as the complete size tiles and tap with the mallet and leveler to place. Leave the floor to heal in accordance with the adhesive manufacturer’s directions.
Draw a template for the tiles to go round the drain hole using a bit of paper. Place the paper over the drain and draw round the drain and summarize the borders of the tiles already set. Divide the region between the drain and the tiles into four pieces and cut the tiles to match. Use the round file to smooth the edges. Set the tiles in place.
Mix the grout a thick paste and use the rubber float to package it into the gaps between the tiles. Wipe away any grout on the face of the tiles as you go. Shape the grooves in the grout by dragging the grout line using a toothbrush. Leave the grout to sit down for 20 minutes.
Use a damp sponge to wipe away any excess grout to smooth rough edges. Leave the grout to cure in accordance with manufacturer’s directions.
