Tiling Shower and Tub in our Master Bedroom Ensuite

In this video, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows off his newly tiled master bedroom ensuite’s shower and tub area.

We finally got around to retiling the shower and tub area in our master bedroom ensuite. The original tile was white, ugly and literally falling off in some places. The tile had been attached to the shower walls and the tub area surfaces with mastic, rather than thinset mortar. Using mastic in a bathroom tile project is a sin. Plain and simple.

Due to my very busy schedule lately, for the first time in my life I hired a tiling contractor to tackle the project. It was expensive, and delayed, but the tiling contractor did a great job and completed the entire project in just one week. I would have taken several weekends to do the same, so I was very happy that I had chosen the route of hiring a tiling contractor for this project.

We had two tiling contractors bid on the project, and after carefully reviewing the bids and doing some reference checks we made our selection. The bad news, however, was that we had to wait three months to get him in to do the project. The project started with removing the shower glass frame structure, then removing all of the old ceramic tile and cement backerboard. On day two, the jacuzzi tub was removed, some additional framing was done in the tub area, and then HARDI backer board was installed on the shower walls, and on and around the Jacuzzi tub platform area.

On day three, the HARDI backer board was taped and mudded and a mortar pre-slope base was installed in the shower area.

On day three the mortar shower pan was installed, using a HARDI Schuester shower pan. The contractor swore by this type of shower pan. For me, it was a departure from the way I have installed shower pans in the past. I’m still a firm believer in the traditional mortar shower pan. However, the contractor wasn’t going to be swayed by my preference and he guaranteed me the shower pan will never leak. Hopefully he is right.

After the mortar shower pan was installed, they began tiling in and around the tub area. On day four they tiled the shower area and the tile floor area. Note that they tiled the shower floor last, after they first tiled the shower walls. On day five they re-installed the Jacuzzi tub by first setting it in a bed of mortar, and then connecting back up all the plumbing. They then filled the tub partially with water to allow the weight of the tub to sit firmly down into the mortar bed.

On day six, they grouted the tile in the shower and tub area.

Finally, on day seven, they came back and caulked around seam areas, where the tile ended along the floors and walls, and around the Jacuzzi tub.

So now with the tiling of the shower and tub in the Master bedroom ensuite, we wait for the frameless glass door and enclosure to be installed. Hopefully in 2 weeks that will happen and we will be able to use our shower and tub again.