This is such a great thread!! I really like the idea of vertical subways and then accent glass tiles running vertically in the shower to simulate the waterfall (I saw metalic ones this way in a video on the HGTV site). I have a small city bathroom so not much room to play with. My mind in dancing around this idea but if I did that then the only 'wow' would be that one vertical stripe within the shower. (All four walls will be tiled since the moisture situation makes this the only real choice so that leaves painting the walls outside the shower not an option.) If I go the traditional horizontal subway tile route with an accent strip all around the whole bathroom then the 'wow' is everywhere but the overall looks isn't as modern as I'd like. I really like the modernness of the vertical layout but how can I incorporate the glass tiles elsewhere besides the one vertical stripe in the shower? Anyone have any creative ideas?

thanks for your help. the gc wants to remove the side wall backsplash next to the sink, that is, remove the subway tiles that the tiler just put up two days ago, he said to "float" some drywall to build out the side wall enough to cover the slivers that are left in the corner; he says this will cover up the slivers. then retile with the subways. what if the corners don't match again? how is it possible to build out a wall to cover slivers that are located on the other wall where the corner meets? i'm think this fix sounds so ridiculous i'm afraid to agree to it. this problem could have been avoided but the tiler won't answer my questions -- i asked him if he had ever done subway tiling before and he answered with a smirk. i've had quite an education getting my kitchen retiled. it's been horrible but i'll know better next time (which there won't be) what to demand. the gc is offering this fix and i'm at a standstill because it sounds weird to build up a wall to make a new corner so as to cover slivers left by a tiler. i can't get a good shot of the slivers in the corner but they are there. check out the patched mitered corner! the tiles don't match here but the gc says he can fix it?? thanks

annanna - can't wait to see the AKDO tiles in your kitchen!!! momto3girls - thanks for posting the link. It was not that thread that I was thinking about, but it looks like the poster in this thread had a similar issue. I wish he/she posted close-up photos!! The tiles looked really nice! klutterkara - I love your tiles. I remember reading your post when you first shared the pictures. Thanks so much for posting again. How did you finish the exposed ends? Do you have any pictures to share? lynda_baker - thanks for the link. I looked through the thread and saw one picture that looked like it had Bianco Romano on it. Nice backsplash! It looked like gray ceramic tile, though. Do you think it is glass? (I hope we are talking about the same picture)

Mapei Aquadefense is a fine product. I haven't used it in several years, but never had problems with it. It's appropriate for a shower, but not a steam shower as it's not a vapor barrier. You can find the manufacturers installation instructions online. Read them to get a feel. In general, the cement board is hung on the walls, if the boards are hung neatly, the seams and corners can simply be filled with thinset. If there are 1/8" or wider gaps, then they should use reinforcing fabric in addition to the thinset. Application of the Aquadefense will usually be two coats on all panel seams and corners. Then two additional coats over everything. The dry thickness of the final coat should be about 30 mils, but the actual number should be mentioned in the installation instructions. You can ask the person applying the Aquadefense if they have a wet mil thickness gauge. If they don't ask how they know they are putting it on at the proper thickness. That'll at least get him thinking about applying it properly. Wet mil thickness gauges can be bought for $5, maybe $10 dollars. Inspect the Aquadefense prior to them tiling. Make sure it looks good, there's no thin see-through areas, and that there are no voids or pinholes. Liquid membranes work quite well when installed properly. And to install them properly, all the person has to do is follow the directions. That's it. No shortcuts. Shortcuts lead to leaks. Benches are especially vulnerable. Considering you have a niche and a shower bench, and none of it was properly waterproofed the first time around? It's a good thing you hated the tile color! lol The cost of the demo, the new durock, the Aquadefense and the retile will be far less than what it would have cost to remediate any water damage that might have occurred down the road. Best of luck with your installation.