Apologies. I certainly wasn't trying to point out anyone's "stupidity." It's just that using mastic or "premixed thinset" is probably one of the most common mistakes that both homeowners AND some so called "tile setters" have done. As to your question, I've never seen that done in a shower, and, while it looks interesting, it probably isn't a good idea, for this reason; anytime there is a change-of-plane, a colour matching silicone caulk should be used as these areas will generally move, relative to moisture, temperature, house settling, etc. The tiles should have a small....1/8" or so gap to accomodate this movement...hence, the caulk. Your tile does not allow for this (sometimes microscopic) movement.

"Mongoct-- (sorry OP) If not using Kerdi shower pan, but just a mudbed/liner, can you use a topical membrane for a shower floor? I've posted previously, but it didn't catch your attention. I'm trying to understand this more as well... " Sorry if I missed your previous post. I seem to be hit and miss on the forums these days. I'm a little confused by the "mudbed/liner" comment and the desire to use it in conjunction with a topical membrane. So let me ramble a bit: I consider "liners" to be the CPE or CPVC thick shower membrane liners, the ones where you use a deck mud preslope, then install the liner over that with a clamping drain, then top the liner with another layer of deck mud, and you tile upon that. If that's what you're asking about, no I wouldn't use a topical membrane on top of all that. Here's what I consider to be a liner installation. Now back-tracking a bit: There are folk that use a topical membrane with a clamping drain, but they have to "dish out" the sloped mud bed as it gets close to the drain. It's sometimes referred to as the "divot method". That way the topical membrane will drain to the drain's weep holes. If you don't use a divot, then the raised part of the clamping drain can sort of act like a dam, causing water under the tile to pool around the drain. The area around the drain might appear perpetually wet. The divot method is not a technique I embrace. Nothing really wrong with it, it's just not my cup of tea. Here is a photo showing the "divot" carved out of the mud base: Virtually every shower I do is a one-off size or shape, so I'm almost always doing a sloped deck mud base. As to which topical membrane to use, when using Kerdi, I'll do a sloped mud pan and then cover that with Kerdi. If using Hydroban, then I'll still use a Kerdi drain in the sloped mud floor but then use Hydroban on the floor and walls. So if you want to use a topical membrane, then no , do not also use a liner within the floor. One membrane is all you want. Does that help?

Bill V - I found one of your comments in an old GW post from 2008. I copied and pasted below. So I'm thinking unsanded. If I am wrong, please let me know! Thank you so much for all of your help! As for the explanation of the different grouts, I just posted this in an FAQ thread on the gallery side of the bathrooms forum. Here it is, copied and pasted: Although there are others, for all intents and purposes, there are two kinds of grout-- portland cement based, and epoxy. The portland cement based grouts are the conventional grouts that have been around for millenniums. Although in the last few decades, they've been modified with latex and other polymers to make them stronger and more resistant to mold and mildew, they're basically the very same grouts that have been used since Greek and Roman days. There are two kinds of portland cement based grouts. One is sanded, and the other unsanded. The only difference between the two is, as their names imply, the sand. The ONLY thing that determines which grout should be used is the joint size. NOT the glaze, NOT aesthetics, NOT the material (ceramic vs. glass or polished marble), NONE of those. I'll repeat-- the ONLY thing that determines which is used, is the joint size. Anything under an 1/8" takes unsanded grout. Anything 1/8" or bigger, you use sanded grout. If you use unsanded grout in larger joints, the cement in the grout will shrink way too much as the water evaporates out of it, and the joints will end up shrinking and cracking bigtime. If you try using sanded grout in smaller joints, the grains of sand will literally clog the top of the joint, and not allow the grout to get down INTO the joint, and the grout will flake off in a matter of days.

It wasn't the program that messed up the tile pattern- it was the draftsman! I draw at work using a CAD/CAM program, so I had to draw each tile separately. That is the true location of the stove in relation to the wall behind it and to the left. On the right is the refrigerator, and I see no point in tiling behind it. I'm still not sure on the grout color- I like the black, but this is really aimed at re-sale, so I don't want to get carried away with what I like. When I build our next house, it will be for us and our preferences, not re-sale. I like tile counters too, but we didn't want the cleaning and upkeep hassles. Formica works just fine for us. I might do maple in the next house, or even different surfaces for different purposes- maybe maple in some areas, granite or marble for rolling out dough, and formica in the wet areas.