Well, atleast you knew enough not to use the mastic. Theresa, go ahead and shoot me an email.

pretendstotile

I did tiling for the first time when I tiled my backsplash and I can give you some advice from one beginner to another (not meant to replace the advice of a pro, but just might be some things that a pro takes for granted since they are good at what they do).

IMO the way to get a professional looking job is to:

1) take your time. It's not going to go quick, that comes with practice. It took me a week to do my backsplash, a pro would have done it in a day, but I got a professional look.

2) use spacers. If there are no lugs on your tile to give the proper spacing, use spacers. I will never forget watching some DIY show, maybe weekend warriors, where the guy was like "I don't need to use spacers, I have a good eye." Oh what a crappy install THAT turned out to be. Again this is a practice thing, someone who does this all the time might be able to do it without spacers but you don't have that much practice so use them.

3) never work with someone who doesn't have the same standards you do. Tiling is not necessarily a 2 person job.

4) Try out one of those cheapie tiling kits at home depot - the one that comes with a cheap, half circle shaped piece of tin for spreading thinset. I have kind of small hands (definitely smaller than the average man) and found that this tool was MUCH easier for me to control than the larger trowel. Sure, you can't spread as much at one time but see #1. Even with the trowel, the thing is notched to make sure you get the right amount of thinset on the walls. Use the right size notches (maybe bill can help you with that and also some tips for applying).

4) Buy more extra than you'd need for a pro and don't be afraid to use it... to re-cut anything that needs to be re-cut etcetc.

Thanks kgwlisa, but I just have so many questions. I just need to bite the bullet and get it done, it has been torn up all spring and summer.
Like. do I need to put Redgard on the walls before tiling? I asked the "carpenter" that did this for me, if he put up a vapor barrier before he put in the walls. "Oh the insulation has a vapor barrier on it." Well I don't think he put insulation on the inside walls, just the one outside wall. This is also the same guy that put my medicine cabinet in upside down, and said that my fan does not need to be ducted to the outside, that the moisture and air would go out thru the vents in the attic.(True or False?)That is one of the main reasons we re-did the bathroom, to eliminate the mold and mildew problem.
How high do I put in the shelves? I have four to put in, plus a soap dish.
Do you put thinset on the wall AND on the tile before sticking it on the wall?
Should I take off the 4 rows of tile that I (with my sisters help) have up there and start over? It seems that they are not "flat" against the wall, or should I just figure that its not that bad and finish it.
What should the space be between the tiles? I was using 1/8.
What do I do with the 1/4 inch gap between the tub and durarock on the side of the tub?

help

Theresa

I really would like to have this done before winter. LOL

Theresa, Bill V gave you the O.K. to email him for help. Don't look a gift-Bill in the mouth. Email him.

Red

I did, I think he has been really busy, and didn't want to bother him. I think I will email him again tho.
Thanks!

ptg, I once emailed bill using the gardenweb link and he never got it. If that's how you mailed him, you might want to retype his address into your own mail program when you try again.

That must be what happened, because I never saw it. Theresa, try again-- THIS WEEKEND. I leave tomorrow afternoon for Connecticut to work down there and won't be back till next weekend. I'll email you back my number and we can discuss this.

O.K. Bill, hopefully you got the new email I sent?

Theresa

well, we are all wondering (me anyway) about your thinset question. Although we are having our bathroom tiled by a pro (I hope), I just spent the WE tiling with tiny glass mosaic tiles found cheap online the hearth of our living room. The darn tiles are still coming up even after grouting. I used a premixed mortar from HD.

Chris, per Mongo, you absolutely can't use premixed thinset (AKA: Mastic) on glass. When I put a glass border around my kids bath I used a special thinset by Mapei specially designed for glass installs.

Regarding the thinset question...it depends, but usually no. Spreading thinset on the wall, raking it out using the appropriate notched trowel and setting the tile is normally all that's required. You could find yourself in a situation where there's a dip in the wall and you need to add a little thinset to the back of the tile so it sits flat. If you've got a light above that tile, any differences in plane will be magnified by that light.

As you already know, the mastic was a mistake. Good news is, it sucks so bad that if you get after it ASAP it will come right off and you will be able to save the glass tiles. Dunk the tiles in warm soapy water and you should be good to go.