Thanks, pepperidge farm :) Sounds like you have the response I always used to have when I saw mosaics before I started doing them...if you get started you won't stop, I'll warn you :) In this case, I got the tiles as seconds at Pratt & Larson (see above post), and then have just been playing 'organize-the-dishwasher' (as my family likes to call it--I'm a bit obsessive about that too :)) until I like what I see. Most of them have some degree of sparkle to them, opalescence, and I didn't use any crackle. I have three long pencil tiles going through each 25" span to keep some sense of direction--now that I see it I'm wondering if I should have put in more...not too late, actually, and I have some more...hmmm, it's not finished until they take it away from you, right? :) So mongo, I am waiting to order until I hear what your thoughts are--would you share? Or were you just curious whether I'd bought one yet? You know I will wait for your thoughts on any issue, so TIA as always :)

Cold-weather... thank you for your thoughful response. I have some comments and questions for clarification, if you don't mind: If you’re thinking of raising the deck, a deck-cabinet gap can be concealed far easier than the tub-deck gap, but the deck is hard in the wall tile, so that's a big bite for the tile installer to eat. >>> You are sooo right about the tile on the deck being against the wall and since the bottom has crackled glass tiles you can't raise the deck tile without it coming against that glass... and that you can't replace just one row of the glass without it messing everything else up. Darn!!! Guess that option is out.Any tub installer who left it that way is a screw up. The tub installer was the ONLY person who was in a position to fix this thing. Since that person did not, that person gets the prize for the ultimate screw up. If he/she could not do a better job, he/she should not have done any job. The entire onus is on the tub guy to do it or to not do it. >>> The really frustrating part is that I have been a part of the process - trying to get them to do it right (I had to tell then that they used the wrong material - drywall instead of mortar... and I only found that out by researching and talking to people). The GC wanted to give them another chance to fix the issue and since it was only putting mortar in, we didn't think they could screw that up (wrong!!!). Now we have a mess. That's a fiberglass/plastic tub with two things to be aware of. One, the feet can be cut, and they can be set in a bed of mud along with the tub belly. They’re wood blocks covered with resin. Two, the top can be scribed, but only by someone far more competent than this guy. That tub should hang by the top rim and sit firmly on the bottom mud at the same time. It should be set in the mud (which could have a separator layer like a plastic bag or a piece of shower liner) with a load of water in it. >>> Unfortunately it is near impossible to get to the back right corner of the tub because it is filled with all kinds of innerworkings of the tub. The good news is that the ONLY corner that lays flat against the tile is that back right corner... so presumably they can work on the other 3 corners. The mortar does have plastic on it now... so I guess that's a good thing.. would they have to take all the mortar out first and then do something with the feet? By scribing do you mean shaving the top of the feet off? (I hate to say this but in the framer took off a couple of the back feet off at one point... because he thought they were part of the shipping material.. not supposed to stay on the tub). And by mud with water... do you mean mortar like shown in the pic? Caulking/sealing/bridging a quarter inch gap is absurd. The sealant is to stop water from seeping, not to stop pencils from rolling. Sealant thickness should be nearly unseen. It has no strength. Cut the tub. Everything points to the tub person being not skilled enough to eat a donut without a bib. Since the top edge of the tub is NOT level, cut! I can’t see how the GC could allow this. >>> Funny that you should mention pencils rolling - I just took a pic tonight to send to the GC and one of the pics showed a pen under the edge. Okay, not funny at all. Thank you for explaining about the sealant and why it has to be fixed. Cut the tub. >>>What do you mean "cut the tub"I'm gathering from everyone that this is a big problem that just has to be fixed.. it's not an aesthetic thing (which is bad enough... that big gap is going to look bad) but I'm going to have a problem down the road...

how long should I wait to use hydroban after sealing joints with mesh and thin set? I am a little worried that putting the hydroban on too quickly after thin setting the joints and niche that it may stop the thin set from curing. I thin setted one joint between the durock, the corners around the bottom and sides of a window, my niche and where the tops/sides of the durock meets the green board (above and in front of my shower). I thin setted in the afternoon and then went home to eat and shower. I then went back to my other house and started to apply the hydro ban above these areas except for the ones that had not dried totally (mainly the gaps between the durock and green board). Can I apply another coat to these area and then the field tomorrow? I read this on the Laticrete web site...does this apply to the thin set mortar being used to seal the corners/joints/niche etc. ? I am thinking this is talking about a floor application and hoping not thin set. 9. Allow wet mortars/plasters (deck mud consistency) to cure for 72 hours at 70°F (21°C) prior to installing LATICRETE Wateright Floor N Wall Waterproofing & Crack Isolation. BTW my niche came out great so far...It is huge because one of my walls along the shower is 6" deep. Thanks, Steve

Thanks for all the comments. I ended up getting a nice 13 amp grinder with a concrete grinding wheel. Since about 1/5th of the floor is the hump I opted for the grinding. So far I have taken about 1/4" down. As far as the "pros" and "experts"... this concrete was done by the "pros". The rough framing which I've had to fix in multiple spots was also done by "pros". The HVAC runs that I have had to re-adjust so that sheet rock will fit on the walls was done by "experts". The upstairs tub, which had the overflow leak all over the downstairs ceiling, was also done by an "expert". All those things are what makes me a DIYer. Thanks again for all the perspectives.