Bill, cat_mom's DH here. First, thank you VERY much for taking the time to provide input on our shower/pan/tile question. Re: sheet rock... yes, my bad... sheetrock only on the 6" wall facing the rest of the bathrm (not tiled)...and durock (or cement board) over the inside of the shower walls... corner bead where the sheetrock meets the durock (the durock continues out past the stud, the sheetrock comes up to hit the backside of the durock, corner-bead covers both for an outside corner). Re: "sliver...in front of the soffit" I'm afraid I didn't quite follow your stmt about the "sliver...in front of the soffit". Our framer is planning on framing out the soffit to also extend beyond the end of the shower pan so that the bullnoze tile coming across the underneath of the soffit (no lip) meets the bullnoze tile coming up the side. In other words, the framing 2x4 going across the lower front edge of the soffit would meet the 2x4 framing stud coming up the side...add 1/2" for the durock that extends even beyond the soffit framing stud (to be joined via corner bead with the sheetrock coming down the front face of the soffit) -- and that should make the bullnoze tiles coming across the underneath of the soffit meet that coming up the walls. That's my understanding... that said, do you still foresee issue(s)? Thanks again!!! BTW, cat_mom says, "Congrats!!! Hope everything goes smoothly!"

Blondelle, it's the edge meeting at right angles. I've got a few of those - a couple are on half-tiled walls, so I've got to go around the corner *and* finish off nicely on the top edge (and top corner). Then there are a couple of corners that also transition from half-height to full-height in the tub/shower. The "cuarto de cana" (quarter round) and "angulo cuarto de cana" (quarter round corner - can't do the tildes!) pieces, along with some bullnose, would solve the problem for me, but I'm not sure I can get those pieces for my preferred tile (and possibly not even for my less-preferred tile) in time for work to start on 9/29. Bill, I understand how to use bullnose to finish off one side of a corner edge and have the other side butt into it... but how do I finish off the top of the corner when it's a half-tiled wall? Do I just miter the bullnose strips along the top? Can I miter the (possibly glass) border tile beneath the bullnose, and then just use the vertical bullnose/butt technique down the rest of the side? (Hope that made sense... I'm just learning this stuff!)

I assume that you mean before the tile is permanently set in place, not when (or if) there is a dry run so to speak to see how the pattern will fit into the space(?) Correct. Would an experienced professional even need to lay out the tiles ahead of time or would they typically proceed directly from prep to installation? Yes and no. Some WILL actually lay them out dry. I've got my own thoughts on that, but however they do it, so long as they show some kind of forethought instead of just finding a corner and starting, they're ahead of the game. What I'll normally do is take several tiles and measure to see what the coursing (one grout joint and one tile) measures. I'll then make a cheat sheet of coursing that comes out somewhere around 2 feet (whether that be 4 6x6, 2 12x12, etc), and then I'll measure around the area, to see how the tile is going to fall. it's from there that I'll decide if I can center the layout, or if there might be a better way, taking into consideration how the tile will hit several different surfaces, and which ones are most obvious in the room. (did you get all that? LOL) With an agreed upon layout in hand, would most experienced installers be able to anticipate potential issues around niches and other elements that could require partial tiles so that you could have a discussion ahead of time as to how they would be handled? before the very first tile gets set, a good installer will know exactly how the tile is going to hit any obstruction in the layout. In fact, I'll grid out the area with chalk lines, and then all my cuts will be made before I set the first piece of tile. but even before the cutting starts, I'll know how big all my cuts will be. Just curious... Do you find that it's best if the homeowner stay available or stay away while you're completing your work? Doesn't matter to me either way. I'd prefer that the customer be available in case of questions that come up, but if they'd like to watch (and I HAVE had several that did) the whole time, they're most welcome to watch. I LOVE playing to an audience!! That's when they see that all this stuff doesn't exactly happen just by "luck"! I know alot of installers who'd rather the customer weren't around, though-- too many questions. Funny thing is, I welcome the questions. To me, the internet has given us the one thing this industry has really needed-- an educated consumer. Not so many fly by nights getting away with their BS any more. And Bill G-- yes-- that's just the labor cost. the retail is MUCH more. Based on 12x12 tyile, a 25 pound bag of grout should grout about 150 sq. feet, for about 15.00- 25.00, depending on the grout. For epoxy, a unit will do about 75 sq. feet, for about 80.00.

Quite honestly, I think you did an exceptional job on it!! Keep in mind you're going to have things on the countertop, and those little pieces won't be nearly as noticeable as you think. It's easy for me to sit here and "monday morning quarterback" this. If it were me, I would've started on the right with ALMOST what you have on the left-- cutting the triangles off the blocks, and starting from there. Thing is it still would've laid out to the same size piece in the corner. Diagonal herringbone is a little tougher to figure out what you're going to end up with, so what I'll normally do is lay some out dry on a flat surface, and take measurements to see how it's going to work out. if I see I'm going to have a little bitty piece like that (as in so close and yet so far), I'll see if I can open the pattern up a hair along the length of the wall. 9 times out of 10, I can do it and it's never seen, and then everyone says how lucky we are that it all worked out to full tile! LOL Seriously, though-- I wouldn't sweat that little piece. Where it's important-- at the far end of the counter, it looks great, and that's where it WILL be seen. 2) What is your opinion on a smallish floor and sizing of tiles? I've heard that you're supposed to use small tiles on small floors and larger tiles on bigger floors. I say, use what you like. I've gone in the opposite direction on BOTH ends of that, and it looked great. It's all about what YOU like. 3) What are your thoughts on tile patterns and sizes of rooms? With respect to patterns, the only opinion I'll give you is to try and stay away from a square soldier course pattern (just regular setting the tile in straight rows). The reason is that it "modulates" the room. IOW, it breaks the floor up into "modules", whereas even just turning that same pattern diagonal, it takes that effect away. Using your Versailles pattern, will do that even better, even laid straight. With smaller rooms, this isn't nearly as important, but the bigger the area, the more this makes a difference.