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Bill V or anyone else - Tile guy is talking me out of basketweave

14 years ago

for the shower floor.....

I had decided that I wanted basketweave on my shower floor and subway tiles on the walls. When I first started the bathroom reno, I wanted tumbled marble. But all the pictures of bathroom reno's that I like the most are marble tiled bathrooms.

The guy at the tile store says that basketweave has too many grout lines that it will eventually leak and if you have to re-grout, it is a royal pain. We put in the Schluter shower kit for our new shower. He's suggesting tumbled marble with 2x2 (or larger) on the shower floor. I'm not a fan of 2x2.

When I left the store I resigned myself to the fact that I would use cappucino tumbled marble, and now I'm wondering if a marble bathroom is "too fancy" for me, but I LOVE all the pics I see of bathrooms using marble.

Thoughts?????

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (5)

sweeby
14 years ago
The tile guy has a point -- That grout lines will leak. HOWEVER, by using the Schluter shower kit, you've taken that into account. The Schluter system assumes water will get past the tile and grout layer, and stops it below that spot.

For that reason, if you want basketweave, I'd say get it!
tontam
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks sweeby - another question....

This may be a dumb question, but is crema marfil a colour of marble or a type of marble or is that one in the same?

The basketweave sample I have was called "Berkshire"?? (I'm pretty sure) at the tile store I got it at, but the other place I went said it was crema marfil.

Thanks again!
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bill_vincent
14 years ago
Kerdi or not-- If this moron's worried about the shower pan leaking through the grout lines, run- don't walk-- to another contractor!!

In the words of the immortal Bugs Bunny, what a maroon!
sweeby
14 years ago
I wanted to say that Bill, but figured it would be better coming from you ;-)

Tontam - Crema Marfil is a type of marble that is generally beige in color. I suspect I've heard the term applied to similor *colors* of marble that may not have been actual Crema Marfil, but don't know for sure since I didn't geologically test the stone.

If some store calls it 'Berkshire', that could be their name for the pattern, or 'this stone in that pattern' or some other stone that they've given a name to...

Bottom line - if you like it, and are comfortable with the care involved in getting marble, then go for it.
MongoCT
14 years ago
I have a booklet that has "Berkshire Basketweave", its the same as one offered by Best Tile.

As others have written, no worries about the grout. Unless your installer is a poor mechanic and his limitations as a tile setter will prevent you from having a long-lived installation.

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