"...I'd do a video and post it for him when I have the time...(IF I have the time...LOL)" I did that for him a couple of years ago. Even sent him a series of stills on how to fold the membrane into a funnel. It was only after several emails and dissecting his "mythbusters" video that I finally figured out he was actually doing the "pinhole vortex test" by actually using a pin to make a real pinhole instead of folding the membrane over on itself with that "pinhole from the fold" being the "pinhole vortex" pinhole. Argh. He then went on a bit of a tirade against me for a while. I liked his enthusiasm, but we most certainly had difficulties when communicating. It always seemed to come down to the fact that if he couldn't replicate my methods, he'd accuse me of fabricating my methods. I wish him the best.

Kerdi Update: I've gotten a couple of emails regarding the newer "Kerdi-DS". First, emails. I often get emails sent to me through the G'web email system, and because of the sender's setting on his/her G'web account, those emails can not be replied to. So don;t think I'm rude for not replying to your question. More often than not, it's literally impossible for me to reply to your email due to your account settings. Kerdi-DS. What is it? It's simply a thicker version of plain ole Kerdi. Kerdi is 8-mil, Kerdi-DS comes in at 20-mils thickness. Why is -DS now getting attention here in North America? Because TCNA has changed their recommendations for membranes used in commercial or heavy use steam showers. Recommendations for residential use steam showers have not changed at all. What or who is TCNA? TCNA is the Tile Council of North America. You might see references to TCNA when it comes to installing tile. TCNA publishes "best practice" guidelines for tile installation. You have an organization like TCNA which is fairly nimble when it comes to changing recommendations for installing tile. Then you have "building code", which only gets updated every few years, and updates are subject to influence from various interest groups; be they trade groups (plumbers, electricians, etc) or large corporations that make building materials. TCNA will often make tile/shower/bath recommendations that improve building practices several years ahead of those changes being implemented into state or national building codes. Blah blah blah. So what is this about? We have water barriers, which limit the penetration of liquid water. Then we have vapor barriers, which limit moisture vapor penetration. At a minimum, a water barrier is needed in a shower or tub surround. A more robust barrier, or a vapor barrier, is needed in a steam shower. Protection from vapor penetration has been typically defined by a product's "perm rating". Previously, if a product had a perm rating of less than 1.0, it was considered a vapor barrier. Example, a topical membrane that I use often is Hydroban. Hydroban has a perm rating greater than 1.0, so it can be used as a waterproof membrane in a shower, but it won't suffice as a vapor barrier in a steam shower. A product like RedGard has a perm rating of less than 1.0, so it can be used as a waterproof barrier in a regular shower, or as a vapor barrier in a steam shower. Kerdi? "Regular" Kerdi, the "standard" 8-mil thick Kerdi, has a perm rating of around .90, so it can be used as a water barrier in a regular shower, or as a vapor barrier in a residential steam shower. TCNA has revised their recommendations for vapor barriers used in heavy use or commercial use steam showers. Health clubs, spas, etc. Whereas the old recommendation was to use a material that simply had a perm rating of less than 1.0, for commercial installations like listed above the recommendation has been...

Hi Ana - We are putting in 4"x10" beveled subway in our bathtub surround. The back of my niche (14"x14") will be lined with penny tile, but the sides, top & bottom will be lined in a glossy white tile (4"x17.5") trimmed to fit. Since we're using a light grey grout, I chose the Schluter (Anodized Alum) for the edge of the niche. Like you, I didn't want chopped up pieces of tile lining the niche. Wish I had photos, but we're still a couple of days out from tiling.

Just for fun, go ahead and pull a left over sheet of stones and lay them down on a KNOWN flat surface (like a table top or a counter top). If you have two sheets that's even better. Now lay them on the table top and fiddle with them to see if YOU can line them up in a way that would get the gaps even. Excellent. Now look to see how even the thicknesses of the stones are when they are sitting on a flat/plumb/smooth surface. If they are wonky heights then we know the tiles are to blame. If they are all even-stevens, then we know the 'guy' (I'm not calling him/her a tile setter) didn't do the tile justice. And for laugh's and giggles, you might want to find out if this 'guy' is a professional tile setter. And just for fun, marble needs a very specific form of install. Because marble is porous, it requires a white thinset/mortar (any other colour will stain the marble from underneath) AND the tiles must be SEALED TWICE before they are installed and then once afterwards. There is a very easy way to find out if marble has been sealed. Simply put a drop of water on a tile. Leave it alone for 1-2 minutes. If it REMAINS as a bead of water (like a drop of rain sitting on a newly polished car) then the tile has been sealed. If it SOAKS IN (and leaves a dark spot where the water used to be) then you have unsealed marble. Your tiles look pretty dry...but without the water test I'm just guessing by some pictures sitting on my screen. Good luck and tell us what you found out. Be prepared for a full remove/replace.