This was a modular house, I asked that the tub be shipped loose so I could tile then drop it in, but they foamed it in place. So I have to tile around it. They did put 1/2" Durock on the deck, but nailed it in (and didn't tape the seams, but I can do that). I pulled the cement board off the face/apron, plan on putting wood there. I had a whirlpool in the last house, bought unfinished cabinet doors built to size, that worked out well. I don't know if I'll do doors, sliding panels, piano hinge, or just T&B wainscot here but will do something wood. Thanks - I was thinking I'd rather have 12" tiles than something smaller, the less grout the better (though I may put in some mosiac as accents). What grit sandpaper? Will mastic be better than thinset? Since I have to buy thinset for the floor and the tub deck anyway? Oh, BTW, will you comment on my faucet/grab bar placement thread? Even with pulling the `1/2" cement off the face (and may pull the spacers off the 2x4s too), putting 3/4" wood back on will still make it a bit of a stretch with a 20" high deck, 3" ( or was it 2"?) high tub rim, and only 30" inseam. I'd like to cut the deck back another 3-4" but it's probably not worth trying to do it around the tub.

My garage built on a side hill has two floors. From the front of the garage, it looks like a single story garage with triple garage doors. But this is really the second floor. The garage floor is a special concrete mix using pea gravel approximently three and a half inches thick. This was poured directly on a 3/4" T&G subfloor built over engineered floor joists 12" OC. (lots and lots of rebar over thick poly film, also) Although I chose to simply smooth finish the floor, any finish could have been applied, including stamped, acid etched/ stained finishes. The floor has been in place nearly six years and, so far, so good. Good luck. Kep

You need some method to prevent fracture when the wood expatiates and contracts and the tile can't. Backer board, concrete board, Schluter ditra mat, anti-fracture membrane, something. The ditra will only add about 1/8 inch.

My mistake Mike, I thought it was 1.5 ft. not inches. I've never seen a slab resting on footings, new one on me. Sounds like you would need to fasten sleeper joist to the slab, then screw 1x6's or 1x4's for decking. Each joist would have to be ripped to compensate for slop of the slab. Leave the ends open & use wider gaps than normal then maybe you won't have condensation problems. With all that said I'd be inclined to demo that slab & start from stratch. Al