Touching your hands ......having lost a parent and a child many years ago the loss is hard to grasp...but I will share with you what was said to me " take the very best of what he was about, make it your own and pass it on "..it is the gift of that person and is what all of us are about charlotte

At the following url is a whole PDF file on Kerdi and its installation, as well as a streaming video on an installation. The only difference between what you'll see in the video and what I'd want to do is that I'd much rather make my own curb and mud my own shower pan, rather than using the preformed ones that they have. As for why Kerdi-- First, in any steam shower you MUST have a completely enveloping waterproof barrier-- not just in the shower pan. Up until the kerdi came along, I usually used a trowel applied membrane, being that sheetmembranes have seams to them, where leaks can occur. However, with the Kerdi, although it has seams, I was willing to try it due to the fact that Schluter is one of the most reputable companies in the industry, and they wouldn't market a product unless there'd been extensive r&d done on it, as well as testing to make sure it was a top notch product. They're one of those companies that you here about every so often that if there's a problem with their product, they'll replace the whole installation as well as anything that their failure might ruin. So I tried it, and I've got to say, I've done about a dozen or so kerdi showers, better than half of those being steam showers, and I've yet to have a single problem. The best thing I like about them is the integral drain that goes along with the system. Whereas most waterproofing systems are just like normal showers where the pan is concerned-- first the preslope, then the pan membrane, then the mud, and then the tile-- the Kerdi system has taken the mud right out of the pan, and put it UNDER it. The membrane actually attaches to the TOP of the drain, so there's NO chance of water sitting in the pan under the tile and having problems down the road with all the lovely things associated with that, like mold, mildew, bacteria, etc..The tile is thinsetted directly to the membrane, so that it (the tile) is the only thing between the water and the membrane, and it's that much easier for all the water to either drain out of the pan, or evaporate into the air. There aren't many products in this industry that I'd give a 10 to, but Kerdi is no doubt, one of them. One of the most innovative products to come down the pyke in a long time. Here is a link that might be useful: Schluter Kerdi

Affairs like you were involved in usually end up this way. I hope you can find someone who lives closer and is available.

(((Gabby)))) My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours along with any others in "Ike's path". Just talked to our sister In Sugarland/Houston.... they had windows taped with mattresses up against them and had spent the day trimming tree branches. They were outside with most of their neighbors watching the sky. She mentioned tornados are a concern. I could hear the wind howling as we talked. I think this has convinced her to sell and move to Nevada!