fish, The membrane "as is" is no good due to the fasteners that have been driven through it about an inch above the existing mud. If it is indeed installed on a flat subfloor, then that's a no-go too. Both of those are not just poor techique, they are code violations. Moving on... If you want Kerdi you want a Kerdi drain, too. Kerdi membrane on the walls and floor is not compatable with a non-Kerdi drain. A CPE or CPVC membrane in the floor is not compatable with a Kerdi drain. So the installer giving you the CPE membrane with the intention of using Kerdi? It's doing you no good at all. They don't work together, there's no synergy. It's not 1+1=3, it's 1+1=0. It's not a double bonus, it's a double negative. If he can break out the mud around the existing drain, remove it and install a Kerdi drain at the proper elevation, then feather in new deck mud to match the flange of the Kerdi drain to the slope of the existing mud, then bravo. But do realize that unlike the 2-part clamping drain that you have now, which is height adjustable after is is installed, there is no vertical adjustment to the Kerdi flange after it is installed. So if your installer just wants to patch a Kerdi drain in place, he has to be pretty darn precise when he installs the drain. It's a "one and done" shot to get the drain at the correct elevation and to get it level. I highlight "level" because the flange on the kerdi drain has a large diameter, it's like a frisbee. It needs to be spot-on level and at the proper elevation for your floor to drain properly.

When you said that the labor is ALOT more time consuming, does that mean you have to be more careful cutting and setting the tiles due to the "less forgiving material"? That's part of it. When it comes to stone, especially polished stone, if it's not perfect, you'll see it, and you'll feel it. I've said many times it's all in the reflection, because reflections don't lie. Look at the picture above of the reflection in the shower wall tile. See how the reflection is continuous from one tile to the next? If the tile isn't set perfectly flat, that reflection will be broken all to hell. That takes alot of time (as well as alot of skill) to get it that perfect. I don't mean to be tooting my own horn here. I'm trying to help you understand why the need for the extra time, and therefore, the added expense. Just because someone can set tile, doesn't necessarily mean they're competent to set stone. what marble was used? Any sense of the cost of materials? The white is carrara, and although I'd know the name if I heard it, I can't remember the name of the grey marble mosaics. As for cost, the carrara isn't much (as marble goes!)-- maybe 6-7.00 a foot. The chair rali, pencil liner, and mosaic listello, on the other hand, are a different story. Each chair rail and pencil liner is about 22.00 a piece, and the mosaic listello's 32.00 a foot. so for every linear foot of that wainscot, the price is 76.00. This is not exactly an economy bathroom! LOL I know the greymosaics weren't cheap, either, and they're also used on the floor for the "dots" as well as that piece on the wall.

Posted by Yumpin Jim1mckenna@yahoo.com Thnk you for all theinfo great stuff. I am doing Keri for the first time I am confused about the thin set . The tile place I bought from sold me Maipei Karabond Premium Grade Dryset Mortar for the kerdi, North American adhesive Premium ahesive prmix for the tile on the walls. (all of it Not to cheap) they also wanted to sell me another thinset for setting the floor that is 1x1 mosaic tile. not sure if I have the right stuff or not. Can you tel me what I should use. For the job? to set shower Pan,Kerdi,wall tiles witch are 10x13, and floor tiles witch are 1x1 Mosaic. agin thank you muuuch

That's what it probably is...3/16". Only thing I can think of is to put the thinset down very generously to give myself 1/16" or 1/8". I certainly down want the drain sticking up.