You don't want to hear this, but, unfortunately, I don't see any waterproofing. Cement board alone won't be adequate. Those walls needed to have the seams taped, and a liquid membrane applied to everything before any tile went up. See this for an explanation of the need: Waterproofing

Yes, you need the proper waterproof substrate, which is the first problem. Get a pro in there......now.

Ok thanks. I was not aware of the waterproofing. I think contractor said with the grout and cement board it should be good in a bath. What do you suggest can be done now? I cannot change contractors unfortunately.

Your contractor then needs to sign off on ALL THE FUTURE DAMAGE AND REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR HIS FOLLY. OF IDIOCY.

Fire him. Because you will never get that blood money from that stone HEAD.

Others have alerted you to the dire lack of waterproofing, but I find the rustic stone to be jarring and kind of contradictory with the bright white, shiny tub like it should be a stone for a fireplace surround. Is your home quite rustic/lodge-like in style? Maybe if it had been a shower enclosure and not above a tub. Plus it's raised/varying surface looks very difficult to clean. Just food for thought since it appears you have a total tear out and redo.

STOP right now rip out the tile and get that shower waterproofed before you do anything else. Also think about your naked body rubbing against that tile not a pretty relaxing shower. As for the niche I dislike them all I have no idea why you don’t just use an over the door caddy that can be cleaned easily . I have had experience often with niches thatwere not done right and caused leaks. I aslo have never understood the need to make shampoo bottles the accent in a shower.

" I think contractor said with the grout and cement board it should be good in a bath. What do you suggest can be done now? "

He is incorrect obviously. Strongly suggest he tear it out and install it all again, this time properly. Educate yourself on the required methods and have the tough conversation.

You cant install tiles, etc overexposed joints. Look up instructions and read them before you end up with some serious issues.

All the joints should be sealed and taped using fiberglass.

And covered before tile application.

It should look something like this before tile installation

Before he got too far, have him remove everything, give him instructions, have him prep everything the right way, and do it right... Or hire a professional tile contractor and pay him more instead of picking up guys from the home depot parking lot and have them screw up your house.

Good luck

In addition to the lack of waterproofing, the tile selection is a poor selection for the bath. That type of tile does not get grouted. The surface is too rough, different depths, and there is no space for grout between the tiles. This project needs to completely start over. Find someone who knows what they are doing and isn’t afraid to tell the customer (you) that they need to make different decisions.

From the many discussions on this board about waterproofing, it’s my understanding that if the studs are covered in plastic, you don’t need waterproofing on top of the cement board. This is an acceptable approach, though not preferred in today’s tiling world. However, seams definitely need to be taped and sealed. Do you know what’s underneath the cement board? Do you have photos?

If you want a niche/ corner receptacle then sit in the tub and see how far you can reach...that should be a good usable height.
There is also a red liquid you paint over all the cement board but the name escapes me. Great advice by the way!

This link will help visually understand what the above comments are correctly pointing out.

NOTE - wallboard in front of flange, distance between fasteners, joint taping. waterproofing is a separate application.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJOfrHXOVOo

"red liquid you paint over all the cement board"

Red Guard would be that liquid Susan Davis but this is too far gone with other errors for that to be any use.

You should note that the video @creative tile shared does not specify the use of Red Guard before tiling. It is a critical step in properly waterproofing your shower before the tile is installed.

Mint Tile LLC is 100% correct. Whoever is doing this job is screwing it up. Fixing it after intense water damage will cost more than ripping it out now, firing those guys and getting it done right.

Sorry, but I’ll chime in with those that are encouraging you to use a different tile. That stone looks absolutely painful, and just plain wrong for this application. Choose something easy to clean, and smooth on the skin when you brush against it. It’s a big mistake.
Aa everyone else has said, you’ll need to pull it all out anyway for waterproofing. Don’t put it back, please.

Hi all - I appreciate the comments and the cautionary notes! The video and article links were very helpful too. No vapor barrier was installed behind the cement board.

So I will be asking the contractor to first properly seal the cement board at the joints and then add the waterproof coating (Hydroban or Redgard) on top.

Is it fairly easy to remove the wall tile without breaking it?

For those who expressed concern about the wall tile, thank you for your candid opinions. It is actually a stone mimic porcelain tile, so it is surprisingly smooth to the touch even if you brush your arms on it side to side. The tile store where i bought this from said they had just sold this to couple other customers for their bathrooms; it was our choice and they could have pushed much more expensive tiles on us but they did not. Anyway I really like the looks of it, so will be keeping it.

Btw - for other homeowners who encounter such situations I came across a good thread on a similar topic on Houzz.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5046939/tub-surround-installed-without-moisture-barrier

Bottomline, what i understand is that it depends on the usage of the bathroom how important the water barrier is and it may not be an absolute catastrophe if not applied. For example the previous tile installation in my bathroom did not have any moisture barrier either and the studs look in great condition (see pic) - this bathroom is at least 10-15 years old and got good amount of usage during this time. I do understand it is a risk and not worth taking for various reasons, hence my decision to ask contractor to add the water barrier when it is not too late.

Sharing one more post on this topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/4wyf67/tiling_shower_is_a_waterproof_membrane_necessary/

Just because that shower had no water damage and or rot does not mean you will not have it with this shower.

That tile looks ridiculous! Belongs on a fireplace. Doesn’t go at all with the tub. Find someone who knows what they’re doing

"Bottomline, what I understand is that it depends on the usage of the bathroom how important the water barrier is and it may not be an absolute catastrophe if not applied"

Vijay, I'm gonna be frank with you and I'm gonna ask you this are you an idiot or what?

If you know that a "contractor" you found in a box store parking lot is screw up your bathroom, why are you willing to reduce tub usage... instead of having him fix everything and do it the right way now that you know it is done the wrong way and you paying him your money for faulty work and this is your house you living in...

The sad part is now that you know it's being done the wrong way and you not doing anything about it, not for yourself and you definitely don't give a s*^t about people who will come after you.

If you so sure it will not leak will you disclose that the bathroom was done the wrong way and you cant use the shower for more than 5 minutes?

I doubt that instead, you will sing how much money you spend on remodeling and try to get top dollar for your house.

I resent people like you because this happened to a nice couple, my customers, they were told by the person who sold them the house that everything was remodeled before the house went on the market and you don't have to do anything.... and a few months after they moved in they had a leak and had to rip everything out because some moron used contractor bags instead of a shower lining.

^^^^ ^^^^^ What a moron on that shower project. Shower lining isn’t even expensive. Pure laziness on that.

GN Builders - I do not think it is right to comment on someone’s intent without knowing it especially using strong adjectives/ phrases such as “definitely” and “sing about money” etc.

Bottomline, what I understand is that it depends on the usage of the bathroom how important the water barrier is and it may not be an absolute catastrophe if not applied"

Uh, yeah it is an absolute catastrophe. unless you're only going to live there a year and leave the mess to the next buyers.

GN Builders is right. Don't be a fool. doesn't matter if it's only for a tub and water won't get on the walls. grout is not waterproof. moisture can still collect and form behind the substrate. do you really want to take the chance? vapor barrier is about $40 bucks. pretty cheap insurance.

cement board is fine, when applied correctly. you've been informed about taping (non-alkaline tape please) all of the joints and screw holes (hopefully the correct fasteners too). However, a vapor barrier behind, or a waterproofing membrane on the surface must be done. One or the other, never both. It's perfectly fine to just have the cement board IF there is vapor barrier behind.

If no vapor barrier, then the membrane must be applied to the surface.

this is only one issue. if you have a shower pan, that 's a whole other can of worms to get that done correctly.

Look, forget this guy. if he doesn't have the simple common sense to use a vapor barrier, then he's going to completely f-up your tiling. you're saving money now, but will eat it later.

Get an actual professional out there to build your tub/shower

Vijay J, all the people above are trying (desperately) to tell you that you are going to regret this so much if you go ahead despite their warnings. Yes, some are blunt but they want you to listen to their expert advice. Do not accept this; do not gloss over the warnings. This is real, not an HGTV show.

Vijay, I say it how it is, which is why I said it in a gentle way trying not to hurt your feelings but instead I'm trying to help you and open up your eyes so you can see things from a different perspective.

• @Kathy Furt, really? Really? What a comment.
  
  

@kathy. . totally inappropriate comment that adds no value to the discussion

Her comment has been reported.

Lack of subtlety and strong opinions are reportable offenses? There goes half of our most knowledgeable pros.

I'm guessing you didn't see her comment then.

@Anna (6B/7A in MD) - I do see her above comment - the one with 3 likes. Was there another one that was deleted?

@Carrie..yes, looks like it was deleted. I reported it too.

Glad it's gone; I reported it, too. Hopefully that insulting, racist comment will earn a permanent ban from these forums.

The water proofing is one issue but for me another problem is how are you going to remove the soap scrums on these tiles?

If you look at the last picture he posted, the tile is laying on the floor next to the tub. You can tell in that pic that it's a flat tile that just looks like stone. It's an interesting faux look, not everyone's cup of tea obviously, but not a big an issue as some have suggested.

I have to say I do agree that the tile being used is not a typical tile for a shower tub enclosure..it is uneven not flat from the wall...this will really be a issue for cleaning...hope it can be done properly and you can enjoy your new bathroom...we are all here to help..we can suggest new tile if you get that water barrier taken care of....

i think op has left the building. he didn't seem to be too keen on taking advice about waterproofing, so I say we all just leave it be.

Hi Beth hope all is well!

Hey julie! how've you been? haven't seen you on here recently. everything OK?

This must be a very hard pill to swallow, but I hope the OP is able to take everyone's advice.

Beth I am doing great..completely retired just enjoying a few threads on Houzz...vaccinated and feeling free again!

Hi all

Just wanted to update you on the project. First of all thanks to everyone who reported the racial comment from Kathy, it was very disturbing and I’m glad it is gone.

For updates:

1) I took your advice and had the difficult conversation with the contractor. Although he disagreed, citing his experience, he immediately went to get some Redgard when I insisted - I think that is great customer focus (not many contractors out there are good about this). He was genuine about his response. For the record, he came highly recommended for the local Facebook page for moms, this is his profession for 30 years and is not a “Home depot parking lot side job person”. He also sealed up the joints and the work is coming together nicely (see attached pic).

2) I actually spoke with a couple other local contractors that folks in my network have used and swear by to get a second opinion too. One of them routinely applies Redgard and the other one does not. The theory is that if the water gets behind the tile, it’s going to be an issue, barrier or not. So these guys swear by their tiling and grouting job and also expect the homeowner to maintain it (eg resealing etc ). All I’m pointing out is there are different perspectives. I’m a perfectionist myself and admire all the pros here (reason why I turn to Houzz for advice) - that said I continuously learn in my profession that a) there are several ways to skin a cat and b) perfection can be the enemy of good. Each situation may be different slightly and one size fits all may not be applicable. Please note that I’m not recommending anyone to not waterproof - it absolutely makes sense for little additional effort

3) Last point: the tile accent wall is indeed porcelain and not abrasive stone. I expect it to clean well with the standard cleaning agents / solutions - in fact it requires less maintenance than natural stone or travertine that I often see in the bathrooms. I also checked with the manufacturer directly and they have confirmed use of this porcelain tile in tub and shower enclosures. BIG THANKS to @crcollins1_gw for your perspective on this. It is unconventional but we really love it.

I’m sure many of you will disagree with opinions above and that is ok. My intent is not to offend anyone, rather just provide my perspective and in fact I’m thankful for the advice you all have given and the time spent in doing so as I will end up with a superior end result for my project and I have gained more knowledge in the process.

Vijay-

Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed update. And let me try to reassure you that that type of personal, racist comment is not something you should expect to encounter again. You will get strong opinions about building issues, but I've never seen an appalling and inappropriate comment like that before in my 15 years of frequenting these forums. We're all glad it's gone...and hopefully so is the poster's account.