This old thread got revisited. @dani_m08 to answer the question about extra probe, I believe I ordered an extra one when I bought the set up. The probe wire is just setting in the junction box I think but honestly I cant remember. When I laid out the underfloor heating and the probe, I just ran another probe near the first probe, and it was then sealed into the floor self leveling compound as per instructions. then the end was just threaded into the wall like the one that would be live, and not connected, but just laying there in the box. Regarding the tile layout. I just decided to run it this way, after getting instructions on the 90Degree way, IIRC. The herringbone that I love is from my childhood and the side walks in my neighborhood that all ran at 45Degree. so that to me is herringbone. I know you posted on @sochi thread about her amazing bathroom and a wall mounted faucet. I would totally do it if I had the right sink for it. In my case I had made my sink out of soapstone and an integrated backsplash. The pictures of this bathroom reveal are no longer available because of the use of photo bucket, when it was Gardenweb. I did not keep my account with photo bucket. I'll add some of the reveal pictures so you can see the sink and floor. Regarding the sink there is no ledge for water to drip from my hands when using the faucet. The water drips right into the sink. In my other bathroom with a deck mounted faucet I am always wiping up drips and it is a nuisance. I much prefer the setup for this sink. Below: I love the flush finish from the faucet to the bottom of the sink. nothing drips on a counter or edge of a sink. Below: looking in from the doorway. Below: Here I am finishing up the sink. the backsplash was epoxied on as a separate piece. The whole soapstone install in the room took next to nothing to buy as they were all small pieces that I epoxied together with a 3 part stone epoxy. Below: this is the counter at the tub, and is in 2 long pieces but I was able to epoxy them together at there edges to make a wide slab for the top. All the soapstone was finished with a 60 grit sandpaper to be rough and this lovely soft tone of blue/green/gray/white. I did not oil it so this color tone would remain light. Below: If I recall correctly @sochi helped me decide on this Hubberton Forge Mirror. I have 3 different metals in this room, but they are all a cool silver to black color. Below: the center of this tower shares space with the kitchen on the other side of the wall. there is also some extra space that houses some electrical wiring. this is an old simple house. this bathroom was an add on when it got move to the farm in the 30s IIRC. The plumbing was all rearrange and some of the details that were orignially there I kept but updated it, such as this tower feature. The old one went and the carpenter did a wonderful job with this one. Below: This feature was another thing I kept from the old bathroom but flipped it from the other end and had the carpenter put drawers in it. Before it was a hell hole. things got lost and the build was soooo old and creapy I didn't like using it for storage. Now it is perfect for storage.

thanks to all who have posted so far, especially Eric. We can probably save/budget down the road for a kitchen redo, or do part of it ourselves. Additions would be a little harder for us except finish work (floors, tile, etc. Can do drywall even but would need to find time to do it). What that kitchen has is a U shaped layout, not too bad except there are overhanging cabinets between a small dining/family space and the kitchen. It's a counter/pass through kind of setup where someone can sit at stools and talk with the person in the kitchen....except the cabinets hang down so the person in the kitchen has to look under them. We would likely tear those out and relocate the stovetop to the perimeter wall and make that pass through an island. Then that entire space could become kitchen/dining. It is possible we could still move out a wall on that (kitchen) side of the house down the road too, we are in Hawaii so all the construction costs are much, much higher than mainland. So jealous of all the posters here who can put on a large extension for less than 50K. Plan A or Plan B will cost us about the same. We don't plan to sell and move anytime soon, but should we need to we're leaning toward sq. footage instead of just extending current bath and upgrading the kitchen. Our neighborhood is about 20 years old so people are beginning to redo those rooms as the fixtures and appliances are ageing. We redid all the appliances about three years ago with stainless finishes, new faucet/sink, and redid the countertop Corian, so the kitchen is livable - just need to clear out some clutter and make smarter usage on available storage space. We could paint or restain the cabinet doors to freshen it up. A few neighbors are creating the "big bang" kitchen now but I'm not certain a 70K upgrade will improve the value that much as a new neighborhood is planned about 5 miles away within the next couple of years. Would we love to live in a "WOW" kitchen, of course. But as with most people we have to make a decision on where it is best to spend the money for now. We could feasibly also add on a 2nd story in future years, but we prefer the single story and if we age-in-place as planned, the new bath will include wide accesses and no-curb shower.

"1st question, since I have bought CBU for the walls but all the how-tos for kerdi have them using it on sheet rock. Im still leaning toward CBU, but figured it was worth asking. " Good instincts to use CBU. For several reasons I recommend you stick with stick with the CBU. Here's a Kerdi over CBU ditty, it might help if you've never used Kerdi before. 2) "2 The ceiling in the shower. Initially, i was going to tile the ceiling, but my wife thinks it would look like a cave...I had several people suggest to me PVC Beadboard. Any other thoughts? " If a beadboard ceiling will fit the style, you can go in that direction. If you want beadboard but want to avoid the sterile look of PVC, how about teak beadboard? Or a teak plank ceiling. Wood can go well with marble/travertine. Then you can always fake wood on the ceiling with wood-look tile. Or go for a lighter look with glass tile on the ceiling, though plain glass can look cold and modern. Of those I listed, I'd consider teak boards. Natural stone and a natural wood? Why not? 3) L/1100 is plenty good for travertine. But you have to consider deflection in two directions; deflection along the length of the joist (your L/1100), and the often overlooked across deflection fo the plywood that spans the joist bays, in your case, across the 19.2" space between the joists. I recommend you consider two layers of plywood (3/4" subfloor and then 1/2" underlayment if able. If not 1/2", then 3/8" minimum. Ditra (or equivalent) over that. Then tile. Large format travertine demands a protective floor beneath it. 4) Your last photo shows a 1/4" thick to 3/4" thick sloped bed of "sandmortar and membrane". I presume "sandmortar" is deck mud? Mud generally requires a 1-1/4" thickness at the drain. You can go thinner, some guys ust an admix and go 1", some push hard to 3/4" thick. . But going to 1/4" thick, it may not provide a durable base to the shower; cracks, etc. Deck mud just doesn't have any structural integrity when placed that thin. Have you considered QuickSlope or one if its derivatives to establish your slope. I mention QS because it pretty much feathers down to nothing. I think it's an 1/8" thick at the drain end, it's honeycomb structure gives the bed structural integrity. which fits your low-profile requirements. Going hybrid? It can be done. But I generally recommend staying within a company's product line and avoiding "hybrid showers" unless the hybrid version has been warranted, ie, Laticrete's Hydroban membrane with Schluter's Kerdi Drain. Enough for now. Got to go. I'll try to check in tomorrow...Oh, and I'm glad I didn't have to do that drywall. Fun fun fun!!

Do what you like. I always put tile on the shower ceilings, which not many people do. For me, it completes the shower "room" and prevents some of the issues you can see on painted shower ceilings. Do what you feel will look right to you and provide any wall protection that your family might need. I just remodeled my son's bathroom and did not tile behind the toilet. He is now in college so the bathroom won't get as much use. Had I done this bathroom 10 years ago, I probably would have tiled behind the toilet to protect the walls from teen boys!