Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — the Tiling and Grouting Phase

Step 3 in swapping your tub for a sleek new shower: Pick the right tile and test it out, then choose your grout color and type

JW March 20, 2013

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The subject of tile comes up quickly on every shower build. What kind of tile should you choose? Where should you get it? Who buys it? What size is needed? What kind of grout should you use? The information stream can be a little overwhelming, and it's difficult ground to cover in a short meeting with a potential renovator — so do your homework ahead of time. Understanding how to properly build, waterproof and tile your shower can help you can ask the right questions when interviewing your contractors.

There is a lot of great tile out there, but there's even more junk to avoid. And once you find the perfect tile, you still need to decide on your grout. Should you use cementitious grout, sanded grout, unsanded grout or epoxy grout? There's a lot to consider. Sometimes tile setters include the grout in their price, but try to get to know more about your shower project before selecting a grout.

Tiling and grouting are hard to get right. I have seen way too many shower builds screwed up because the grout was poorly installed. Let's take a look at some beautiful showers and learn more about how to get tile, grout and edging details right.

Previous in this series: Planning and shopping for fixtures

Raveninside

Stone tile versus porcelain tile. This choice comes up constantly. Personally, I prefer porcelain. A shower is one of the wettest places on the planet, and porcelain tile is nearly impervious to moisture migration.

But when someone does decide to use natural stone, it's time to get into due-diligence mode and inspect the stone for defects, epoxy fill and mineral veins, and then perform a soak test. A simple soak test is easy. If you are planning to use some white marble in your shower, for example, purchase it from a supplier that's been using the same source for a few years. Make sure to ask how long the store has been purchasing stone from that source and if there were any problems on prior jobs.

Purchase several pieces and place them in a bucket of water for two days. Then take them out and leave them out for a few more days. If the stone looks different, those same changes are bound to happen in your new shower.

ACO Systems, Ltd.

Large tile. This is one of my favorite shower shots. A shower with large-format tile like this is very easy to clean, but it's not the best for young children, who tend to run into showers at Mach-10 speed.

Larger tile can be slippery. Floor tile that's 2 by 2 inches or 4 by 4 inches tends to be a safe bet for those who want extra traction. When you get larger tiles, you need to be extra careful. I always tell my clients to bring home a sample of their tile and have a shower with it. Placing it on the floor while the water's running can help you see how slippery it is underfoot. You could place the same tile outside the tub too, and try stepping out of the tub onto the tile (with someone spotting you, of course). Is it too slippery? If so, you can try Johnny Grip to help add traction.

This shower also has a long linear drain from ACO. When you're having a linear drain installed, ask to keep the tile height about 1/16 to 1/8 inch above the drain's edge, so the soap suds and water can fall off the edge of the tile and into the drain.

Susan Diana Harris Interior Design

Small tile. Mosaic tile in particular is very difficult to install and should be tackled by a professional. Mosaic tile for showers should be paper faced or film faced. Film faced tends to work a bit better, since you can see the alignment of the tile more easily.

Many small tiles also have a directional arrow on the back. Make sure they get installed the same way on the wall — that all the arrows are pointed in the same direction. Glass tile expands differently, and the tile is oriented to account for that.

Try not to use mosaic sheets in a shower. You need 95 percent coverage from the tile mortar to the back side of the tile, and many of these mosaic sheets are prepared with a water-based adhesive. As with natural stone, soak test any sheet tile to ensure that the glue or adhesive does not smell or break down with water.

Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

Mixing and matching tile. This builder has used three different tiles for one gem of a shower. Mixing tiles from different suppliers is a very practical way to reduce your shower renovation costs. Some glass tile can run up to $100 per square foot, whereas a basic ceramic white tile can cost as little as $2 per square foot. Using more expensive glass tile as a simple accent can help you stick to your budget.

If you look closely in this photo, you will see that all the different tiles line up evenly. This extra detail takes a little more time and effort but makes a big difference.

Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

Edging details. Understanding how the tiling edges will be addressed is an important step in planning your shower. Looking closely at this photo of the other side of the same shower in the previous image, you can see that the edges where the tile meets the wall and vanity are beveled.

Before starting your shower renovation, take some time and study other installations in photos and at tile showrooms to decide on an edging detail you like.

Studio NOO Design

Some people like a metal Schluter profile on the edge of their tile. Here a simple Schluter profile makes for a modern finish.

If you plan to use these metal accent strips on the tile edges, make sure you specify that the cuts of the metal strips all be done on a miter saw equipped with a nonferrous blade, so the cuts are crisp and tight.
The tile cut is also important. If your tile setter doesn't use a power wet saw, the cuts could look rough and get even rougher after grouting.

Ask for a mockup of your edging and specify a new factory edge, which means the tile is cut and polished to look like it came from the factory.

Ceramiques Hugo Sanchez Inc

Other homeowners prefer for the edge of the tile to just be grouted where it meets the wall. This niche is done with a mitered edge — make sure the corners are nicely grouted so they're not razor sharp. While mitering isn't necessarily difficult, it takes time, so you can expect to pay a premium for this kind of work.

The way corners and edges like this are prepared needs to be decided before the tile is set.

Bubbles Bathrooms

Tile layout. Now it's time to start designing your tile's layout. Look at how simple and clean lined this shower is — the shower niche is exactly in between two tiles. This is no coincidence; planning ahead can make the difference between a sloppy look and a clean look. If you're aiming for a polished shower layout, make sure you and your installer know exactly where every tile will lie before framing starts.

10 Top Tips for Getting Bathroom Tile Right

AT6 Design Build

Grout. I like two grout colors: white and light gray. Black, dark gray and other dark and warm grout tiles can start to accumulate buildup or fade, depending on the local water supply and thinset choice. If the grout is mixed incorrectly or overwashed, the pigment can be wiped away unevenly.

Efflorescence happens when grout lightens as salt leaches out, leaving a light, powdery film on the surface. The effect of it on tile installations is nasty. Avoid efflorescence by using premium setting materials like Ardex X32 and Mapei's Grani Rapid. These are pricey products, and not everyone will be able to afford them, but they make a difference.

If you're building on the cheap, use a light gray grout, since it is the most forgiving and looks the best in the long term.

Tarkus Tile, Inc.

If you're working with a darker grout, I suggest an epoxy grout for a regular shower. Currently my two favorite grouts are Mapei's Ultra Color Plus (a rapidly setting cementitious grout) and Laticrete's Spectra Lock Pro (an epoxy grout).

Cementitious grout is a standard grout that comes in a sanded version for large grout joints (3/4 to 1/8 inch) and an unsanded version (1/16 to 1/8 inch) for narrow grout joints. Cementitious grout also comes in a rapidly setting formula, which can be tricky to use — don't try these formulas for your first tiling project.