Travertine Shower and Floor Part 3

This is a Travertine shower and floor. Travertine is a natural soap stone. It is porous so needs to be sealed if being used in a shower. See previous two blog entries for more pics and details.

Travertine Shower and Floor Part 2

Here is the floor completed. Below are some pics of the job in progress.

Niche complete.

I tiled the back of the niche first and went from there.

Closet: using wedges to keep the tight grout joints straight.

Travertine Shower and Floor

This is a Travertine tiled bathroom that I recently installed. Below are the before pics and some pics of the prepping. Originally there was linoleum on the floors. I removed it and laid 1/4 inch cement board.

Here I used 1/2 inch cement board on the walls and created the niche using 2x4s and plywood as the back ground. Then I covered all the wood with pieces of cement board. Then I taped and waterproofed all the seams.

Powder Room Floor

Next up is a small powder room that need a simple, clean upgrade from the linoleum that was originally installed. You can see an example of the old linoleum in my next post above at a later date. I first removed the toilet, then the linoleum and scraped the glue off the sub-floor. That took some work. I still have the scar of a blister that was created and later ripped open by this job two weeks ago. I remembered to use gloves on the next job. I then installed 1/4" Hardi-back to the sub-floor for a level and sturdy foundation. The blue and white tiles with the bright white grout really popped with this traditional blue and white wallpaper and art on the walls.

Slate Patio

On this job, I start by painting the concrete with a waterproofing/antifracture membrane because this is the roof of a garage. I also painted the waterproofing in the corners and up the brick walls as high as the base tiles were going to be placed. This way, the roof is completely waterproofed before the 1st tile is installed. As the 1st coat of waterproofing was drying, I sealed each piece of slate. This gives it a finished look plus protects the slate from thinset/grout sticking to it. Highly recommended. After all the slate was sealed, I painted a second coat of waterproofing on the patio. You should paint a second coat within 5 to 6 hours of the 1st. The 2 coats bond better that way. The next day I started tiling the field tiles. On the third day, I installed all the cuts along the edges and the base tiles. Finally, I grouted. When grouting slate take your time cleaning the surface. Expect to spend more time grouting slate than other tiles. After grout is cured, reseal all the tiles and grout together. I used a sponge. After sealer dries, buff the tiles using a clean dry towel to remove any haze. Enjoy the pics.

Slate Landing and Steps

Below are two pics of a landing and some steps that lead to the back door of the house with the slate patio above. The grout was fresh when the pictures were taken. It will lighten and blend better when cured.

Metal Tile Back Splash

Below is a small back splash that I did in the same condo that has the black and white glass tile from a few posts back. This tile pretty much works the same as ceramic tile but it is metal surrounding a piece of actual ceramic tile. Looks amazing after it is grouted. Note: use non-sanded grout. One because the grout joints are tight but also because the sanded grout can scratch the surface of the metal.