I really appreciate your video, I only wish I'd have watched it before a friend came over to help me with the job. He indicated he knew what to do but, in the end, it was obvious he didn't. When he finished he said I'd need to caulk around the edges to prevent water leaking under the rocks/grout. I like how you did it much better, it looked so much more finished. the grout seems to be gradually washing down the drain and the stones are becoming uncomfortable to stand on. It appears I'll have to re-do the job and I'm looking for suggestions on best procedure to prepare the surface for a new layer of the correct type of grout.
Gorgeous. Just did my first tile job. Master bath. Sliced Indonesian river pebble…very colorful. Used Acryl Pro adhesive rather than Thinset. Sealed X 1 only with 511 and followed the directions. I am grouting, almost finished, with Arctic White(matches fixtures) sanded, premixed Simple Grout. Finding the dry time to be very unforgiving and sponging within a few minutes, then wiping w white microfiber damp…huriedly. Have done ~ 1ft x 2ft areas at a time. Mostly gorgeous, but getting up residual streaks/haze is a drag. Home Depot has graciously given me several Aqua Fix products to try..so far, not helping. Any thoughts? Your shower floor is beautiful!!
Sir, you should never use acryl pro mastic anywhere except backsplashes. If the mastic gets wet, it will dissolve. I am sorry you didn't find that info in your research.
I did run this plan by the man in tiling at Home Depot. My stones are nicely stuck to the ceramic tile under them. Only a single stone popped up with grouting. I considered your response, wondered if the white residue that I am trying to remove could be dissolving Acryl Pro rather than grout…but water is not removing this haze. It has to be grout. My project is almost finished. It’s beautiful. I can live with the white blemishes if I cannot find a way to remove them. This is a master bath….not a lot of water exposure expected. Hopefully, the floor outlives me. Thank you for your answer.
The container of Acryl Pro that I used states on the front that it is for wall AND floor tile installation. Container states can be used for stone tile. I discussed it with staff at Home Depot after finding Thin Set difficult to use. I’ve been thoroughly happy with the set of my stones. Watering the stones prior to grouting seems to minimize the haze without affecting the Acryl Pro. I am a 64 year old newly retired nurse practitioner. This floor tile job has been a joy. The you tube, Home Depot, amazon research incredibly useful, but not without varying experience/opinion. I finish grouting today. 🤗
We have a river rock floor in our shower (3 years old) and have rocks coming loose with the grout breaking off in chunks. Is this something we can repair ourselves? And if so, how do we do this?
Ouch. Sounds like poor installation job with improper mortar. I couldn't tell ya if this is something you could do since I don't know how handy you are. Put i would take out the loose river rocks, but some thinset, like Mapei Ultraflex 1, and put some on the bottom of the rocks and place it back. Come back the next day and try to match with sanded grout of the floors color.
I just had this done, but used a KBRS tile ready shower pan to waterproof it better. I decided to do this after I had two plumbers telling me that just tiling without a pan is guaranteed to leak at some point or at the very least to collect water in a very unsanitary way. My install is not complete yet so I'm not sure how it'll work out but I'm seriously hoping and praying...
@@buildingwithben5637 I have not been able to test it yet as the entire bathroom is being redone. I'm hoping to be able to leave a positive review soon.
Hello,..very Nice Video awesome work..a quick Question..with That Name Brand of morter Grout.."Mapei" I've watched a few videos of where Guys used just water & some used the Super flextible Palmer additive..to use while mixing the Grout..just curious what way is best..? Or why is there a difference..I am just curious..? Thanx Much if you have Answers..
Oh man. My apologies. I just saw this. This grout doesn't require an additive. It is specially formulated to have it in there since it isn't cement based but a synthetic compound. It has flex with it. Color is never off like it can be with cement based grouts. The only thing is that it hardens within an hour so you gotta work quick or work in sections.
I am curious if you preseal. I have used a similar pebble tile in my shower and we have a complaint about the pebbles holding water in between. It was done by a professional contracter. Now I dont want to use epoxy to cover the gaps but I dont know what to do about the water. Can I do something else on it?
The way a proper shower pan is built is to absorb moisture. Thats why it's called a dry pack. This means the mortar has more drainability in it. So when a people shower floor gets put in, it can hold water and drain to the bottom of the pan where it meets the pan liner. If it was done correctly, the liner would have a pitch towars the drain so water always finds a way out. Hope that helps.
How on God’s green earth do you keep this shower floor clean ?!!!! I bought a home with this shower floor and have tried everything under the sun with no results!!!
After time you just can't. I always tell my customers not to go with river rocks. They are a maintenance hell. The grout is basically cement with color. It stains after time. Even with sellers. Same with the rocks.
You can try an sulfamic acid wash. There is a product at the tile store you can use to try and remove it with a wire brush. If the stone is very porous use a softer brush like a plastic brush. Thats all you can do. Unfortunately if it doesn't please you you'd have to start over. Hope that helped.
There is a certain ratio you are supposed to keep or the color can be jeopardized. People do it but its not always a good idea. Just push the grout into the pockets of the stone with the grout float and you'll be fine.
a quick question... Does the shower drain(gets screwed/spins into the flange) suppose to have mortart/thinset under it? Or just mortar to edges of the square drain?
Helpful video thanks! Your end result is beautiful. Question… Did you use a sealer over the grout? My shower was done professionally. The tile guy told me there’s an extra charge of $250.00 to seal it. Does that sound right?
I think I wiped too soon and the grout wasn't set enough yet because it's kind of indented between the stones :( do I just need to grout again? Or is it no big deal?
That's normal and why I try and tell my customers not to use river stones. As long as the person who installed the shower pan did a prepitch under the liner you should be good. If not you are going to have issues down the road for sure.
@@buildingwithben5637 I did do a prepitch so maybe I'm good. Can I grout it again just to be safe or will grout not stick to dried grout? I had to do river rocks, wasn't about to try my hand at tile cutting for the irregular shower shape lol.
I had a similar issue with a section of my kitchen countertop - I then discovered you get "low shrinkage" grout. The next section of countertop, using the new grout was perfect.
nice job but how do you use those cheap margin trowels? i tried once but went back to the marshal town, you just cant beat the feel of their margin trowels
Just bought a home with this type of shower floor but it has a think crack in the grout running from the drain to the wall - how would you repair that? I was thinking more grout but I don't want to wait for it to cure more than a day. Perhaps some tub & tile silicone?
If it is a crack it might be the foundation. Meaning no liner. It depends. I would need to see it. Silicone would be a temp fix. Sorry for the late reply .
@@greenthumbs847from what I am reading, cracking grout is quite common with river rock shower floors! I just had one installed and already regretting it!
Turning orange where specifically? On the grout? In the corners where the grout meets tile? On the rocks? Once the grout is stained there is no way to clean it. Unfortunately.
No problem Vlad. You cannot use Schluter foam on tile smaller than 2x2 inches due to point displacement. That being said, I always build my shower pans out of mortar
I wish I would have seen this before I did my fusion pro rock floor that home depot and the video I saw on the internet, it was all wrong. The fusion pro didn't work !!! Now it's a redo.
hi im wondering i have a stand in shower that has river rock for the floor i really need to replace it can i do that without taring my whole shower out and if so how can i do that
Nine times out of ten it is not possible. It would be if you had leftover wall tile. The first row of tile would need to be taken out. Usually the river rocks get put down first and the time sits on top. That's why you'd need to take em out. Most people don't have left over tiles to do that. This is why it would all need to be done. Also, you'd need to find someone, who is good, to do it. Most contractors or handyman won't since it isn't enough money for what you get into. Sorry. You might be stuck with the river rocks unless can afford the redo of the shower.
My mom has messed up both of her heels in her shower 😭 ( been there five years). I’m going to regrout it for her this year, makes me so angry she’s been dealing with that for years😭
I just had my pebble floor done and there is some unevenness in the rock and I can feel it on my feet. I had them come back an re-grout to fill in some of the dips but it still didn't take care of the rocks that are slightly larger than the other and that is what my feet feel. Is this the way natural pebbles should feel on your feet? If not, how do you get a completely smooth surface?
Well you can buy which one you want. I always try and steer my customers away from river rocks with high points. Flat rocks are the way to go. Seems you weren't given an option.
@@buildingwithben5637 no I have the flat rocks. But there is imperfections in the rocks and may have been installed wrong in that not all of the flat rocks are even with each other. I'm probably just feeling the rock and expecting perfectly smooth surface like it would be with a regular tile. I hope you educate your clients that it will feel different than regular tile. Maybe that is the natural that we are seeking? But I would rather have a completely flat surface.
Hey i just did my shower with the flat mosaic stones, I used the perfect slope kit for the floor. Got a question though, how do you get those kind of floor to dry being they are kinda uneven and dont drain right?
@@dallasburns4311 unfortunately it all depends on the pitch. For river rocks it is recommended to do 3/8 per foot pitch instead of the standard 1/4 per foot. Because of how much grout is needed, the water will sit in those spots where there is a indent. So to answer your question without seeing it, it is most likely it will never drain properly due to the nature of the natural stone mosaic rocks.
@@gosman949 well thats unfortunate. The river rocks cour have been installed incorrectly but the more important thing with those flat river rocks is that the shower pan has the appropriate pitch. River rocks get 3/8 per foot.
@@buildingwithben5637 so I have the grout that is sold at menards in the large milk carbord container. I dont know how much sand I should add to the grout before I grout the river rock floor.
Question. Can I use river stones from my own river and do they all need to be flat? Do you use some sort of glue to stick all the rocks on the bottom before grouting?
The problem with not using flat rocks is that when grouted you get a bunch of pockets and unevenness. This causes water to not shed towards the drain. Which then gets soaked up into the shower pan. After some time this will cause the pan to get saturated if pan wasn't done correctly. I always suggest flat river rocks for my customers. Yes, I use a product called thin-set. It's a mixture of mortar and polymer which acts as the bonding agent for ricer rocks, tile, stone, a lot of material when building a shower. I would suggest not to take on a bathroom remodel if you are thinking of doing it. It is quite the difficult task.
@@buildingwithben5637 what if you are doing the bathroom from scratch, Is it less labour ? Also could the bathroom floor be leveled unevenly with a linear drain to ensure drainage?
I wish I had watched this before. My mom hired a guy to fix our bathroom and he didn’t apply the grout properly to the river rock. We had to redo it ourselves but we didn’t spread the grout thin enough or sponge off the excess. It’s already been 24 hrs since it was applied
i was told not to grout the 90 degrees angle floor/wall as grout will crack with expansion and water will/may get in. I was told to caulk ALL the angles with siliconized acrylic caulking...
I tuned in for grouting and you skipped the last two steps to make the job look good, that kinda sucked. Anyone can mash grout, it's the finishing touch that matters. :(
I really appreciate your video, I only wish I'd have watched it before a friend came over to help me with the job. He indicated he knew what to do but, in the end, it was obvious he didn't. When he finished he said I'd need to caulk around the edges to prevent water leaking under the rocks/grout. I like how you did it much better, it looked so much more finished. the grout seems to be gradually washing down the drain and the stones are becoming uncomfortable to stand on. It appears I'll have to re-do the job and I'm looking for suggestions on best procedure to prepare the surface for a new layer of the correct type of grout.
Thanks I just installed my pebble tile into the thinset, this was right on time
Glad it helped. 😊
Awesome video thanks!
Gorgeous. Just did my first tile job. Master bath. Sliced Indonesian river pebble…very colorful. Used Acryl Pro adhesive rather than Thinset. Sealed X 1 only with 511 and followed the directions. I am grouting, almost finished, with Arctic White(matches fixtures) sanded, premixed Simple Grout. Finding the dry time to be very unforgiving and sponging within a few minutes, then wiping w white microfiber damp…huriedly. Have done ~ 1ft x 2ft areas at a time. Mostly gorgeous, but getting up residual streaks/haze is a drag. Home Depot has graciously given me several Aqua Fix products to try..so far, not helping. Any thoughts? Your shower floor is beautiful!!
Sir, you should never use acryl pro mastic anywhere except backsplashes. If the mastic gets wet, it will dissolve. I am sorry you didn't find that info in your research.
I did run this plan by the man in tiling at Home Depot. My stones are nicely stuck to the ceramic tile under them. Only a single stone popped up with grouting. I considered your response, wondered if the white residue that I am trying to remove could be dissolving Acryl Pro rather than grout…but water is not removing this haze. It has to be grout. My project is almost finished. It’s beautiful. I can live with the white blemishes if I cannot find a way to remove them. This is a master bath….not a lot of water exposure expected. Hopefully, the floor outlives me. Thank you for your answer.
The container of Acryl Pro that I used states on the front that it is for wall AND floor tile installation. Container states can be used for stone tile. I discussed it with staff at Home Depot after finding Thin Set difficult to use. I’ve been thoroughly happy with the set of my stones. Watering the stones prior to grouting seems to minimize the haze without affecting the Acryl Pro. I am a 64 year old newly retired nurse practitioner. This floor tile job has been a joy. The you tube, Home Depot, amazon research incredibly useful, but not without varying experience/opinion. I finish grouting today. 🤗
I tend to mix a little more runny with river rock let set up. then grout float then let dry enough to wipe down
As long as it works. 😉
Ya you skipped the step I wanted to see. How you do the sponge work. You stopped too soon.
We have a river rock floor in our shower (3 years old) and have rocks coming loose with the grout breaking off in chunks. Is this something we can repair ourselves? And if so, how do we do this?
Ouch. Sounds like poor installation job with improper mortar. I couldn't tell ya if this is something you could do since I don't know how handy you are. Put i would take out the loose river rocks, but some thinset, like Mapei Ultraflex 1, and put some on the bottom of the rocks and place it back. Come back the next day and try to match with sanded grout of the floors color.
I just had this done, but used a KBRS tile ready shower pan to waterproof it better. I decided to do this after I had two plumbers telling me that just tiling without a pan is guaranteed to leak at some point or at the very least to collect water in a very unsanitary way. My install is not complete yet so I'm not sure how it'll work out but I'm seriously hoping and praying...
How did it turn out? I am moving towards a different shower system. Kerdi and Wedi. Those don't require the traditional concrete pan.
@@buildingwithben5637 I have not been able to test it yet as the entire bathroom is being redone. I'm hoping to be able to leave a positive review soon.
Hello,..very Nice Video awesome work..a quick Question..with That Name Brand of morter Grout.."Mapei" I've watched a few videos of where Guys used just water & some used the Super flextible Palmer additive..to use while mixing the Grout..just curious what way is best..? Or why is there a difference..I am just curious..? Thanx Much if you have Answers..
Oh man. My apologies. I just saw this. This grout doesn't require an additive. It is specially formulated to have it in there since it isn't cement based but a synthetic compound. It has flex with it. Color is never off like it can be with cement based grouts. The only thing is that it hardens within an hour so you gotta work quick or work in sections.
@@buildingwithben5637Thanx much..yupp I got mine done..
I am curious if you preseal. I have used a similar pebble tile in my shower and we have a complaint about the pebbles holding water in between. It was done by a professional contracter. Now I dont want to use epoxy to cover the gaps but I dont know what to do about the water. Can I do something else on it?
The way a proper shower pan is built is to absorb moisture. Thats why it's called a dry pack. This means the mortar has more drainability in it. So when a people shower floor gets put in, it can hold water and drain to the bottom of the pan where it meets the pan liner. If it was done correctly, the liner would have a pitch towars the drain so water always finds a way out. Hope that helps.
Great video- is the final wipe (after the messy wipe) the next day?
No. Same day
Awesome video! Thank you for sharing! How would you alter this technique if you were using rounded top natural rock from a riverbed?
You need to use your hand to get as much off the top as possible. Then wait for it to set and sponge the crap out of it.
much appreciated! @@buildingwithben5637
How on God’s green earth do you keep this shower floor clean ?!!!! I bought a home with this shower floor and have tried everything under the sun with no results!!!
After time you just can't. I always tell my customers not to go with river rocks. They are a maintenance hell. The grout is basically cement with color. It stains after time. Even with sellers. Same with the rocks.
Do you have a video or any recommendations how to remove this kind of tile/ shower floor?
I pebbled a fire place but the grout I didn’t wipe off straight away.....is there anything I can use to remove it from the pebbles now?
You can try an sulfamic acid wash. There is a product at the tile store you can use to try and remove it with a wire brush. If the stone is very porous use a softer brush like a plastic brush. Thats all you can do. Unfortunately if it doesn't please you you'd have to start over. Hope that helped.
Would it be easier to grout if the grout had extra water so that it was looser than what you show? So that it gets in every where?
There is a certain ratio you are supposed to keep or the color can be jeopardized. People do it but its not always a good idea. Just push the grout into the pockets of the stone with the grout float and you'll be fine.
a quick question... Does the shower drain(gets screwed/spins into the flange) suppose to have mortart/thinset under it? Or just mortar to edges of the square drain?
Just mortar
Helpful video thanks! Your end result is beautiful. Question… Did you use a sealer over the grout? My shower was done professionally. The tile guy told me there’s an extra charge of $250.00 to seal it. Does that sound right?
Yea, that sounds right. Thank you
I hope he used lube
I think I wiped too soon and the grout wasn't set enough yet because it's kind of indented between the stones :( do I just need to grout again? Or is it no big deal?
That's normal and why I try and tell my customers not to use river stones. As long as the person who installed the shower pan did a prepitch under the liner you should be good. If not you are going to have issues down the road for sure.
@@buildingwithben5637 I did do a prepitch so maybe I'm good. Can I grout it again just to be safe or will grout not stick to dried grout? I had to do river rocks, wasn't about to try my hand at tile cutting for the irregular shower shape lol.
I had a similar issue with a section of my kitchen countertop - I then discovered you get "low shrinkage" grout. The next section of countertop, using the new grout was perfect.
nice job but how do you use those cheap margin trowels? i tried once but went back to the marshal town, you just cant beat the feel of their margin trowels
I uploaded this a few years ago. I only use Marshalltown now. You're totally right
Just bought a home with this type of shower floor but it has a think crack in the grout running from the drain to the wall - how would you repair that? I was thinking more grout but I don't want to wait for it to cure more than a day. Perhaps some tub & tile silicone?
If it is a crack it might be the foundation. Meaning no liner. It depends. I would need to see it. Silicone would be a temp fix. Sorry for the late reply .
Thanks, @@buildingwithben5637. Helpful nonetheless!
@@greenthumbs847from what I am reading, cracking grout is quite common with river rock shower floors! I just had one installed and already regretting it!
Matching grout caulk
I’m kind of surprised you didn’t seal your rock first? Or did you and just not tell the people that you’re trying to help. just a thought thanks.
These rocks are very dense, not porous. If they were porous I would have done the sealer before hand.
Looks good man. Grouting is one of my least favorite things but I like to get paid so....
I love grouting. Means the job is almost done and I seee smiling faces
Did you have to replace the original rocks
I need to know the best way to clean these showers. My rocks are lighter. My showers turning orange in spots!
Turning orange where specifically? On the grout? In the corners where the grout meets tile? On the rocks? Once the grout is stained there is no way to clean it. Unfortunately.
Does this help?
@@buildingwithben5637 I tried vinegar and water this weekend and it has helped so much.
Oh that's great to read.
Thanks for the video! Is the shower pan schluter foam or something else? Thanks!
No problem Vlad. You cannot use Schluter foam on tile smaller than 2x2 inches due to point displacement. That being said, I always build my shower pans out of mortar
Can you use any pebbles or is buying pebbles shaped for shower use better?
I would suggest using flat pepples of the same depth on a sheet vs loose rocks in different depths.
I wish I would have seen this before I did my fusion pro rock floor that home depot and the video I saw on the internet, it was all wrong. The fusion pro didn't work !!! Now it's a redo.
hi im wondering i have a stand in shower that has river rock for the floor i really need to replace it can i do that without taring my whole shower out and if so how can i do that
Nine times out of ten it is not possible. It would be if you had leftover wall tile. The first row of tile would need to be taken out. Usually the river rocks get put down first and the time sits on top. That's why you'd need to take em out. Most people don't have left over tiles to do that. This is why it would all need to be done. Also, you'd need to find someone, who is good, to do it. Most contractors or handyman won't since it isn't enough money for what you get into. Sorry. You might be stuck with the river rocks unless can afford the redo of the shower.
My mom has messed up both of her heels in her shower 😭 ( been there five years). I’m going to regrout it for her this year, makes me so angry she’s been dealing with that for years😭
Biggest fan
Oh thank you sir
hehe
I just had my pebble floor done and there is some unevenness in the rock and I can feel it on my feet. I had them come back an re-grout to fill in some of the dips but it still didn't take care of the rocks that are slightly larger than the other and that is what my feet feel. Is this the way natural pebbles should feel on your feet? If not, how do you get a completely smooth surface?
Well you can buy which one you want. I always try and steer my customers away from river rocks with high points. Flat rocks are the way to go. Seems you weren't given an option.
@@buildingwithben5637 no I have the flat rocks. But there is imperfections in the rocks and may have been installed wrong in that not all of the flat rocks are even with each other. I'm probably just feeling the rock and expecting perfectly smooth surface like it would be with a regular tile. I hope you educate your clients that it will feel different than regular tile. Maybe that is the natural that we are seeking? But I would rather have a completely flat surface.
Hey i just did my shower with the flat mosaic stones, I used the perfect slope kit for the floor. Got a question though, how do you get those kind of floor to dry being they are kinda uneven and dont drain right?
@@dallasburns4311 unfortunately it all depends on the pitch. For river rocks it is recommended to do 3/8 per foot pitch instead of the standard 1/4 per foot. Because of how much grout is needed, the water will sit in those spots where there is a indent. So to answer your question without seeing it, it is most likely it will never drain properly due to the nature of the natural stone mosaic rocks.
@@gosman949 well thats unfortunate. The river rocks cour have been installed incorrectly but the more important thing with those flat river rocks is that the shower pan has the appropriate pitch. River rocks get 3/8 per foot.
What is the ratio with the grout to sand mix?
Grout to sand? The consistency for the grout is pretty thick. Almost to the point of being able to mold it
@@buildingwithben5637 so I have the grout that is sold at menards in the large milk carbord container. I dont know how much sand I should add to the grout before I grout the river rock floor.
I have never had to add sand to grout. You buy sanded or unsanded. Not sure about that one.
What color grout did you use?
😅 I don't remember. That's from over 2 years ago
Question. Can I use river stones from my own river and do they all need to be flat? Do you use some sort of glue to stick all the rocks on the bottom before grouting?
The problem with not using flat rocks is that when grouted you get a bunch of pockets and unevenness. This causes water to not shed towards the drain. Which then gets soaked up into the shower pan. After some time this will cause the pan to get saturated if pan wasn't done correctly. I always suggest flat river rocks for my customers.
Yes, I use a product called thin-set. It's a mixture of mortar and polymer which acts as the bonding agent for ricer rocks, tile, stone, a lot of material when building a shower. I would suggest not to take on a bathroom remodel if you are thinking of doing it. It is quite the difficult task.
@@buildingwithben5637 what if you are doing the bathroom from scratch, Is it less labour ? Also could the bathroom floor be leveled unevenly with a linear drain to ensure drainage?
Is this sanded or u sanded grout?
Sanded. Sorry.for the late reply
I wish I had watched this before. My mom hired a guy to fix our bathroom and he didn’t apply the grout properly to the river rock. We had to redo it ourselves but we didn’t spread the grout thin enough or sponge off the excess. It’s already been 24 hrs since it was applied
You left that much over the river rocks? That's no good if I am understanding this correctly.
@@buildingwithben5637 sections of the river rock are completely covered in grout. We’re doing what we can to scrape it off
nice job!
Thank you Donald!
beautiful is right
Thank you very much!
I think my contractor let it sit too long before wiping it up. He said it had cure for 3 days before he could clean it.
Oh wow. Why do you think that?
i was told not to grout the 90 degrees angle floor/wall as grout will crack with expansion and water will/may get in. I was told to caulk ALL the angles with siliconized acrylic caulking...
You're correct. You can still grout them, but go over them with the caulking so when it does crack, it's hidden
I tuned in for grouting and you skipped the last two steps to make the job look good, that kinda sucked. Anyone can mash grout, it's the finishing touch that matters. :(
My apologies. I was a young buck back then.
What kind of grout do you use?
Mapei Ultra FA Plus.