I’m 21, I’m starting two bathrooms by myself in this house my wife and I just bought after we got married. I’ve never done any remodeling, much less tiling, and these videos are the best. You’re helping me a lot! Keep up the good work!
Good luck, James! I have to tell you that I was 22 when I started learning this type of work so you've got the jump on me age wise! Start accumulating tools and learning to use them and you will save yourself lots of money over time and get a great deal of satisfaction from working with your hands. Remodeling your bathrooms will give you dollar for dollar additional equity in your home at a minimum and probably more. Do not put in a pool until you have remodeled your kitchen too and detailed out everything else in your house! 😀
FINALLY! A video that shows a bathtub tile surround & how to consider the other tile walls in the bathroom as far as how to layout the tile heights & widths for the best result!
Rusty, thank you soooo much for all your videos. They are incredibly detailed, which for a novice is so important. The animations are the best part, so professional.
I appreciate you giving me that feedback, gwasha1! My intention is to give people who are trying to learn how to do their own objects as much help as possible. I’m glad you are finding my videos helpful! I enjoy exploring the animations also!
Great video! I really appreciate the fact that you didn’t leave a single step out, including your logic. Explaining what your thought process, helps to see the logic in your design. Thank you for taking your time to make sue a great video
Good luck, Branden! You are just the kind of person I was hoping would watch this video, so I'm glad you came across it! You will get a great deal of satisfaction out of tackling projects like this and working your way through them! Plus, doing it yourself you'll save some cash too!
@@RustyDobbs I have relied on RUclips throughout the whole process of my live-in renovation and this video is certainly no exception there. Thank you, it truly provided me with skills that I'll continue to put to use in future home projects.
A helpful tip I have used on cast iron tubs when working alone, is to remove them with a sledgehammer they break up with some effort and can be carried out piece by piece. All in all great video! Lots of good stuff here.
Yeah, Scericabauer, it wasn't until I starting watching RUclips myself that I stumbled across a video where someone busted out a cast iron tub with a sledgehammer a few years ago. I really haven't had the need to pull many tubs over years, but there have been times where I wish I had know that tip! Thanks for watching!
great video. We ripped out the bath tub and tile during covid. Then we got hit by Ian. So we are doing lots of rebuilding. Will be installing a new tub and tile soon. Thanks
I have set tile for myself for many years and have recently started setting title as a profession. It always bothered me when I see tiles set off sides. I see it everywhere, grocery stores restaurants etc. It is amazing to see how you figure out how to make the tile symmetrica.
Thanks for watching, Brad, and good luck on your tile setting journey! As you know, the more you do it, you develop your own approaches to laying things out. I always want to make sure I know how things are going to look when the job is finished before I set my first piece of tile. Takes a little more time but I think it's worth it.
Thanks for watching, Sundra! Sorry I didn't give you more video! Since this was a tile setting tutorial, I didn't include the rest of the bathroom which included a tall linen storage unit and vanity with solid surface top... all custom built. Dang, I should have shown that! Anyway those other processes and similar styles of cabinets are included in other videos on my channel.
@@deaneng8540 The software I used for this video is SketchUp which is a paid program. I have used it for years so it is very familiar but I have not been happy with it for some time. I switched to another program called Blender after this video which is a free program. The learning curve for both programs is steep. It has taken me several years to get somewhat productive with Blender even with the background in SketchUp. It's all a matter of how much time you want to commit to learning a 3D software program that makes the difference. There are thousands of good tutorial videos on Blender on RUclips. I think you kind of need a reason to learn Blender or any other 3D program though. It's not something that you will casually pick up simply because it is interesting. It can be pretty overwheming! Good luck!
Thanks for watching and your comment! For this video I used Sketchup to do the animation but it is not really a great animation tool. It took me a while but I have since converted over to Blender which is a lot more versatile.
Nice work rusty. Personally I would have put the 24” tile in the middle, then about a 18” cut tile on each side of it. Also, 12:38, that’s why I like a roll on membrane like redgard or aqua defense. It prevents the backer board from sucking moisture out of thinset.
Thanks, Kevr! I wondered who would be the first to make your observation! I thought the same thing when I was working on the animation. The decision was all about the niches! You might be able to see in the finished shots at the end of video what kind of cuts I would have had to make if I had centered the tile on the center line. I don't mind a challenge every once in a while but wasn't in the mood that day! I think the temp was about 30 degrees and the saw was in the shade!
Hey Rusty.....absolutely stunning work, my hat goes off to you and Ryan. I like they way you centre lined , and had the tile cuts almost to quatre of a full tile it's the best way aesthetically. The little tile to the left bottom next to bath tub is the best way its nicely tuck Way out of site and goes unnoticed very well planned in. When I do verneer boxes , here in the UK as hobby all by hand if I dont like like it, I seriously have to start again ( not that often I might add) , if it doesn't look right for me , I believe people will not like it so planning anything like tiling, wallpaper hanging, etc, is key to any project ....now back to your video, Stunning detail, stunning design and best of all the Stunning workmanship. You should have your own show on TV. Your a credit to the USA and the planet. Excellent video. Kind regards Danny uk 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸🙂👍👍
Hey, Danny! I know you pay attention to detail in your work and it sounds like you enjoy doing veneers as much as I do! There were lots of options on the layout of the tile, but ultimately the biggest influencers of my decision-making were the niche boxes I needed to tile around. In the end, it worked out okay. We literally are doing demo right now on the master bath in this house that's on the other side of the wall behind the toilet! It will be the same color combinations of paint and tile, but with a corner shower that will be all glass and a double sink vanity. Also lots of custom cabinets, so Ryan will be getting a workout! Sounds like I need to hire you as my promotional agent! Thanks for your kind words and I always appreciate hearing from you!
Thanks for this video! I'm 21 and just started renovating a bathroom and I genuinely hate the plastic white look and I can't really afford it right now anyway. I have tile though! Excited to start this project tomorrow.
Good luck with your project, Delihlah! Glad your excited about it! With each project you do, you learn more and improve your skills! I'm glad you are taking on this challenge!
All I can say is I'm glad it's you and not me... You do such a nice job, and I enjoy watching you work... But, I have two bathrooms in my flooded house that I work on from time to time. The main one in the back is pretty much gutted except for removing the tub. Lack of motivation runs deep in this project. And a Corvette... lol...
Thanks, Danny! We're starting the master bath that shares a common wall with this one next week. Good thing it doesn't have another cast iron pink tub... only a pink tile shower with fiberglass base. But there is a lot of work and should be an interesting job. I also have one upstairs bath in my house that still doesn't have cabinet doors or trim run so I relate to your situation. No one lives up there but that is not a good excuse. And I don't have a Corvette to draw my attention away. Just a '94 Silverado that I have been intending to paint for two years that I may get to in a few months!
@@RustyDobbsSounds like you are staying busy. Are you going to do a complete remodel of the master bath? I'm sure we will get some video of that one also, right? My next project will probably be a 93 4WD Chevy sitting in my backyard. It belongs to my youngest son. The U-bolts rusted in too on the rear end and he rolled it. I have most of it ready to take the cab off and put another cab on it. I will probably put a LS motor in it also. I have a 5.3 LS sitting in the shop needing a new home. Take care, talk to you soon.
Yeah, Tdub, there are lots of ways to cut the boards that are better than my approach. Because I don't do this very often, I tend to grab this set up and go with it! If I were cutting this type of product every day, I would definitely find another approach! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video, as always! I like the animation and fast forward, your choices on tile placement, and am in total agreement on not putting a water barrier on the surface of the backer board, for the wicking reasons you mention. Enough trapped moisture from a crack in the grout could over time grow quite a little 'garden' behind the tiles, the airborne spores from which can make some more sensitive people really sick! Good job, sir!
Thanks, JusBidniss! Yeah, that waterproofing the whole surface is a popular approach and would seem to be a potentially bigger problem but I have never heard of it being raised as a concern. I live in a very dry area but I would think the higher the normal humidity of a location, the bigger the concern would be. A couple of years ago I got talked into setting tile in a shower for some friends that someone else had done all the prep for. Everything including the Hardiebacker and floor was coated with several coats of Hydroban. Air flow was not great to the area either so I told them that they were going to need to towel dry the shower daily to keep from having issues. About a year later, I was doing some other work for them and asked to check the shower. Of course, they were not drying the shower and already had mold starting to grow in the lower corners. It was a shame and having to run a box fan in the bathroom going forward was an inconvenience, but they had to start doing it. But at least they didn't have to worry about their walls studs rotting!
@@RustyDobbs Interesting! I wonder if an extra coat of grout sealer, plus installing a higher CFM exhaust fan, and possibly adding an additional air intake grill down by the floor to maximize the fan's efficiency (assuming there's a suitable room on the other side of the wall), might help their situation (or at least prevent the need for that box fan, which given their history on towel-drying the shower stall, sounds about as likely to happen)?
You can't say "layout" enough, Methodical2! Or maybe your can! 😀 But you are exactly right! There is no reason to start setting tile without knowing how everything is going to come out when you are done, before you begin. Thanks for watching!
I agree on the waterproofing backer issues. I've seen lots of rotting wood in my years, and most of it is painted wood. When wood has no way to breath/sweat/wick moisture away from itself, it rots. A well caulked and painted soffit and fascia on a home is like a bladder that holds water in the wood as well as it keeps it out. So when some does seep into it somehow it stays much longer. I have no cure for this inherent issue with wood, but it is real.
Good points, Sump. You are the first person to acknowledge the same kind of issues I think are inherent in waterproofing surfaces and assuming every potential problem is solved after that. When you have water interacting with surfaces over the course of years, you are better served realizing that you need to manage that over time rather that forgetting about it, believing all is great.
Man you are awesome!!!! This is my goal for my tub how do you measure your surround so you may know how much tile you’ll need for the job? I need you to install my tile for my bathroom
Thanks for watching, Judith! You measure the square footage of the area you want to tile and order about 10% more than that for cuts you might need to make and in case there is chipped or broken tile in you boxes. For a tub surround like this, about 60 square feet takes the tile up about 6 feet above the tub level. If you want to go to the ceiling, you need to order extra for that. If you want rounded over trim pieces on the edges like in this video, you order that by the linear feet that you need. It's really pretty straightforward. Good luck and I hope you get your project done!
Glad you found the video helpful, Bubba! I have a couple of the Bosch laser levels that I bought from Lowes. They were about $80 each and have performed great. Mine are probably eight years old now.
It would've been helpful to see/ hear how you deal with out-of-plane studs, how you got the backer board over the tub flange, and how you would return the tile to a wall at the edges (given that you seem to have shimmed out further than the old walls, so the backer would sit proud). You avoided the issue here, because the tub walls turn corners at the edges of the tub and you also tiled all the way to the ceiling. However, those aren't always options.
Yeah, it’s not always possible in a video to address the spectrum of issues you might run into on any given project. Obviously, the more experience you have the chances are greater that you have solved a particular problem before on another job. But that’s not always the case. It is most often the case that I run into something new on every job I do. So, to address your comment, I would say that getting good at remodeling means that you get good at improvising and adapting to solve problems as they arise all the time. Not a comprehensive answer, but that is how it really works on a jobsite. Thanks for watching.
I'm running into the exact issue of the tub not being level. I don't know what you mean by taking another inch out of the cut. I saw another girl that instead of doing staggered Cuts she did more of a diagonal line cut. I'm using a Bosch leveler and I'm going to draw my lines on the tiles and then go cut them so they're all level. Cutting from the bottom of course. Is this what you would recommend? Thank you and I absolutely love your videos, your voice, your pace and all of the detail.
Hey, thanks for watching, MM! Yeah, I think you are getting the idea. You always want to be setting tile against a level line regardless of what the tub is doing. If the tub is not level, great! Find the lowest point on your tub and start figuring your layout from there. Let’s assume you are using 12” x 12” tile. If you measure up 11” from your low point of your tub and make a mark on your wall, then mark a level line all the way around your walls, that is your reference line that you want to set your tile to. Obviously, you are going to be cutting off an inch at a minimum of each piece of your bottom row of tile to get it to fit between your level line and the tub. That’s what I meant when referring to the taking off another inch. You can mark your level line anywhere on the wall and adjust your cuts accordingly. Your goal at tub level is to have a 1/8” gap for a caulk joint between the cut tile edge and the tub. Another caution… do not set tile on one wall and run it all the way to the top of your enclosure before setting tile on the other walls. That can create alignment problems in your corners that are really difficult to fix. Just speaking from experience! Run two to three rows of tile at a time and set tile on all three walls working your way up the enclosure. Good luck with your project, MM and thanks for your kind comments!
Love this. I have a question when you say start at the low point what do you mean? I'm currently having two issues. My tub isn't level and once I get to the right corner of my shower the gap as I go up starts to get bigger. I'm assuming because the wall is unleveled.
Hey, Horton. The simplest explanation is to always remember to set your tile on level and plumb lines. If you start your full tile on the low point of an out of level tub, you will have to cut all other pieces to line up with the level line, so you won’t have the gap issue you are describing. Make sense?
@Charles Knight I don't think it would have been but creating a starting point off of the tub worked amazingly. Then, I just barely had to cut the pieces that went below.
What reason do you have for the little pieces on either side of the center full piece on the tap wall? especially because it led to the weird 1/2” piece going down the side of the bathtub? A tip to anyone doing this work for other people, don’t stand/work on the tub without covering it. Great animation/explanations. Thanks.
Hey, Mark. As I mention in the video, the bullnose cap I use to have a finished corner on the outside corner of the tub wall causes the need for the ½" filler piece against the tub based on the choice of the direction I installed the bullnose. Had I run the bullnose on the wall next to the toilet, that would have made the cut against the tub about 2 ¾" which would have looked better there. But I prefer the finish bullnose cap to run as I have it in the video so you make those calls before you start installing. There are always other options. I guess the main thing I have learned over the years is it is best to figure out how all your cuts for the job are going to work out before you install the first piece of tile. That is what keeps you out of trouble. And, yes, you are right. You definitely want to be careful and protect the finish on the tub as you work.
@@RustyDobbs Sorry, missed the bull nose mention first time through. It’s not even offered in my area. So, I either use Schulter aluminum trims or the factory tile edges, which is what I would have chosen here regardless to avoid all the little cut pieces. Totally agree with your comment that tile layout is all about trade-offs. Good to know your reason. That animation software is an amazing tool for teaching, wow. Well done.
Hi very educational video. I am about to start my frist tiling job. Quick question, I noticed at the last 2 seconds of your video, you did not put any spacers below on the tiles laying on the tub. Was that intentional ? Should there not be any spacers from tub to first tile ? Thank you
No, I am putting spacers in at the time the video ends. If you notice the pencil line above the tiles, I am using a blue wedge spacer to slide the tile up to the line on the left and the right side. I shoot for about a 1/8" gap at the tub and tile joint which is perfect for a caulk joint. That footage at the end of the video was filler, William, and probably not a good choice for people watching as intently as you! Most people don't watch to the end! Good luck on your project!
I sure hope you still receive communications when people comment on your older videos. I think I’m using a similar tile shown in your video here, it’s porcelain that has a glossy finish and looks like marble. I am shocked at the lack of protection the tile company has used to protect the face of these tiles. They have put the finished glossy face against the rough back of the next tiles. Some of these are scratched. While I have extra boxes, I just perfected my choice of tiles & layout for the back wall and need the other boxes for the 2 side walls & finding the exact tiles i want for their patterns.. and, will probably have the same exact issue with those tiles being scratched too. Are there any tricks to remove these surface scratches?
Not that I know of, LA. The scratches in the oven-fired gloss surfaces of tile unfortunately are there to stay. Seems like the darker the color of the tile is, the worse the scratches show. It's pretty rare that I have run into this, but its has happened. I always order 10-15% extra tile to allow for breakage and scratches. I have found that if I have to go back to the supplier for additional tile, you can have other issues with different lots and runs of tile that can create problems too. Suppliers could definitely do a better job with packaging!
@@RustyDobbs thank you so much for replying! I really appreciate your time and insight. I had since done a little research online in meantime and found several sources suggesting to try rubbing toothpaste, or vinegar - i think was the other option, I’d have to go back and look. I’ve gotten a little off track and have not had an opportunity to test it out. if they would just box them with the finished side of two tiles facing each other, and then a rough side of the next tile, facing the prior batch’s rough side and so on, with a protective film over the “peek window” of the box to see the color and design… 😐 then again, they make more money off of pros & clients having to buy extra. 🙄 thanx again, appreciate you!
Foam board is not only fine, it's preferable to Hardi or Durock in the sense that it is alrady waterproof. Much easier to install and probably at least as stout after tiling
I’ve only used foam board on one job where I was using a foam shower base and did a video on that. In order to meet the requirements for the lifetime warranty, I followed the manufacturer’s guidelines explicitly which included using their recommended thinset. It was twice the cost of regular thinset and was a real pain to work with as it had a short working time before it started setting up. Once it started to set, it was almost impossible to get off tile, trowels, clothing, sponges, buckets, anything it came in contact with. So I was constantly washing it off things. Once I got a workflow going, it was manageable but did not make a fan out of me. I will say, however, it dried incredibly hard, so after the tile was installed, the strength of the foam board was not a concern! Quick question for you… what happens to the water that gets trapped between the tile and waterproof barrier over time?
@@RustyDobbs I'm not entirely sure I understand your question. But if I do, you're interest lies in how it dries? First, your thinset coverage should be complete or at least 95%. Backbutter your tile and use the correct trowel. Your tile is waterproof. Your grout should be of a waterproof type or sealed at the very least. Hence, if you are grouted and caulked in corners correctly, the issue you bring up should be non-existent. I have torn out showers against sheetrock that were more than 20 years old to find everything dry as a bone. Regardless, your question would apply to CBU with redguard or Aqua defense as well. Where would the water behind plane go? As a final note, there are many foam boards availble. Most allow you to use any number of modified thinsets. Kerdi or Wedi aren't your only choices. Jobs fail because best standards aren't followed. Assure you follow them and your project will last till the next tear out.
@@JT-rc7vx It’s a practical question that the old guys who taught me to set tile and float mud showers would ask if they were still around. One benefit of the mud showers was that the cement wicked away incidental water that made its way through grout joints and corners over time. 1/2” Hardiebacker does the same thing extremely well and I’m sure is the reason that product was developed. You are correct that various sheetrock products were made to replace mud walls years ago because of the cost of mud showers and under the right circumstances they can last a long time. The move to waterproof everything behind the tile (including “cement” board products like Hardiebacker) over recent years has seemingly gained near universal acceptance. The old tile setters from 50 years ago would think that is crazy because of the elimination of the cement based surfaces opportunity to wick away incidental moisture that gets to walls behind the tile. The old timers and proponents of a waterproof envelope on shower walls agree on one thing. Water will get to the surface behind the tile or the proponents would not be promoting waterproofing products. So, my question of what happens to that water that gets to the waterproof surface behind the tile and is stopped? I don’t have a good answer. I don’t think it ever dries. I’m sure it migrates lower down the walls and sits there and if that is true, that’s not good. So, I don’t waterproof the field areas of my Hardiebacker before setting tile but do the corners and seams. My attempt at compromise of opposing viewpoints! You are correct that if the tile installation is done right and maintained, it is going to last a long time under normal use regardless of the surface behind the tile and its preparation. I just think that the waterproofing idea has some downsides that some people find it inconvenient to consider. You are only the second person to try to address the question when I have posed it probably ten times over probably the past five years and I appreciate that. Your answer is an honest assessment. And if I read you correctly, you agree with me that water between the tile and waterproof wall is trapped and not a good thing. To quote you, “Hence, if you are grouted and caulked in corners correctly, the issue you bring up should be non-existent.” To which I would add, “Yes, in a perfect world.” By the way, the foam board product and shower base I used on the shower I mentioned was Hydro Ban. The recommended thinset was the only problem for me. Easy installation otherwise and I think the end product was solid for foam board products. Would use again if I needed that type of product for a similar shower design. Thanks for your comments and the conversation!
Hello Rusty. First, great video. I'm about to do my own tiling and this information is really helpful. I have a couple of questions though. I didn't replace my water pipes behind the wall. I considered it but decided not to. The conditions of the pipes were good although I saw a small amount of 'green' buildup around the copper joints. The house is nearing 30 years now and, so, the condition of the pipes seemed like normal 'wear'. Should I be concerned? Do I need to do it over? I'll do it if I have to but would like your opinion. I've seen videos in which the presenter says something like 'today, we're going to work on this side of the wall...', and it seems like they're continuing the work days later. When installing tile on the alcove wall (on top of the bath tub), is it typical to install tile in sections over a period of days? For example, the center wall one day, left wall on another day, and the right wall on another day. Or, can you install all the tiles in one day? I hope that makes sense. Thanks for the help!
Thanks, Tony! Copper has been a very reliable product for house plumbing over many decades but weird things happen with it as well. I have seen the same type of buildup at times and don’t have the knowledge base to explain what is happening. As long as it is not obviously leaking, I would not mess with it. Copper water leaks are something that will happen and you deal with them when they do. I just replaced a two inch piece of copper for a neighbor next to a circulating pump that developed a pin hole leak. Something to do with the electrical field from the pump diminishing the thickness of the copper. Have seen that happen multiple times over the years and numerous copper pipe leaks under slabs as well. I have done a number of videos on setting tile around tubs and, yes, you can set different sizes and types of tile much faster than others. Larger format tiles needing to be set with thinset take longer. The main comment I have on your question is that I set tile on all three walls as I work and do not set one wall all the way to the ceiling then move to other walls. The reason has to do with keeping good alignment of the rows of tile in the corners. That’s one of those things you kind of have to experience not doing it that way to understand the problems that can arise. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!
Loved your instruction however there was an issue on your video that was not addressed fully. I hope you can give me some suggestions. My bathtub is not leveled and is a cast iron in a cove. So how to I fix the gap of the tile without having to have a thicker line of grout or caulking, P.S. bathtub is on a raised foundation and there is some movement. Any suggestions. Thank you
Thanks for watching, Diana, and sorry my explanation fell a little short. I address that issue at about the 11:30 mark in the video, but simply stated, you start with a full tile at the low point on your tub rim and make cuts accordingly. If you do that, you do not have a gap at the tub. You will need to make cuts, in all likelihood, for all the other tile pieces at the tub level, but that’s the way it works. Remember, you always want to set tile on a level line without regard to if the tub is level or not. That doesn’t matter. It may be hard to follow the rationale, but once you get it, you’ll never forget it. On the tub having some movement, unfortunately the only way to address that is to cut some access point in a wall or walls around the perimeter of the tub to be able to shim under the corners of the tub base and stop the movement. Big pain to do but that’s the way to fix it. Hope that helps, Diana, and good luck with your project
So very glad I found your video! I’ve been a little frustrated because I have not made as much progress as I thought I would by now in even getting started, but I’m so relieved bc you have addressed several issues that I may have, and even would have definitely run into, and I wouldn’t have known it until it was too late… Thank you so very much! 🤗
Great video. How on earth do you do those great animations. I have a lawn care company and want to do some how to videos animations added would be cool. What program do you use? Thank you. PS I did a schluter foam board reno once and used the 1" board. It worked great. But I was fortunate that I had the room to use it.
Hey Chris! Thanks for watching and your comments! The program I used for these animations is Sketchup Pro. I have used it for years as a contractor in creating visuals for customers. Using it for animations is a newer thing for me. The downside to it is the expense. These days, you have to buy an annual subscription of about $300 which I will not be renewing this year. I have gradually gravitated to a free program called Blender. The animations in my video called “$2500 Built-In Mini Bar Transformation” were done in Blender and you can quickly see the difference between the two products. There is quite a story behind Blender which makes it my choice going forward. I still spend money on Blender through addons that streamline the workflow and courses but all those are one time purchases and quite reasonable. RUclips is full of videos on both products. Just to forewarn you, both products have steep learning curves so be prepared to work at it a lot before beginning to be productive with either. It takes time but gets really addictive the more you learn! Good luck!
Quick question.. when starting your first layer of tile on the backwall does the corner tile touch the edge of the wall or does the side wall tile meet at the corner with the backwall tile?
Yes, I think I understand what you are asking, Alan. Whichever wall I am setting tile on, I cut it to within about 1/8” of the adjacent wall, which let's say is Hardiebacker. Then, I cut the tile to within about 1/8” of the set tile when installing tile on the adjacent wall. So, I basically overlap the tile in the corner. Hope that makes sense.
That’s a tough one, Kimberley! There are lots of structural things that make a tub install much different than a shower installation (like drain placement, for example). Sorry to tell you this, but you would likely come out better financially and like the finished product better if you quickly tore everything out and started from scratch.
chances are if it's from 60- 70s to floated wall and you got 1-3 inches of deck/bed mud on walls so in most cases your tear out is the most difficult part lol
Yep, Marc, I have not only torn out some of those over the years, I have also floated a number of those! Now that's a process that lots of folks beyond you and me have no idea what we are talking about... a lost art! But those showers last decades!
@@RustyDobbs agreed , when they start to fail it's catastrophic though because of how monolithic they are, I'm only 43 and have done my fair share of screeded wall and still do use mud for my custom walk-in showers .... past Monday I started ripping out 1970's bathroom just got the tub installed yesterday actually do the plumbing today and get it operational so they can bath while I finish the rest lol
Thank you, Juan! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I used a program called Sketchup Pro for the design/animation in this video. I have used it for many years so I am comfortable with it. I haven't been happy with the pricing structure of Sketchup for a number of years and it is not really keeping up feature wise with other software so I have switched to Blender, which is a free product. It is not really a fair comparison and Sketchup is an easier product for construction people to work with, but Blender is much better if animation and effects are what you are after. There is a pretty good learning curve with both products if you are new to these types of programs but lots of RUclips tutorials out there! A lot of fun either way and a great way to be creative!
Question - the back wall behind my tub....the center is 1/8 inch higher than it is on the ends. So if I leave 1/8th for grout and try to do full tile at the top...my gap will be about 1/4 in the center. Does this mean i need to rip/shave these top tiles to make it a tighter fit? Hope that makes sense. Thanks.
Good question, Gary. Let’s say you are using a 12” x 12” tile. Let’s further say you made a mark on your back wall 11” above that higher center point and extended a level pencil line at that mark around the back wall and side walls. If you want to install your 12” tile edges all the way around your tub on that level line (which you do want to do!), the tiles obviously would not fit without cutting them. So you measure and cut them to fit between the level line and the tub and account for the 1/8” caulk joint you want at the bottom of your tile against the tub. That process gets your installation started properly. Then you install the rest of your tile above the level line with it as your base and build up from there. You can make your pencil mark and level line at 11 1/2” or 11 3/4” or whatever height you want, but just realize your cuts against the tub get thinner and thinner the higher up you move your line. Those thinner cuts which can be harder to make. Hope that makes sense but that’s the way setting tile works. Your main concern is with getting a level line established on any wall tile job you do.
Thanks, Adam! I know people do that kind of recoating but have never personally seen a tub refinished so I do have a good point of reference. Yeah, the durability question would be my concern. Though it seems like a big deal to tear out and replace a tub, realistically the tear out is surprisingly simple. You need some manpower and room to work to get it out in one piece. If you take a sledge hammer to a cast iron tub, again with some physical effort it can be broken apart in a short period of time. The real issue to be aware of is can you maneuver the new tub into the old space without major wall demolition and how much of that are you willing to do. Tubs are generally set when the house is being framed to make it easy to get them in place. One time I actually cut out studs in the wall on the end of the tub to access it through a bedroom to get the old cast iron tub out and replace with a new one. With two of us working on it, it was still a lot of physical effort. But it would have been impossible to do otherwise. Cost of a new cast iron tub was about $350 the last time I checked which has always surprised me. So the real expense is in labor if you hire people to do the work.
I talk about this in the video, but the short answer is you start with a full tile at the 3/4" low spot. That's quite out of level, Light! If you need more help, you can email me at rusty@dobbsworkshop.com and I'll give you a link where you can share more specific information about your project.
I realize you were coming from the floor and that dictated where you started on the tub line. If I'm just doing the tub area, should I establish a line say at midpoint and work up, then work down from that midpoint to mitigate an uneven line at the tub level? I'm using 8"x 24" tiles. I've seen it done this way with subway tiles and I'm wondering if the larger format tile makes it a bad idea to start midpoint. I plan to go all the way to the ceiling and to tile the ceiling also.
I think I understand what you’re asking, Charles. You are right about establishing a level line that becomes a reference point for the entire job. I typically do that a couple of tiles from the tub itself. The reason I don’t do it higher up on the wall, say at the midpoint, is because I prefer stacking the tile going up the wall. The less tile I have to set below my level line the better because it’s more time-consuming and gravity is always working against you. Because the tub line may be level or maybe not, it’s pretty much irrelevant except that I want to make sure my layout allows me to make as easy a cut as possible at the tub line. You can start at the midpoint. That’s just something I have never done. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Mario! I used a program called Sketchup Pro for the design/animation in this video. I have used it for many years so I am comfortable with it. I haven't been happy with the pricing structure of Sketchup for a number of years and it is not really keeping up feature wise with other software so I have switched to Blender, which is a free product. It is not really a fair comparison. Sketchup is an easier product for construction people to work with, but Blender is much better if animation and effects are what you are after. There is a pretty good learning curve with both products if you are new to these types of programs but lots of RUclips tutorials out there! A lot of fun either way and a great way to be creative!
That tile is called Themar Venato Gold Pol and I purchased it from Arizona Tile, J W. I don’t remember exactly but it does seem like the unglazed portion of the tile was a very light gray color. I know the water in my tile saw tray was a chalky white/gray color.
I did this animation in Sketchup Pro, John. I've used it for many years in construction project designs. I have made a switch to Blender in the past year for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Blender is free compared to about $300 per year for Sketchup. That was a big consideration but more than that, Blender is evolving so quickly with features and tools that it is leaving Sketchup behind in many ways. It is quite a story. Big learning curve but I'm glad I made the change.
Hi, Dean. When I lay out my tile I try to avoid having to cut into the center of a piece of tile to make holes for the faucets. That means that a grout joint is generally going to be running through the location of the faucet. So with a tile saw or angle grinder, those cuts are fairly easy to make. I also have carbide drill bits for tile that attached to a variable speed drill so that if I need to make cuts in the center of the tile, I can use them alone or in combination with my tile saw.
Yes, basically, Wendell. Where I would differ with you is that there is nothing ‘traditional’ about waterproofing products and tile setting in my work history as those are relatively new innovations. When I learned to do this work over 40 years ago, the best showers had concrete walls floated over metal lathe attached to the studs. Because of the cost of mud walls, other types of sheetrock were developed that had some level of moisture resistance for wet areas but were terrible products. Hardiebacker and like products come as close to mimicking mud walls as anything I have run across so that is why I use 1/2” Hardiebacker. I like the ability of Hardiebacker to deal with incidental water that will make it’s way through grout joints over time, so I leave most of the flat areas without waterproofing. The reason I do not waterproof the entire walls is because I don’t like the idea of water being trapped between the back of the tile and the waterproof membrane. Leads to potential mold issues in grout joints and I have never hear a good explanation as to why that should not be a concern. Anyway, that is why I have landed where I have on the waterproofing of walls. Hope that helps!
Way too many small tiles, very disturbing to the eye. Tile selection is as important as layout. If the size you are choosing necessitates small slices, pick another size that lays out properly. This job is esthetically deficient with the small tile pieces.
Hi Rusty... is there a software animation tool you can recommend such as the one you used here? I we think it would help to visualize the project and make changes prior to starting?
Hey, Texas! I use SketchUp primarily for my videos and have been using it for a long time. I think there is a free version of it that you can design in, but I don't think you can print your results. The version I have which is SketchUp Pro costs about $300 a year I think now, which is annoying. There is another product called Blender that is totally free and is an incredible tool. You can read up on it by searching for Blender and get the back story on it. The only reason I have not switched completely to Blender is because I am much more efficient in SketchUp and there is a pretty significant learning curve to getting functional with Blender. It also doesn't handle the architectural or construction types of applications as well as SketchUp at this point, though it seems like the people working on Blender are making efforts to reach out to the SketchUp community. Anyway those are my thoughts and I hope they are helpful!
I have a 20 year old tile saw that maxes out at 18" straight cut. The job that I am setting up for is 12 by 24 tile. Is there a way that I can make my saw work for that job? The saw is in great shape so I don't really want to go have to buy a new saw. The area in which I live does not have any rental companies nearby.
Without seeing your saw, Brad, I can’t speak definitively about whether or not you can easily cut larger pieces than your 18 inch cut. My saw does not make any larger cuts than yours does but by getting creative with the way I make my cuts, I can still make longer cuts safely. Probably the simplest suggestion is to mark your cut lines on your tile pieces, then cut 1/3 or 1/2 way through the piece, turn off your saw and carefully flip your peace around and finish your cut from the other direction. My saw has a sliding table on it, so I have to let the larger pieces ride up on top of the sliding table guide that I normally set the tile against to make square cuts. Hope that makes sense!
Hi Jon. The best way to address a gap is to not let one be created. So when I give various examples of what happens with unlevel tubs, the given is that often you have no way to make the tub level, so you have to work around that issue and basically hide the problem in the approach to setting the tile. Let's say you are using a 12x12 inch tile. If you set a piece of that tile against the wall at the low point of the unlevel tub, there is no gap between the tub and the tile. If you draw a line on the wall at the top of that tile piece and extend that line level all the way around your tub enclosure and use that line to set tile against, what happens to your bottom row of tile? The piece that you have against the wall that is your starting point for the level line fits. To make other pieces of tile fit between the level line and the tub, you have to trim them as needed. That is how to not allow a gap to be created and still set you tile on a level line on the rest of the installation. I always shoot for about a 1/8" gap at the tub and tile level because that makes a nice caulk joint. Hope the explanation helps!
Hi Rusty, what animation software did you use to make this video? I am a contractor and would like to be able to create visuals for tile layouts like you have done with this tiling project.
I used Sketchup for this video, Hunter. It's a good software package for a contractor as it seems to work like we think perhaps better than some other packages. The thing I don't like about Sketchup is their pricing structure these days so I'm pretty much done with it. It's also a little behind the times a little and I'm not sure it's keeping up with the competition. That makes the new pricing harder to swallow. My last video, I did all the animation in a program called Blender which I am finally proficient enough with now (after several years) to leave Sketchup behind. If you don't have some experience with a 3D animation software, be prepared to invest a lot of time to reach a point where you can use it for what you are wanting to do. I think it's a good investment of time because you are doing something really creative, but there's a steep learning curve, especially with Blender. Blender is also a free program that has unlimited capabilities so that's a plus as well. I'm not sure creating animations and drawings for customers has actually earned me more work, but having that capability has certainly closed some deals for me, I'm sure. Good luck with the learning!
In this video, I used Sketchup Pro but in more recent videos, I have been using Blender. Both have their advantages. Sketchup handles construction type projects better while Blender works great for more cinematic type effects, lighting, etc.
I used Sketchup Pro on this video, Brian. I have used it for many years and it is ok. The pricing is getting out of hand from my perspective for it's capabilities which is a shame. I have been working to switch to Blender for the past year or so which is a free open source program. The learning curve is very steep, but it's feature and potential blow away Sketchup if you can get functional, which I almost am now. I still jump back to Sketchup if I need to create something quickly because I know it so well but that is happening less and less the more I work in Blender.
Grout is not waterproof. Where do you think that water goes? The backer board don’t wick it to a drain. I get that you are comfortable with backer but times have changed. Form board is far superior. No way I’d do niech with backer!! Now I get what you mean by saying it feels flimsy. Even tho it’s not I do add more studs to help with that. Not required but man worked so good.
I’m glad you are sold on foam board. No doubt it is easier to work with. So let’s say you install foam board around a tub, then set tile, grout and caulk. Let me use your own words on you. “Grout is not waterproof. Where do you think the water goes? The foam board doesn’t wick it to a drain.” I would not be hard to convince but nobody who has raised the issue you raise can answer the simple question of what happens to the water that gets trapped between the foam board (or waterproof membrane) and the tile. The answer is that it soaks into the thinset and probably the back of the tile (depending on the tile) and never dries. You think that’s a great solution? It’s not. The last guy I had this conversation with ended with, “Well, if the job was done right, the grout sealed and corners caulked, it shouldn’t be a problem anyway!” There is some truth in his response and at least he was honest but couldn’t bring himself to say he agreed with me. I can tell you are trying to do good work by your “extra studs” comment but try not to buy off on newer ideas just because “times have changed”. Sometimes the change is not necessarily for the better, but time will tell in this case. Thanks for watching and for your thoughts!
@@RustyDobbs foam board is not new. its been around for awhile. Backer board soaks up water and foam will not. i prefer that water not to reach my wood and rot it.
@@racker7855 You posed the question to me, “Where do you think that water goes?” when referring to my method of using Hardiebacker. When I asked the same question of you regarding foam board, you replied with, “I prefer that water not to reach my wood and rot it” so you use foam board. That’s your answer? What you prefer NOT to happen? It is obvious then that what you prefer to happen is that the water over time collects behind the tile against water barrier provided by your foam board. I don’t know what is so difficult for you guys who believe in these products to just say that. I explain my views in the video. You criticize my approach and then refuse to acknowledge the obvious downside of your approach - water gets trapped and has nowhere to go. I get it, there is no good response for that. If you can't defend it, then why is that such a good methodology from your point of view?
The main software I use for the video editing is Premiere Pro. Specifically for the animations, I used Sketchup Pro in this video. I also use Blender for animations as well.
Hey Rusty, I sent an email to you via your website. Hope you don't mind. It shows my latest little verneer project, all by hand. Kind regards Danny uk 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸🙂👍
Hey Danny. Try sending the pictures to rusty@dobbsworkshop.com as I haven't received anything anywhere else. Would enjoy seeing what you are working on!
Not impressed with how you did the inside corners. You want to make a full tile look like it’s being rapped round the inside corner rather then having two pieces cut on the inside corner. Makes your pattern look off
We all look at things differently, Ryan. Using larger format tile like this, my bigger concerns were to have the back symetrical and full tiles against the bullnose trim on each sidewall. I was also dealing with two niches on the back wall that I wanted to simplify cuts for as much as possible. How the inside corners worked out were just how they worked out with the priorities I had. I get your point but I would not have been happy with that layout on this job. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Your layout isn’t great lol. You could have started with a tile in the center of the wall and had two big pieces on the ends. Then start with a whole tile on the left and right wall and end with what ever piece it ends with.
You kind of have two logical choices with layout of large format tile in a situation like this. A tile centered on the center line of the wall or a grout joint on the center line of the wall. I went the direction I did to make my cuts for the niches easier. Was not interested in having to cut a rectangular piece out of the field areas of two of these large pieces of tile.
Holy cow, I have never ever heard of NO waterproofing membrane. He wouldn't do that to his house. I am a DIY and have done two marble & granite showers in the past, working on a third shower with porcelain next month. I DON'T recommend this way folks. It has been 12 years and there is nothing wrong with my two showers, no moisture behind walls, nothing underneath the tubs. SMH
It’s rare that I get comment like yours and even more rare that I waste time responding to it. But a guy like you should be called upon to explain himself and his views if he can. A couple of questions for you. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but do you know how the best quality showers and tub surrounds were built before Hardiebacker and other backerboard products were created and before RUclips? The walls were built with roughly a 3/4” layer of a mixture of sand, portland and masonry cement floated over metal lathe. Tile was set on that surface with thinset. Waterproof membrane products for tile installations did not exist and would have been rejected by tile setters anyway. One reason showers were built this way was that water that will inevitably find its way through grout joints over time will be wicked away by the cement walls and evaporate which helps to reduce the likelihood of mold forming in shower and tub surrounds. It was also extremely durable with installations lasting decades and only being replaced when homeowners wanted to update their tile. Why do popular products like Hardiebacker and Durock look like cement, have the same water absorbing properties as cement and in fact are often referred to as “cement board”? Based on the history I just told you about, the answer should be obvious to you. If a waterproof membrane is the solution to all moisture problems in wet areas, then why don’t these manufacturers coat their main backerboard products with a waterproof membrane when it is manufactured and make it easier on contractors and DIYers? Why would they be selling a product that according to you is unusable for tile installations as purchased from a supplier because “Holy Cow, I have never heard of NO waterproofing membrane.” Probably the simplest answer is that the people who created these products don’t think like you and probably were tile setters before they started making these products that mimic the old mud walls. If the old tile setters who taught me how to float mud walls and set tile 45 years ago were still living, they would be the ones “shaking their heads” at comments like yours. Certainly you will acknowledge you expect that water to some degree will find its way through grout joints over time in even the best tile installations. If you disagree with that, then why would you need a waterproof membrane in the first place which you insist is so important? So you are expecting water to reach the waterproof membrane and it is stopped there, right? Where does it go from there? In my installations, incidental water will likely be quickly absorbed by 1/2” Hardiebacker and evaporate which is fine with me. Lots of work history and precedent for that being fine with me. In your “recommended” installations, water will hit a waterproof membrane and collect behind the tile. That is actually your intended goal. It may soak into the back of the tile (which isn’t good either), but the finish on the tile will not let it go anywhere. You say you have done two marble and granite showers in the past. You realize of course these are natural stone products and by their nature through fissures and cracks, may collect and actually soak up water, in addition to water soaking into grout joints. Are you ok with water getting behind your marble, granite and porcelain and just sitting there? Does it not concern you that mold may be growing between your tile and waterproof membrane that you cannot see. You say there is “nothing wrong with my two showers, no moisture behind walls.” You don’t know if that is true between the tile and waterproof membrane. Have you pulled tile at the floor level of those showers and looked? You can’t explain what happens to water that is, by your design, trapped between the waterproof membrane and back of the tile. You think a waterproof membrane solves all problems. It doesn’t. So, what happens to water you are trapping behind your tile?
I’m 21, I’m starting two bathrooms by myself in this house my wife and I just bought after we got married. I’ve never done any remodeling, much less tiling, and these videos are the best. You’re helping me a lot! Keep up the good work!
Good luck, James! I have to tell you that I was 22 when I started learning this type of work so you've got the jump on me age wise! Start accumulating tools and learning to use them and you will save yourself lots of money over time and get a great deal of satisfaction from working with your hands. Remodeling your bathrooms will give you dollar for dollar additional equity in your home at a minimum and probably more. Do not put in a pool until you have remodeled your kitchen too and detailed out everything else in your house! 😀
Don't skip the waterproofing, RUclips other professional tilesetters yourself before the nightmare get you.
FINALLY! A video that shows a bathtub tile surround & how to consider the other tile walls in the bathroom as far as how to layout the tile heights & widths for the best result!
Thanks for watching, Steven! I'm glad the detail was helpful to you!
this is the best video I've seen yet dealing with setting tile around a bath tub. Thank You!
Thanks for watching and for the comment, Ken! Glad you found it helpful!
Best tiling video I've seen so far.
Thanks so much, Rotor! I appreciate you watching!
Rusty, thank you soooo much for all your videos. They are incredibly detailed, which for a novice is so important. The animations are the best part, so professional.
I appreciate you giving me that feedback, gwasha1! My intention is to give people who are trying to learn how to do their own objects as much help as possible. I’m glad you are finding my videos helpful! I enjoy exploring the animations also!
Honestly you have some of the best videos. Simple, detailed and right to the point.
Hey David! Thanks so much for your comment! I appreciate you watching and am glad you find the videos helpful!
The animations are so nice! Great video!
Hey, thanks Aimee! The more animations I do, the less guitar practice I do... 🙄
Great video! I really appreciate the fact that you didn’t leave a single step out, including your logic. Explaining what your thought process, helps to see the logic in your design. Thank you for taking your time to make sue a great video
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Jon, and I appreciate your kind comments! Thanks for watching!
I like that you included pictures of you thinking how you want to go about it. I'll be doing way more, I know. Still lol cool!
I do a lot of thinking on projects, Charles! A lot more than I include in my videos! Your time will serve you well if you do a lot of thinking too! 🙂
We are about to do this -tub wall tiling and bathroom wainscot tile and we were not sure how to blend them. This helped immensely, thank you!
Glad you found the video helpful for you guys, Karen! Yes, that wraparound look is a nice finish! Good luck on your project!
Excellent video ...... Thanks Rusty and crew. I'm getting ready to tile around my tub and bath walls in the next week or two
Good luck on your project, MC! It certainly makes a big difference in the look of your bathroom! Thanks for watching!
Us too, MC DATACOMM. How did it turn out?
Great video, extremely thorough and helpful for those of us just getting started on these types of projects. Thank you!
Good luck, Branden! You are just the kind of person I was hoping would watch this video, so I'm glad you came across it! You will get a great deal of satisfaction out of tackling projects like this and working your way through them! Plus, doing it yourself you'll save some cash too!
@@RustyDobbs I have relied on RUclips throughout the whole process of my live-in renovation and this video is certainly no exception there. Thank you, it truly provided me with skills that I'll continue to put to use in future home projects.
A helpful tip I have used on cast iron tubs when working alone, is to remove them with a sledgehammer they break up with some effort and can be carried out piece by piece. All in all great video! Lots of good stuff here.
Yeah, Scericabauer, it wasn't until I starting watching RUclips myself that I stumbled across a video where someone busted out a cast iron tub with a sledgehammer a few years ago. I really haven't had the need to pull many tubs over years, but there have been times where I wish I had know that tip! Thanks for watching!
great video. We ripped out the bath tub and tile during covid. Then we got hit by Ian. So we are doing lots of rebuilding. Will be installing a new tub and tile soon. Thanks
Yeah, your home life has had one disruption after another for a few years now, Frank! Good luck on your projects and I appreciate your comments!
I have set tile for myself for many years and have recently started setting title as a profession. It always bothered me when I see tiles set off sides. I see it everywhere, grocery stores restaurants etc. It is amazing to see how you figure out how to make the tile symmetrica.
Thanks for watching, Brad, and good luck on your tile setting journey! As you know, the more you do it, you develop your own approaches to laying things out. I always want to make sure I know how things are going to look when the job is finished before I set my first piece of tile. Takes a little more time but I think it's worth it.
I would've liked to see more of the final reveal. It was just a short piece. I want to see it all.
Thanks for watching, Sundra! Sorry I didn't give you more video! Since this was a tile setting tutorial, I didn't include the rest of the bathroom which included a tall linen storage unit and vanity with solid surface top... all custom built. Dang, I should have shown that! Anyway those other processes and similar styles of cabinets are included in other videos on my channel.
nice video with the 3d program explains clearly what your doing.
Glad you like it, Dean! I enjoy working in the 3d environment and will be doing much more of that in the future. I appreciate you watching!
@@RustyDobbs May I ask what program that is you use to figure out your tile layout? Also, are there inexpensive ones or free ones?
@@deaneng8540 The software I used for this video is SketchUp which is a paid program. I have used it for years so it is very familiar but I have not been happy with it for some time. I switched to another program called Blender after this video which is a free program. The learning curve for both programs is steep. It has taken me several years to get somewhat productive with Blender even with the background in SketchUp. It's all a matter of how much time you want to commit to learning a 3D software program that makes the difference. There are thousands of good tutorial videos on Blender on RUclips. I think you kind of need a reason to learn Blender or any other 3D program though. It's not something that you will casually pick up simply because it is interesting. It can be pretty overwheming! Good luck!
Your animation is amazing and I understand the efforts you made on this animation.
Thanks for watching and your comment! For this video I used Sketchup to do the animation but it is not really a great animation tool. It took me a while but I have since converted over to Blender which is a lot more versatile.
Thank you for amazing tutorial
Thanks for watching! I sure appreciate it!
thanks, this video really helped and is one of the best out there i've found for learning this skill !
Glad you found it helpful! Came from setting tile around a lot of tubs over the years!
Nice work rusty. Personally I would have put the 24” tile in the middle, then about a 18” cut tile on each side of it. Also, 12:38, that’s why I like a roll on membrane like redgard or aqua defense. It prevents the backer board from sucking moisture out of thinset.
Thanks, Kevr! I wondered who would be the first to make your observation! I thought the same thing when I was working on the animation. The decision was all about the niches! You might be able to see in the finished shots at the end of video what kind of cuts I would have had to make if I had centered the tile on the center line. I don't mind a challenge every once in a while but wasn't in the mood that day! I think the temp was about 30 degrees and the saw was in the shade!
Rusty Dobbs I hear you. Just finished a shower and there’s never a perfect solution. Either way the tile looks nice and joints are nice and even.
Agreed. This looks bad..
Exactly, so many small cuts on both sides near the edges, not pretty at all. Redguard or other waterproofing is a MUST!
You just made me feel very comfortable with tiling around my tub...Thank you
Great to hear, Kenneth! That was the intention! Good luck on your project!
Excellent explanation and design, thank you for your information,
Thanks, William! I appreciate you watching!
Hey Rusty.....absolutely stunning work, my hat goes off to you and Ryan. I like they way you centre lined , and had the tile cuts almost to quatre of a full tile it's the best way aesthetically. The little tile to the left bottom next to bath tub is the best way its nicely tuck Way out of site and goes unnoticed very well planned in.
When I do verneer boxes , here in the UK as hobby all by hand if I dont like like it, I seriously have to start again ( not that often I might add) , if it doesn't look right for me , I believe people will not like it so planning anything like tiling, wallpaper hanging, etc, is key to any project ....now back to your video, Stunning detail, stunning design and best of all the Stunning workmanship. You should have your own show on TV. Your a credit to the USA and the planet. Excellent video. Kind regards Danny uk 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸🙂👍👍
Hey, Danny! I know you pay attention to detail in your work and it sounds like you enjoy doing veneers as much as I do! There were lots of options on the layout of the tile, but ultimately the biggest influencers of my decision-making were the niche boxes I needed to tile around. In the end, it worked out okay. We literally are doing demo right now on the master bath in this house that's on the other side of the wall behind the toilet! It will be the same color combinations of paint and tile, but with a corner shower that will be all glass and a double sink vanity. Also lots of custom cabinets, so Ryan will be getting a workout! Sounds like I need to hire you as my promotional agent! Thanks for your kind words and I always appreciate hearing from you!
Fantastic demo. I've watched quite a few and this is the best yet. Thank you very much.
Thanks Len! I appreciate your comment and thanks for watching!
Excellent demonstration... thank you!
Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Awesome job. We are using similar tile for our guest bathroom tub/tile surround.
Thanks, Brad, and I appreciate you watching! Hope your job turns out great!
Excellent thank you so much.
Thanks for watching and for your comment, Mike!
Thanks for this video! I'm 21 and just started renovating a bathroom and I genuinely hate the plastic white look and I can't really afford it right now anyway. I have tile though! Excited to start this project tomorrow.
Good luck with your project, Delihlah! Glad your excited about it! With each project you do, you learn more and improve your skills! I'm glad you are taking on this challenge!
All I can say is I'm glad it's you and not me... You do such a nice job, and I enjoy watching you work...
But, I have two bathrooms in my flooded house that I work on from time to time. The main one in the back is pretty much gutted except for removing the tub. Lack of motivation runs deep in this project. And a Corvette... lol...
Thanks, Danny! We're starting the master bath that shares a common wall with this one next week. Good thing it doesn't have another cast iron pink tub... only a pink tile shower with fiberglass base. But there is a lot of work and should be an interesting job.
I also have one upstairs bath in my house that still doesn't have cabinet doors or trim run so I relate to your situation. No one lives up there but that is not a good excuse. And I don't have a Corvette to draw my attention away. Just a '94 Silverado that I have been intending to paint for two years that I may get to in a few months!
@@RustyDobbsSounds like you are staying busy. Are you going to do a complete remodel of the master bath? I'm sure we will get some video of that one also, right?
My next project will probably be a 93 4WD Chevy sitting in my backyard. It belongs to my youngest son. The U-bolts rusted in too on the rear end and he rolled it. I have most of it ready to take the cab off and put another cab on it. I will probably put a LS motor in it also. I have a 5.3 LS sitting in the shop needing a new home. Take care, talk to you soon.
Great video. Thanks for the tile tips especially starting at low point
Glad you found it helpful, Chris! Thanks for watching!
Visualization is amazing, thank you! Great job!!!!
Thanks, Anton! I appreciate you watching!
Amazing tutorial
Thanks Real Deal! Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you watching!
Best video I ever seen
Such a great video good details very informative! Thank you
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, RJ! I appreciate it!
What a great video! Thank you!
Thanks, Gery! I appreciate you watching!
Fantastic video. Thank you.
Thank you, Robert! I appreciate you watching!
I have an attachment that fits on my drill to cut boards with little to no dust.
Good YOB!
Yeah, Tdub, there are lots of ways to cut the boards that are better than my approach. Because I don't do this very often, I tend to grab this set up and go with it! If I were cutting this type of product every day, I would definitely find another approach! Thanks for watching!
I never leave comments but good job with the video
Thanks, Block Club! I appreciate you watching!
Very informative, thorough and easy to understand. Good job!
Thanks so much for your comment, Zachary! I’m glad the video is helpful!
@@RustyDobbs suppose ylthe tube is not level
Great use of the working tools ⚒️
Thanks, Bean! I appreciate you watching!
Excellent video, as always! I like the animation and fast forward, your choices on tile placement, and am in total agreement on not putting a water barrier on the surface of the backer board, for the wicking reasons you mention. Enough trapped moisture from a crack in the grout could over time grow quite a little 'garden' behind the tiles, the airborne spores from which can make some more sensitive people really sick! Good job, sir!
Thanks, JusBidniss! Yeah, that waterproofing the whole surface is a popular approach and would seem to be a potentially bigger problem but I have never heard of it being raised as a concern. I live in a very dry area but I would think the higher the normal humidity of a location, the bigger the concern would be. A couple of years ago I got talked into setting tile in a shower for some friends that someone else had done all the prep for. Everything including the Hardiebacker and floor was coated with several coats of Hydroban. Air flow was not great to the area either so I told them that they were going to need to towel dry the shower daily to keep from having issues. About a year later, I was doing some other work for them and asked to check the shower. Of course, they were not drying the shower and already had mold starting to grow in the lower corners. It was a shame and having to run a box fan in the bathroom going forward was an inconvenience, but they had to start doing it. But at least they didn't have to worry about their walls studs rotting!
@@RustyDobbs Interesting! I wonder if an extra coat of grout sealer, plus installing a higher CFM exhaust fan, and possibly adding an additional air intake grill down by the floor to maximize the fan's efficiency (assuming there's a suitable room on the other side of the wall), might help their situation (or at least prevent the need for that box fan, which given their history on towel-drying the shower stall, sounds about as likely to happen)?
Thanks for a great informative video 😁
Thanks, Indi! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment!
Layout, layout, layout is the key. The laser makes checking those layout lines quicker, easier and more accurate.
You can't say "layout" enough, Methodical2! Or maybe your can! 😀 But you are exactly right! There is no reason to start setting tile without knowing how everything is going to come out when you are done, before you begin. Thanks for watching!
@@RustyDobbs Yep. You have to see the light at the end of the tunnel before you start.
I agree on the waterproofing backer issues. I've seen lots of rotting wood in my years, and most of it is painted wood. When wood has no way to breath/sweat/wick moisture away from itself, it rots. A well caulked and painted soffit and fascia on a home is like a bladder that holds water in the wood as well as it keeps it out. So when some does seep into it somehow it stays much longer. I have no cure for this inherent issue with wood, but it is real.
Good points, Sump. You are the first person to acknowledge the same kind of issues I think are inherent in waterproofing surfaces and assuming every potential problem is solved after that. When you have water interacting with surfaces over the course of years, you are better served realizing that you need to manage that over time rather that forgetting about it, believing all is great.
Man you are awesome!!!! This is my goal for my tub how do you measure your surround so you may know how much tile you’ll need for the job? I need you to install my tile for my bathroom
Thanks for watching, Judith! You measure the square footage of the area you want to tile and order about 10% more than that for cuts you might need to make and in case there is chipped or broken tile in you boxes. For a tub surround like this, about 60 square feet takes the tile up about 6 feet above the tub level. If you want to go to the ceiling, you need to order extra for that. If you want rounded over trim pieces on the edges like in this video, you order that by the linear feet that you need. It's really pretty straightforward. Good luck and I hope you get your project done!
Best informative video I’ve seen !!! Great great job!
Thanks so much, Judd! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Fantastic video, showed me exactly what i need todo with my project
Can you tell me what laser alignment tool you are using? Thank you
Glad you found the video helpful, Bubba! I have a couple of the Bosch laser levels that I bought from Lowes. They were about $80 each and have performed great. Mine are probably eight years old now.
It would've been helpful to see/ hear how you deal with out-of-plane studs, how you got the backer board over the tub flange, and how you would return the tile to a wall at the edges (given that you seem to have shimmed out further than the old walls, so the backer would sit proud). You avoided the issue here, because the tub walls turn corners at the edges of the tub and you also tiled all the way to the ceiling. However, those aren't always options.
Yeah, it’s not always possible in a video to address the spectrum of issues you might run into on any given project. Obviously, the more experience you have the chances are greater that you have solved a particular problem before on another job. But that’s not always the case. It is most often the case that I run into something new on every job I do. So, to address your comment, I would say that getting good at remodeling means that you get good at improvising and adapting to solve problems as they arise all the time. Not a comprehensive answer, but that is how it really works on a jobsite. Thanks for watching.
Tile layouts, especially when a tub is involved, always involve compromises to arrive at the best overall balance.
I'm running into the exact issue of the tub not being level. I don't know what you mean by taking another inch out of the cut. I saw another girl that instead of doing staggered Cuts she did more of a diagonal line cut. I'm using a Bosch leveler and I'm going to draw my lines on the tiles and then go cut them so they're all level. Cutting from the bottom of course. Is this what you would recommend? Thank you and I absolutely love your videos, your voice, your pace and all of the detail.
Hey, thanks for watching, MM! Yeah, I think you are getting the idea. You always want to be setting tile against a level line regardless of what the tub is doing. If the tub is not level, great! Find the lowest point on your tub and start figuring your layout from there. Let’s assume you are using 12” x 12” tile. If you measure up 11” from your low point of your tub and make a mark on your wall, then mark a level line all the way around your walls, that is your reference line that you want to set your tile to. Obviously, you are going to be cutting off an inch at a minimum of each piece of your bottom row of tile to get it to fit between your level line and the tub. That’s what I meant when referring to the taking off another inch. You can mark your level line anywhere on the wall and adjust your cuts accordingly. Your goal at tub level is to have a 1/8” gap for a caulk joint between the cut tile edge and the tub. Another caution… do not set tile on one wall and run it all the way to the top of your enclosure before setting tile on the other walls. That can create alignment problems in your corners that are really difficult to fix. Just speaking from experience! Run two to three rows of tile at a time and set tile on all three walls working your way up the enclosure. Good luck with your project, MM and thanks for your kind comments!
Thank you for your informative video.
Thanks Shaun! I appreciate you watching!
those curved cuts you made for the tub edge are intimidating to say the least.
With a good wet tile saw and a little bit of practice and patience, you would be making those cuts with the best of them, Thomas! 🙂
Love this. I have a question when you say start at the low point what do you mean? I'm currently having two issues. My tub isn't level and once I get to the right corner of my shower the gap as I go up starts to get bigger. I'm assuming because the wall is unleveled.
Hey, Horton. The simplest explanation is to always remember to set your tile on level and plumb lines. If you start your full tile on the low point of an out of level tub, you will have to cut all other pieces to line up with the level line, so you won’t have the gap issue you are describing. Make sense?
What about just leveling the tub. Is it too much trouble?
Leveling tub is pretty difficult. Dudes right. Cuttin bottoms sucks far as timing but makes job look great and stay level
@Rusty Dobbs This helped out so much. Thank you for the great advice!
@Charles Knight I don't think it would have been but creating a starting point off of the tub worked amazingly. Then, I just barely had to cut the pieces that went below.
What reason do you have for the little pieces on either side of the center full piece on the tap wall? especially because it led to the weird 1/2” piece going down the side of the bathtub?
A tip to anyone doing this work for other people, don’t stand/work on the tub without covering it. Great animation/explanations. Thanks.
Hey, Mark. As I mention in the video, the bullnose cap I use to have a finished corner on the outside corner of the tub wall causes the need for the ½" filler piece against the tub based on the choice of the direction I installed the bullnose. Had I run the bullnose on the wall next to the toilet, that would have made the cut against the tub about 2 ¾" which would have looked better there. But I prefer the finish bullnose cap to run as I have it in the video so you make those calls before you start installing. There are always other options. I guess the main thing I have learned over the years is it is best to figure out how all your cuts for the job are going to work out before you install the first piece of tile. That is what keeps you out of trouble. And, yes, you are right. You definitely want to be careful and protect the finish on the tub as you work.
@@RustyDobbs Sorry, missed the bull nose mention first time through. It’s not even offered in my area. So, I either use Schulter aluminum trims or the factory tile edges, which is what I would have chosen here regardless to avoid all the little cut pieces. Totally agree with your comment that tile layout is all about trade-offs. Good to know your reason. That animation software is an amazing tool for teaching, wow. Well done.
Hi very educational video. I am about to start my frist tiling job. Quick question, I noticed at the last 2 seconds of your video, you did not put any spacers below on the tiles laying on the tub. Was that intentional ? Should there not be any spacers from tub to first tile ? Thank you
No, I am putting spacers in at the time the video ends. If you notice the pencil line above the tiles, I am using a blue wedge spacer to slide the tile up to the line on the left and the right side. I shoot for about a 1/8" gap at the tub and tile joint which is perfect for a caulk joint. That footage at the end of the video was filler, William, and probably not a good choice for people watching as intently as you! Most people don't watch to the end! Good luck on your project!
Great video! Is that a 1/2 x1/2 trowel?
Thanks, Plamen. No, actually 1/4" notches.
I sure hope you still receive communications when people comment on your older videos. I think I’m using a similar tile shown in your video here, it’s porcelain that has a glossy finish and looks like marble. I am shocked at the lack of protection the tile company has used to protect the face of these tiles. They have put the finished glossy face against the rough back of the next tiles. Some of these are scratched. While I have extra boxes, I just perfected my choice of tiles & layout for the back wall and need the other boxes for the 2 side walls & finding the exact tiles i want for their patterns.. and, will probably have the same exact issue with those tiles being scratched too.
Are there any tricks to remove these surface scratches?
Not that I know of, LA. The scratches in the oven-fired gloss surfaces of tile unfortunately are there to stay. Seems like the darker the color of the tile is, the worse the scratches show. It's pretty rare that I have run into this, but its has happened. I always order 10-15% extra tile to allow for breakage and scratches. I have found that if I have to go back to the supplier for additional tile, you can have other issues with different lots and runs of tile that can create problems too. Suppliers could definitely do a better job with packaging!
@@RustyDobbs thank you so much for replying! I really appreciate your time and insight. I had since done a little research online in meantime and found several sources suggesting to try rubbing toothpaste, or vinegar - i think was the other option, I’d have to go back and look. I’ve gotten a little off track and have not had an opportunity to test it out. if they would just box them with the finished side of two tiles facing each other, and then a rough side of the next tile, facing the prior batch’s rough side and so on, with a protective film over the “peek window” of the box to see the color and design… 😐 then again, they make more money off of pros & clients having to buy extra. 🙄 thanx again, appreciate you!
@@lafos4914 You make too much sense, LA! You're welcome. Anytime.
I’m so torn over selecting a porcelain steel bootz tub or a kohler acrylic which is a lot more
Decisions, decisions!
Foam board is not only fine, it's preferable to Hardi or Durock in the sense that it is alrady waterproof. Much easier to install and probably at least as stout after tiling
I’ve only used foam board on one job where I was using a foam shower base and did a video on that. In order to meet the requirements for the lifetime warranty, I followed the manufacturer’s guidelines explicitly which included using their recommended thinset. It was twice the cost of regular thinset and was a real pain to work with as it had a short working time before it started setting up. Once it started to set, it was almost impossible to get off tile, trowels, clothing, sponges, buckets, anything it came in contact with. So I was constantly washing it off things. Once I got a workflow going, it was manageable but did not make a fan out of me. I will say, however, it dried incredibly hard, so after the tile was installed, the strength of the foam board was not a concern! Quick question for you… what happens to the water that gets trapped between the tile and waterproof barrier over time?
@@RustyDobbs I'm not entirely sure I understand your question. But if I do, you're interest lies in how it dries? First, your thinset coverage should be complete or at least 95%. Backbutter your tile and use the correct trowel. Your tile is waterproof. Your grout should be of a waterproof type or sealed at the very least. Hence, if you are grouted and caulked in corners correctly, the issue you bring up should be non-existent. I have torn out showers against sheetrock that were more than 20 years old to find everything dry as a bone. Regardless, your question would apply to CBU with redguard or Aqua defense as well. Where would the water behind plane go? As a final note, there are many foam boards availble. Most allow you to use any number of modified thinsets. Kerdi or Wedi aren't your only choices.
Jobs fail because best standards aren't followed. Assure you follow them and your project will last till the next tear out.
@@JT-rc7vx It’s a practical question that the old guys who taught me to set tile and float mud showers would ask if they were still around. One benefit of the mud showers was that the cement wicked away incidental water that made its way through grout joints and corners over time. 1/2” Hardiebacker does the same thing extremely well and I’m sure is the reason that product was developed. You are correct that various sheetrock products were made to replace mud walls years ago because of the cost of mud showers and under the right circumstances they can last a long time.
The move to waterproof everything behind the tile (including “cement” board products like Hardiebacker) over recent years has seemingly gained near universal acceptance. The old tile setters from 50 years ago would think that is crazy because of the elimination of the cement based surfaces opportunity to wick away incidental moisture that gets to walls behind the tile. The old timers and proponents of a waterproof envelope on shower walls agree on one thing. Water will get to the surface behind the tile or the proponents would not be promoting waterproofing products. So, my question of what happens to that water that gets to the waterproof surface behind the tile and is stopped? I don’t have a good answer. I don’t think it ever dries. I’m sure it migrates lower down the walls and sits there and if that is true, that’s not good. So, I don’t waterproof the field areas of my Hardiebacker before setting tile but do the corners and seams. My attempt at compromise of opposing viewpoints!
You are correct that if the tile installation is done right and maintained, it is going to last a long time under normal use regardless of the surface behind the tile and its preparation. I just think that the waterproofing idea has some downsides that some people find it inconvenient to consider. You are only the second person to try to address the question when I have posed it probably ten times over probably the past five years and I appreciate that. Your answer is an honest assessment. And if I read you correctly, you agree with me that water between the tile and waterproof wall is trapped and not a good thing. To quote you, “Hence, if you are grouted and caulked in corners correctly, the issue you bring up should be non-existent.” To which I would add, “Yes, in a perfect world.”
By the way, the foam board product and shower base I used on the shower I mentioned was Hydro Ban. The recommended thinset was the only problem for me. Easy installation otherwise and I think the end product was solid for foam board products. Would use again if I needed that type of product for a similar shower design. Thanks for your comments and the conversation!
Hello Rusty. First, great video. I'm about to do my own tiling and this information is really helpful. I have a couple of questions though.
I didn't replace my water pipes behind the wall. I considered it but decided not to. The conditions of the pipes were good although I saw a small amount of 'green' buildup around the copper joints. The house is nearing 30 years now and, so, the condition of the pipes seemed like normal 'wear'. Should I be concerned? Do I need to do it over? I'll do it if I have to but would like your opinion.
I've seen videos in which the presenter says something like 'today, we're going to work on this side of the wall...', and it seems like they're continuing the work days later. When installing tile on the alcove wall (on top of the bath tub), is it typical to install tile in sections over a period of days? For example, the center wall one day, left wall on another day, and the right wall on another day. Or, can you install all the tiles in one day? I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for the help!
Thanks, Tony! Copper has been a very reliable product for house plumbing over many decades but weird things happen with it as well. I have seen the same type of buildup at times and don’t have the knowledge base to explain what is happening. As long as it is not obviously leaking, I would not mess with it. Copper water leaks are something that will happen and you deal with them when they do. I just replaced a two inch piece of copper for a neighbor next to a circulating pump that developed a pin hole leak. Something to do with the electrical field from the pump diminishing the thickness of the copper. Have seen that happen multiple times over the years and numerous copper pipe leaks under slabs as well.
I have done a number of videos on setting tile around tubs and, yes, you can set different sizes and types of tile much faster than others. Larger format tiles needing to be set with thinset take longer. The main comment I have on your question is that I set tile on all three walls as I work and do not set one wall all the way to the ceiling then move to other walls. The reason has to do with keeping good alignment of the rows of tile in the corners. That’s one of those things you kind of have to experience not doing it that way to understand the problems that can arise. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!
Loved your instruction however there was an issue on your video that was not addressed fully. I hope you can give me some suggestions. My bathtub is not leveled and is a cast iron in a cove. So how to I fix the gap of the tile without having to have a thicker line of grout or caulking, P.S. bathtub is on a raised foundation and there is some movement. Any suggestions. Thank you
Thanks for watching, Diana, and sorry my explanation fell a little short. I address that issue at about the 11:30 mark in the video, but simply stated, you start with a full tile at the low point on your tub rim and make cuts accordingly. If you do that, you do not have a gap at the tub. You will need to make cuts, in all likelihood, for all the other tile pieces at the tub level, but that’s the way it works. Remember, you always want to set tile on a level line without regard to if the tub is level or not. That doesn’t matter. It may be hard to follow the rationale, but once you get it, you’ll never forget it.
On the tub having some movement, unfortunately the only way to address that is to cut some access point in a wall or walls around the perimeter of the tub to be able to shim under the corners of the tub base and stop the movement. Big pain to do but that’s the way to fix it. Hope that helps, Diana, and good luck with your project
So very glad I found your video! I’ve been a little frustrated because I have not made as much progress as I thought I would by now in even getting started, but I’m so relieved bc you have addressed several issues that I may have, and even would have definitely run into, and I wouldn’t have known it until it was too late… Thank you so very much! 🤗
Great video. How on earth do you do those great animations. I have a lawn care company and want to do some how to videos animations added would be cool. What program do you use? Thank you.
PS I did a schluter foam board reno once and used the 1" board. It worked great. But I was fortunate that I had the room to use it.
Hey Chris! Thanks for watching and your comments! The program I used for these animations is Sketchup Pro. I have used it for years as a contractor in creating visuals for customers. Using it for animations is a newer thing for me. The downside to it is the expense. These days, you have to buy an annual subscription of about $300 which I will not be renewing this year. I have gradually gravitated to a free program called Blender. The animations in my video called “$2500 Built-In Mini Bar Transformation” were done in Blender and you can quickly see the difference between the two products. There is quite a story behind Blender which makes it my choice going forward. I still spend money on Blender through addons that streamline the workflow and courses but all those are one time purchases and quite reasonable. RUclips is full of videos on both products. Just to forewarn you, both products have steep learning curves so be prepared to work at it a lot before beginning to be productive with either. It takes time but gets really addictive the more you learn! Good luck!
What would you recomend to do first ? to install a new bath ant then lay the tiles or to do the tiles first and then the bath? thank you
Your first instinct is best, Nepastabus. Tub first, then tile. 🙂
Quick question.. when starting your first layer of tile on the backwall does the corner tile touch the edge of the wall or does the side wall tile meet at the corner with the backwall tile?
Yes, I think I understand what you are asking, Alan. Whichever wall I am setting tile on, I cut it to within about 1/8” of the adjacent wall, which let's say is Hardiebacker. Then, I cut the tile to within about 1/8” of the set tile when installing tile on the adjacent wall. So, I basically overlap the tile in the corner. Hope that makes sense.
Yes that is exactly what I was referring to. Thank you for responding and for understanding what I was trying to say. I really appreciate it
I purchased a home that has a beautiful bathroom buuuuut no tub just a shower. How can I add the tub without damaging or removing the existing tile?
That’s a tough one, Kimberley! There are lots of structural things that make a tub install much different than a shower installation (like drain placement, for example). Sorry to tell you this, but you would likely come out better financially and like the finished product better if you quickly tore everything out and started from scratch.
chances are if it's from 60- 70s to floated wall and you got 1-3 inches of deck/bed mud on walls so in most cases your tear out is the most difficult part lol
Yep, Marc, I have not only torn out some of those over the years, I have also floated a number of those! Now that's a process that lots of folks beyond you and me have no idea what we are talking about... a lost art! But those showers last decades!
@@RustyDobbs agreed , when they start to fail it's catastrophic though because of how monolithic they are, I'm only 43 and have done my fair share of screeded wall and still do use mud for my custom walk-in showers .... past Monday I started ripping out 1970's bathroom just got the tub installed yesterday actually do the plumbing today and get it operational so they can bath while I finish the rest lol
Hi Rusty,
This is the best video I ever see. Where could I find the software you used for the planning / animation ?
Best,
Juan
Thank you, Juan! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I used a program called Sketchup Pro for the design/animation in this video. I have used it for many years so I am comfortable with it. I haven't been happy with the pricing structure of Sketchup for a number of years and it is not really keeping up feature wise with other software so I have switched to Blender, which is a free product. It is not really a fair comparison and Sketchup is an easier product for construction people to work with, but Blender is much better if animation and effects are what you are after. There is a pretty good learning curve with both products if you are new to these types of programs but lots of RUclips tutorials out there! A lot of fun either way and a great way to be creative!
Question - the back wall behind my tub....the center is 1/8 inch higher than it is on the ends. So if I leave 1/8th for grout and try to do full tile at the top...my gap will be about 1/4 in the center. Does this mean i need to rip/shave these top tiles to make it a tighter fit? Hope that makes sense. Thanks.
Good question, Gary. Let’s say you are using a 12” x 12” tile. Let’s further say you made a mark on your back wall 11” above that higher center point and extended a level pencil line at that mark around the back wall and side walls. If you want to install your 12” tile edges all the way around your tub on that level line (which you do want to do!), the tiles obviously would not fit without cutting them. So you measure and cut them to fit between the level line and the tub and account for the 1/8” caulk joint you want at the bottom of your tile against the tub. That process gets your installation started properly. Then you install the rest of your tile above the level line with it as your base and build up from there. You can make your pencil mark and level line at 11 1/2” or 11 3/4” or whatever height you want, but just realize your cuts against the tub get thinner and thinner the higher up you move your line. Those thinner cuts which can be harder to make. Hope that makes sense but that’s the way setting tile works. Your main concern is with getting a level line established on any wall tile job you do.
@@RustyDobbs thanks, turned out very good, and your video helped!
Rusty, great video. What are your thoughts on having someone come in to recoat the tub vs. replacing. Is a new coating durable?
Thanks, Adam! I know people do that kind of recoating but have never personally seen a tub refinished so I do have a good point of reference. Yeah, the durability question would be my concern. Though it seems like a big deal to tear out and replace a tub, realistically the tear out is surprisingly simple. You need some manpower and room to work to get it out in one piece. If you take a sledge hammer to a cast iron tub, again with some physical effort it can be broken apart in a short period of time. The real issue to be aware of is can you maneuver the new tub into the old space without major wall demolition and how much of that are you willing to do. Tubs are generally set when the house is being framed to make it easy to get them in place. One time I actually cut out studs in the wall on the end of the tub to access it through a bedroom to get the old cast iron tub out and replace with a new one. With two of us working on it, it was still a lot of physical effort. But it would have been impossible to do otherwise. Cost of a new cast iron tub was about $350 the last time I checked which has always surprised me. So the real expense is in labor if you hire people to do the work.
replace it, recoating glazing or whatever else they wanna call it is temporary, it will not last. 2yrs Max.
My tub is 3/4 inches lower on the drain side than the opposite end. How do I proceed with starting the tile?
I talk about this in the video, but the short answer is you start with a full tile at the 3/4" low spot. That's quite out of level, Light! If you need more help, you can email me at rusty@dobbsworkshop.com and I'll give you a link where you can share more specific information about your project.
What size gap do you leave between the tile and tub? Very few people talk about this.
I shoot for about 1/8" gap which is just about right for a nice caulk joint. You want flexible caulk and not grout in that corner joint.
I realize you were coming from the floor and that dictated where you started on the tub line. If I'm just doing the tub area, should I establish a line say at midpoint and work up, then work down from that midpoint to mitigate an uneven line at the tub level? I'm using 8"x 24" tiles. I've seen it done this way with subway tiles and I'm wondering if the larger format tile makes it a bad idea to start midpoint. I plan to go all the way to the ceiling and to tile the ceiling also.
I think I understand what you’re asking, Charles. You are right about establishing a level line that becomes a reference point for the entire job. I typically do that a couple of tiles from the tub itself. The reason I don’t do it higher up on the wall, say at the midpoint, is because I prefer stacking the tile going up the wall. The less tile I have to set below my level line the better because it’s more time-consuming and gravity is always working against you. Because the tub line may be level or maybe not, it’s pretty much irrelevant except that I want to make sure my layout allows me to make as easy a cut as possible at the tub line. You can start at the midpoint. That’s just something I have never done. Hope that helps!
wonderful video what software are you using>? well done well explain
Thanks, Mario! I used a program called Sketchup Pro for the design/animation in this video. I have used it for many years so I am comfortable with it. I haven't been happy with the pricing structure of Sketchup for a number of years and it is not really keeping up feature wise with other software so I have switched to Blender, which is a free product. It is not really a fair comparison. Sketchup is an easier product for construction people to work with, but Blender is much better if animation and effects are what you are after. There is a pretty good learning curve with both products if you are new to these types of programs but lots of RUclips tutorials out there! A lot of fun either way and a great way to be creative!
@@RustyDobbs thank you rusty ill be watching your videos ....
What type of marble effect tiles are they? I noticed the cut section seems to be the same color as the top glaze.
Thanks.
That tile is called Themar Venato Gold Pol and I purchased it from Arizona Tile, J W. I don’t remember exactly but it does seem like the unglazed portion of the tile was a very light gray color. I know the water in my tile saw tray was a chalky white/gray color.
What program are you using for the demonstration
I did this animation in Sketchup Pro, John. I've used it for many years in construction project designs. I have made a switch to Blender in the past year for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Blender is free compared to about $300 per year for Sketchup. That was a big consideration but more than that, Blender is evolving so quickly with features and tools that it is leaving Sketchup behind in many ways. It is quite a story. Big learning curve but I'm glad I made the change.
Laser levels are cheap now. You can buy a basic one on Amazon for $30.
What did you use to cut the round holes for the faucet?
Thank you
Hi, Dean. When I lay out my tile I try to avoid having to cut into the center of a piece of tile to make holes for the faucets. That means that a grout joint is generally going to be running through the location of the faucet. So with a tile saw or angle grinder, those cuts are fairly easy to make. I also have carbide drill bits for tile that attached to a variable speed drill so that if I need to make cuts in the center of the tile, I can use them alone or in combination with my tile saw.
So basically there is no waterproofing on your shower walls (in the traditional sense) except the joints. Am I understand correctly???
Yes, basically, Wendell. Where I would differ with you is that there is nothing ‘traditional’ about waterproofing products and tile setting in my work history as those are relatively new innovations. When I learned to do this work over 40 years ago, the best showers had concrete walls floated over metal lathe attached to the studs. Because of the cost of mud walls, other types of sheetrock were developed that had some level of moisture resistance for wet areas but were terrible products. Hardiebacker and like products come as close to mimicking mud walls as anything I have run across so that is why I use 1/2” Hardiebacker. I like the ability of Hardiebacker to deal with incidental water that will make it’s way through grout joints over time, so I leave most of the flat areas without waterproofing. The reason I do not waterproof the entire walls is because I don’t like the idea of water being trapped between the back of the tile and the waterproof membrane. Leads to potential mold issues in grout joints and I have never hear a good explanation as to why that should not be a concern. Anyway, that is why I have landed where I have on the waterproofing of walls. Hope that helps!
Way too many small tiles, very disturbing to the eye. Tile selection is as important as layout. If the size you are choosing necessitates small slices, pick another size that lays out properly. This job is esthetically deficient with the small tile pieces.
Hi Rusty... is there a software animation tool you can recommend such as the one you used here? I we think it would help to visualize the project and make changes prior to starting?
Hey, Texas! I use SketchUp primarily for my videos and have been using it for a long time. I think there is a free version of it that you can design in, but I don't think you can print your results. The version I have which is SketchUp Pro costs about $300 a year I think now, which is annoying. There is another product called Blender that is totally free and is an incredible tool. You can read up on it by searching for Blender and get the back story on it. The only reason I have not switched completely to Blender is because I am much more efficient in SketchUp and there is a pretty significant learning curve to getting functional with Blender. It also doesn't handle the architectural or construction types of applications as well as SketchUp at this point, though it seems like the people working on Blender are making efforts to reach out to the SketchUp community. Anyway those are my thoughts and I hope they are helpful!
@@RustyDobbs that's GREAT information. I'll definitely look into Blender, and thank you very much for the reply!
I have a 20 year old tile saw that maxes out at 18" straight cut. The job that I am setting up for is 12 by 24 tile. Is there a way that I can make my saw work for that job? The saw is in great shape so I don't really want to go have to buy a new saw. The area in which I live does not have any rental companies nearby.
Without seeing your saw, Brad, I can’t speak definitively about whether or not you can easily cut larger pieces than your 18 inch cut. My saw does not make any larger cuts than yours does but by getting creative with the way I make my cuts, I can still make longer cuts safely. Probably the simplest suggestion is to mark your cut lines on your tile pieces, then cut 1/3 or 1/2 way through the piece, turn off your saw and carefully flip your peace around and finish your cut from the other direction. My saw has a sliding table on it, so I have to let the larger pieces ride up on top of the sliding table guide that I normally set the tile against to make square cuts. Hope that makes sense!
I just lay tile on side on back and carefully cut line U don’t get to make just one mark but I cutt long tiles with smaller saw.
@@RustyDobbs that is what I am doing now, but what a pain.
Hey Rusty,
So my newly installed tile is level but the tub is not (you mention at around 11:28). What is the best way to address the gap? Thanks.
Hi Jon. The best way to address a gap is to not let one be created. So when I give various examples of what happens with unlevel tubs, the given is that often you have no way to make the tub level, so you have to work around that issue and basically hide the problem in the approach to setting the tile. Let's say you are using a 12x12 inch tile. If you set a piece of that tile against the wall at the low point of the unlevel tub, there is no gap between the tub and the tile. If you draw a line on the wall at the top of that tile piece and extend that line level all the way around your tub enclosure and use that line to set tile against, what happens to your bottom row of tile? The piece that you have against the wall that is your starting point for the level line fits. To make other pieces of tile fit between the level line and the tub, you have to trim them as needed. That is how to not allow a gap to be created and still set you tile on a level line on the rest of the installation. I always shoot for about a 1/8" gap at the tub and tile level because that makes a nice caulk joint. Hope the explanation helps!
@@RustyDobbs Thanks Rusty!
Hi Rusty, what animation software did you use to make this video? I am a contractor and would like to be able to create visuals for tile layouts like you have done with this tiling project.
I used Sketchup for this video, Hunter. It's a good software package for a contractor as it seems to work like we think perhaps better than some other packages. The thing I don't like about Sketchup is their pricing structure these days so I'm pretty much done with it. It's also a little behind the times a little and I'm not sure it's keeping up with the competition. That makes the new pricing harder to swallow. My last video, I did all the animation in a program called Blender which I am finally proficient enough with now (after several years) to leave Sketchup behind. If you don't have some experience with a 3D animation software, be prepared to invest a lot of time to reach a point where you can use it for what you are wanting to do. I think it's a good investment of time because you are doing something really creative, but there's a steep learning curve, especially with Blender. Blender is also a free program that has unlimited capabilities so that's a plus as well. I'm not sure creating animations and drawings for customers has actually earned me more work, but having that capability has certainly closed some deals for me, I'm sure. Good luck with the learning!
what software do you use for animations?
In this video, I used Sketchup Pro but in more recent videos, I have been using Blender. Both have their advantages. Sketchup handles construction type projects better while Blender works great for more cinematic type effects, lighting, etc.
Rusty I have a question
What program do you use for the animation if you dont mind me asking? 😅
I used Sketchup Pro on this video, Brian. I have used it for many years and it is ok. The pricing is getting out of hand from my perspective for it's capabilities which is a shame. I have been working to switch to Blender for the past year or so which is a free open source program. The learning curve is very steep, but it's feature and potential blow away Sketchup if you can get functional, which I almost am now. I still jump back to Sketchup if I need to create something quickly because I know it so well but that is happening less and less the more I work in Blender.
Grout is not waterproof. Where do you think that water goes? The backer board don’t wick it to a drain. I get that you are comfortable with backer but times have changed. Form board is far superior. No way I’d do niech with backer!! Now I get what you mean by saying it feels flimsy. Even tho it’s not I do add more studs to help with that. Not required but man worked so good.
I’m glad you are sold on foam board. No doubt it is easier to work with. So let’s say you install foam board around a tub, then set tile, grout and caulk. Let me use your own words on you. “Grout is not waterproof. Where do you think the water goes? The foam board doesn’t wick it to a drain.” I would not be hard to convince but nobody who has raised the issue you raise can answer the simple question of what happens to the water that gets trapped between the foam board (or waterproof membrane) and the tile. The answer is that it soaks into the thinset and probably the back of the tile (depending on the tile) and never dries. You think that’s a great solution? It’s not. The last guy I had this conversation with ended with, “Well, if the job was done right, the grout sealed and corners caulked, it shouldn’t be a problem anyway!” There is some truth in his response and at least he was honest but couldn’t bring himself to say he agreed with me. I can tell you are trying to do good work by your “extra studs” comment but try not to buy off on newer ideas just because “times have changed”. Sometimes the change is not necessarily for the better, but time will tell in this case. Thanks for watching and for your thoughts!
@@RustyDobbs foam board is not new. its been around for awhile. Backer board soaks up water and foam will not. i prefer that water not to reach my wood and rot it.
@@racker7855 You posed the question to me, “Where do you think that water goes?” when referring to my method of using Hardiebacker. When I asked the same question of you regarding foam board, you replied with, “I prefer that water not to reach my wood and rot it” so you use foam board. That’s your answer? What you prefer NOT to happen? It is obvious then that what you prefer to happen is that the water over time collects behind the tile against water barrier provided by your foam board. I don’t know what is so difficult for you guys who believe in these products to just say that. I explain my views in the video. You criticize my approach and then refuse to acknowledge the obvious downside of your approach - water gets trapped and has nowhere to go. I get it, there is no good response for that. If you can't defend it, then why is that such a good methodology from your point of view?
👍
what software is that?
The main software I use for the video editing is Premiere Pro. Specifically for the animations, I used Sketchup Pro in this video. I also use Blender for animations as well.
Where did you buy the tiles
They came from a company called Arizona Tile, Nadia.
@@RustyDobbs thanks for your reply
OUTSIDE CORNER - CUT 45 degrees, done wrong
Hey Rusty, I sent an email to you via your website. Hope you don't mind. It shows my latest little verneer project, all by hand.
Kind regards Danny uk 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸🙂👍
Hey Danny. Try sending the pictures to rusty@dobbsworkshop.com as I haven't received anything anywhere else. Would enjoy seeing what you are working on!
@@RustyDobbs Hey Rusty, sent this morning 07.00am Danny
Not impressed with how you did the inside corners. You want to make a full tile look like it’s being rapped round the inside corner rather then having two pieces cut on the inside corner. Makes your pattern look off
We all look at things differently, Ryan. Using larger format tile like this, my bigger concerns were to have the back symetrical and full tiles against the bullnose trim on each sidewall. I was also dealing with two niches on the back wall that I wanted to simplify cuts for as much as possible. How the inside corners worked out were just how they worked out with the priorities I had. I get your point but I would not have been happy with that layout on this job. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Your layout isn’t great lol. You could have started with a tile in the center of the wall and had two big pieces on the ends. Then start with a whole tile on the left and right wall and end with what ever piece it ends with.
You kind of have two logical choices with layout of large format tile in a situation like this. A tile centered on the center line of the wall or a grout joint on the center line of the wall. I went the direction I did to make my cuts for the niches easier. Was not interested in having to cut a rectangular piece out of the field areas of two of these large pieces of tile.
@@RustyDobbs I understand. I’ve been doing tile 10 years and I get it. But most customers I work for are anal when it comes to the layout
That’s how I do it. Half and wholes and try to build niece at top of tile if possible. But I get why he did it this way
Holy cow, I have never ever heard of NO waterproofing membrane. He wouldn't do that to his house. I am a DIY and have done two marble & granite showers in the past, working on a third shower with porcelain next month. I DON'T recommend this way folks. It has been 12 years and there is nothing wrong with my two showers, no moisture behind walls, nothing underneath the tubs. SMH
It’s rare that I get comment like yours and even more rare that I waste time responding to it. But a guy like you should be called upon to explain himself and his views if he can.
A couple of questions for you. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but do you know how the best quality showers and tub surrounds were built before Hardiebacker and other backerboard products were created and before RUclips? The walls were built with roughly a 3/4” layer of a mixture of sand, portland and masonry cement floated over metal lathe. Tile was set on that surface with thinset. Waterproof membrane products for tile installations did not exist and would have been rejected by tile setters anyway. One reason showers were built this way was that water that will inevitably find its way through grout joints over time will be wicked away by the cement walls and evaporate which helps to reduce the likelihood of mold forming in shower and tub surrounds. It was also extremely durable with installations lasting decades and only being replaced when homeowners wanted to update their tile.
Why do popular products like Hardiebacker and Durock look like cement, have the same water absorbing properties as cement and in fact are often referred to as “cement board”? Based on the history I just told you about, the answer should be obvious to you. If a waterproof membrane is the solution to all moisture problems in wet areas, then why don’t these manufacturers coat their main backerboard products with a waterproof membrane when it is manufactured and make it easier on contractors and DIYers? Why would they be selling a product that according to you is unusable for tile installations as purchased from a supplier because “Holy Cow, I have never heard of NO waterproofing membrane.” Probably the simplest answer is that the people who created these products don’t think like you and probably were tile setters before they started making these products that mimic the old mud walls. If the old tile setters who taught me how to float mud walls and set tile 45 years ago were still living, they would be the ones “shaking their heads” at comments like yours.
Certainly you will acknowledge you expect that water to some degree will find its way through grout joints over time in even the best tile installations. If you disagree with that, then why would you need a waterproof membrane in the first place which you insist is so important? So you are expecting water to reach the waterproof membrane and it is stopped there, right? Where does it go from there?
In my installations, incidental water will likely be quickly absorbed by 1/2” Hardiebacker and evaporate which is fine with me. Lots of work history and precedent for that being fine with me. In your “recommended” installations, water will hit a waterproof membrane and collect behind the tile. That is actually your intended goal. It may soak into the back of the tile (which isn’t good either), but the finish on the tile will not let it go anywhere. You say you have done two marble and granite showers in the past. You realize of course these are natural stone products and by their nature through fissures and cracks, may collect and actually soak up water, in addition to water soaking into grout joints. Are you ok with water getting behind your marble, granite and porcelain and just sitting there? Does it not concern you that mold may be growing between your tile and waterproof membrane that you cannot see. You say there is “nothing wrong with my two showers, no moisture behind walls.” You don’t know if that is true between the tile and waterproof membrane. Have you pulled tile at the floor level of those showers and looked? You can’t explain what happens to water that is, by your design, trapped between the waterproof membrane and back of the tile. You think a waterproof membrane solves all problems. It doesn’t. So, what happens to water you are trapping behind your tile?
Excellent video, thank you
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!