Bathroom Renovation: Tiling the Shower & From Bathtub to Walk-in Shower

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

I'm back today with the final part of our shower install. I left you guys, with the picture you see below, when the installation of the porcelain tile on the floor was done.

On the walls, we used Daltile 3 x 6 Ceramic Subway Tile and they completely brightened the entire room!


*This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

And I have to tell you... If I was happy about hiring out the flooring installation, I was delighted to skip the work of tiling these walls with all the nooks and crannies and that diagonal line it had.  This was the part that took the longest on all this bathroom renovation. So, yes, I was very happy to pay for a job that was way out of my comfort zone and that was very well done.

Today I'm not giving you a tutorial or "how-to" post. But, I want to share with you how this job went along and some tips to have in mind if you have a tiling job in the future.

My very first tip is this: When you select the main tile-s you want to use in your project, remember that most likely you'll also going to need transitional pieces. Ha, that's the way I call them, but they might have another name.

• Is the tile ending mid-way on the wall? 

You'll need an end-tile there.

In our bathroom, the wall where the windows are located was the one that needed this type of tile to make the transition from tile to drywall.
I was considering a flat little tile like the one you see right HERE. But, in the end, I used THIS pencil tile because it gave me a chunkier edge to butt the beadboard I installed on the other side - lower part of that wall.

• Do you have corners in your installation? You'll need corner pieces there.

All around the wall niche we used the same pencil tile, mitering the corners. And THIS even smaller pencil tile was installed all along the outside corner on that diagonal wall.

Make sure you get or buy all your material before starting any tile work in your bath!

You don't want to start work to find out you need to go and buy those little corners pieces you forgot about. In some instances I bought two types of tiles for the same application in case one or the other didn't work that well.  You can return the stuff you don't use.

On installation day, the floor was protected, leaving that small area along side the walls open.

2. Prep those walls. Make sure they're nice and plumb.

3. Plan the tile layout.

If you're in a rush, that's not your day for installing tile. It takes a good amount of time to simply layout the design, making sure you don't end up with a tinny-tiny piece of tile in one corner.
You can even bring all those measurements onto paper, drawing the design and making the changes to the design, there, on paper before working on the real walls.



4. Start at the floor and make sure that first line of tile is leveled.

That first row of tile needs to be dead level!! Add thin-set to the back of each of this first row of tiles and set them in place. Make sure they're centered all across the space. Both tiles on the extremes, left and right have to be the same length. Then, grab your level, place it on top of that first row and work that level line. Use spacer wedges to bring those tiles out of line to their proper place.

Husky 48" In. Box Level

5. Use the right trout to apply the thin-set.

The size of the tile you choose will dictate the type of trout you need for your application in order to get the right amount of product on the back of the tile. The larger the tile, the larger the notch trowel you'll need to install them.

For the 3" x 6" subway tile we installed, we used a 1/4" x 3/8" sq-notch trowel.

Spacer wedges  

6. Having the right tools will make for an easier and better looking job.

A manual tile cutter was used to cut the porcelain tiles. We used it for those inside-corner cuts. (not a fine cut)
A wet tile saw was the one used to get sharp lines.
A Carbide-Edge Ceramic Tile Nipper was used to fine tune cuts.

Sand paper was also used to smooth out those rough cuts.


7. Don't use a quick setting thin-set mortar if you have to deal with lots of cuts.

Even this guy, a pro, had to throw away thin-set that was getting hard because of the amount of time he took on fine-tuning some tile cuts.

8. A few of those five gallon buckets will come in handy.
One for mixing the thin-set and grout.
Another filled with water for cleaning tools.
An maybe one more to use as a sitting stool! :D

9. Keep on checking those level lines from time to time.

10. The shower niche is one of the special features in your shower, you can accentuate it with a different tile. But, if you decide to continue with the same tile, make sure those tile lines match the ones outside the niche.

11.  Mitered corners are more professional looking.

A little wooden platform an even tape will help you fight gravity when installing the tile on and above the shower niche. And yes, mitered corners will give it a polished look.

12. Before reaching the ceiling... Have you considered any treatment for it? Maybe it's better to tackle it first.

Yes, I did. I went ahead and installed a planked ceiling. You can check all the details about it right here.

After installing the planked ceiling, the final phase on the tile installation continued with this slanted wall. There, you can see the little pencil tile in the corner.

Pencil Tile

13. Sanded or un-sanded grout?
We used un-sanded grout (Antique White color) since it's good for grout joints up to 1/8". For bigger grout lines you will need sanded grout because it resists shrinkage and cracking.

PolyBlend Non-Sanded Grout  |  Five Gal. Bucket  |  Hexagon Ceramic Tile

So guys, yes, after grouting the walls and floor, this is how our shower looked:

Hex floor tile

I LOVE it!!

But hey, do you want to see the entire shower with the beautiful Delta fixtures, glass panel and accessories???!

Then, hop over to the Home Depot blog right HERE where I'm hanging out today! And learn how you can also turn your bathtub into a walk-in shower in six steps!

SAVE THE INSPIRATION!

Here again, are the links to the tile and other products I used:

Daltile  3 x 6 in. subway tile
Hex black and white floor tile
Jeffrey Court Allegro white pencil ceramic molding tile
Smaller pencil tile
Frameless fixed shower door


The following are the links to the projects done in this bathroom:

• Bathroom Reveal
• Tiling the Shower
• From Bathtub to Walk-in Shower
• The fake window
• The Mirrors
• How to Install Real Shiplap
• The Vanity Area
• Under the Eaves Storage Shelves
• How to Plank a Ceiling - ShipLap Ceiling
• Floor-Level Shower Install
• The Lighting Plan
• Fixing Trouble Areas - Plumbing
• The Shower Extension
• Getting to the other side of the bathroom
• Bathroom Demo - Part 2
• Bathroom Demo - Part 1
• The master bathroom plan
• Vintage Modern Master Bathroom Mood Board

Here's how I easily change the look of the shower.

I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the promotional program described above (the “Program”). As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Enjoy what you read today?

SUBSCRIBE HERE