At Shakespeare Home Improvement Co. we have our tile guy. He not only does tile floors, but also creates beautiful custom tile shower stalls for our various bathroom remodels. But how does it all get done? Well, the first step is to make sure the time and money is taken into account. Before you commit to your custom tile shower. It will take several days, even up to a week to complete this project. With time comes increased cost as well.
For this blog, we are assuming that you will be hiring a tiler to complete the week-long process. With hiring someone who knows their stuff, you are going to have to be prepared to spend a couple thousand dollars. Also, not only are you going to buy all the usual necessities- shower head, handle, etc., but also tile for the walls and basepan. The cost of this work will also include the cement backer, adhesives, and whatever else your tiler will use. Depending on your design, that will also mean you might be buying prefabricated shelves, other materials to have a bench, and any other small details that require other building materials (and time to build/install them). Overall, it will cost you several thousand dollars to complete everything.
Getting Tiled
If you have saved up for your dream custom tile shower and have your tiler or home improvement company hired, you are ready to get started. If you don’t already have your building materials picked out, it’s now that time. Your tiler/home improvement company should help you make sure you have everything based on your design as well as the correct amount of materials. Depending on who you’ve hired, they will be ordering everything based on your selections for you and set up delivery and installation.
Demo and Prep
Once everything is delivered to your home, it’s your tiler’s time to shine. The first step is to demo your old shower and any other parts of your bathroom. Any demo of the rest of your bathroom depends on if you are making your shower larger or are moving any plumbing, or if anything needs to be repaired along the way.
Next, all the prep work will be completed. This means the cement backer will be installed, plumbing for the shower head and control handle will be prepped and marked, and if necessary, any cutouts for shelves will be framed out. Once these things are done, you are one step closer to your tile being installed.
During the tiling process, there will be plenty of measurements that will be taken by your tiler that will ensure your shower looks it’s best. This is especially important if you have a different pattern and/or built-in accessories. No home is perfectly square or level, so your tiler will take the time to figure out how best to cut and place your tiles so that your shower will look like it is square and level.
Tiling and Grouting
With your tile pattern chosen and measurements taken, your tiler can get to work installing your tile. They will be using tile mortar and a trowel. The mortar is prepped by adding water to the proper consistency and the trowel is used to apply the mortar. Working in sections, the mortar will be put on the cement backer with grooves in it. Then, the tiles will be placed on top of the mortar. Between each tile, your tiler will place small spacers. This makes sure that each tile has the same sized spaces throughout. As well, any shelves will be installed at this time.
After your tile has been installed, you and your tiler will now have to wait for the mortar to set. This usually takes between 24 and 48 hours. Finally, grouting can be completed. If your haven’t already, you will be choosing the color of your grout. Then your tiler will get to work and after 24 hours your tile is able to be walked on. The last step is to seal your grout, this usually takes about 5 hours to dry. Finally, the final pieces are ready to go in. This means installing your shower head, faucet, and any other fixtures. After these are installed your new custom tiled shower is ready to go!
Looking to start on your custom tile shower project? Contact us today to get your free estimate! We will help you figure out and find everything you want and make those dreams come to life.