Let the tiling begin...after the stud additions, leveling of this and that, and so on...

Yikes! There's lots to accomplish before you can add tile - including gaining knowledge and nerve.

First, studs had to be added because the PO didn't believe in 16" centers apparently.

Then we had to get them level - shimming, unshimming and so on.

And so this is how we finally got the tub to be level----shhhhhhhh - don't tell!



Love the Kerdi!  It really is a great project - but you have to be FAST!!!!!  We did wet down both the drywall and CBB, but it still dried quickly.

Next, drywall, cement backer board - what??? drywall behind a shower - that's what Kerdi says - the orange water proof

membrane we installed - after putting up the drywall and cement backer board.



Here is the making of the story stick - so we could see where the tiles would lay out.

And this is another way to see how the tiles lay out - this is Chuck's preference so he can just SEE IT!!!  If you look closely there's our planned for niche - It was gonna be so cool!  We just felt we weren't at this leveling of tiling or Kerdi waterproofing to do this yet - maybe upstairs.

The installation of the bathroom exhaust fan.  Fun Stuff!

According to Schluter-Kerdi we could have put drywall behind all of it, but we had already purchased the CBB and so we decided to use some of each - mix it up a bit.

Then there was the stress of - do we put in a niche or do we not - after much "debate" over how to do it, we opted for no niche - you know they make some lovely shower organizers these days that will work just fine.  A niche would be nice - but not this time.

So the Kerdi is up - wait a week or 2 or .... maybe it was 4 or 5 and we finally decided tiling time had arrived!!  Woot Woot

It was a learning experience - but overall I think it turned out ok.  I do want to give a big thanks!!! to the humans on the John Bridge Tile Forum who helped get me headed in the right direction and feeling like I could do it and helping me figure out which thinset to use.

 

Putting up mosaic on mesh backing is not near as easy as they make it look on TV!!

 

 

I do really like these spacers!  Pretty easy to use and easy to remove - for the most part!