Sammamish Bathroom Remodel
The "OMG" before pics...
The general "look" the customer wanted. This above scan is from page 137 from the 2011 Walker Zanger tile catalog. Shown are 1-1/2"x6" glass tiles (mesh-mounted); what I actually installed were Pental Moda Vetro 4"x8" glass tiles (which were NOT mesh-mounted), with a light grey Mapei Opticolor epoxy grout.
The demolition begins...
Sophia.
Creating a mock-up, to determine grout color and border framing options...
Installed new 3/4" exterior glue ply on top of the existing 3/4" ply to bring height up to match carpet (or rather to ensure that finished tile height will match carpet height...)
Cutting the Hardiebacker (1/4") to FIT for layout, but will install with a full bed of mortar and THEN screw down with Hardie-specific backerboard screws. This ensures there is absolutely NO deflection in the substrate.
Installing the Hardiebacker with latex-modified grey thinset using 1/4"x1/4" notched trowel. The new Kohler whirlpool tub will go here.
There used to be a center-mounted (x1) light fixture. Now I am patching this hole as we are installing TWO light fixtures - one above each sink.
Step 1.
Installing the Chroma by Pental quartz (3cm) counters.
Wrestled the tub in. Checking to be sure plumbers have all jets functioning before building a "wall" to tile on the front side. This is a "deck-mount" Kohler tub modified with a factory-installed 3-sided integral tub flange (right hand drain), so that we can tile the front of the tub instead of those boring acrylic aprons.
Kind of tricky building an apron wall (to tile), since this tub style is typically installed deck-mounted. Low clearance in multiple locations means I had to get creative to ensure that the Hardiebacker was securely fastened.
It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done.
Testing the tub one last time, prior to waterproofing and tiling.
It was a toss-up between Laticrete 254 Platinumn and Laticrete Glass Tile Adhesive for this application - thought I'd try this one, since I usually do 254. I think this has a longer "open time", so it gives me more time to work with a batch of mixed thinset. 25lb bags only, but less than 254, per lb.
