Good tile work is next to impossible without those wedges!

 

Finally got the last piece of tile on this house. Thought it would never happen. I'll get pics of all when it's not late and I'm not tired!

 

nice job:clap:. I don't see many glass shelves nowadays unless those are stone Might be the shine on the tiles from the light. I've done a few showers but never had to tile the ceiling. Makes me nervous with those large tiles. I've been reading threads and looked at a few videos on the subject and application methods. I know its coming sooner than later.

 

Thanks!!! They're stone. This is only my third ceiling but when I put my very first piece of tile on my very first ceiling my confidence was solid. The suction of the mud holds it surprisingly tight as I pulled the first one off to test it with an amazing amount of force. The day I was ready to start the ceiling there was a ground pounding machine twenty feet away getting ready for pavement and the whole house was shaking ferociously so I put it off. Been a fun project though

 

so scratch coat the ceiling with a flat edge of the trowel and back butter the tile.
Is that your process. Your not grooving the thinset, Thats what I've been reading. Or is the thinset grooved on the tile after back butter.

 

I start by putting 1/4" concrete board on the ceiling with a good exterior construction adhesive to the studs then screws every six inches or so. Then a coat of mud wiped completely off of the board where only the next tile will touch so it will be wet, then coat the entire back of the tile and groove it in a circular motion to prevent any air from getting in to compromise the suction. Once everything dries, it's as solid as can be. Grouting it SUCKS though.

 

Keying mortar in a curcular motion keeps air from escaping, not allowing the tiles to "burp" when setting. It doesn't keep air from getting in - that would be impossible, unless setting in a vacuum.

Other than that I don't see an issue with your method. I like to mix my mud a touch wetter for ceiling work.

 

I had read somewhere in order to keep air from getting trapped, you need to run all the notches in the same direction


Gary

 

Perp to each other gives you pretty good suction.

 

Ran over to the coast to do some backsplash for a good customer. She had ordered so much extra tiles since the were a closeout $1sf that I mentioned doing the soffits to match. Because with soffits you either don't notice them or hate them. No one loves them. Might as well do a cheap upgrade to make them likeable.

 

I definitely hate them now.

 

That hurts my eyes. But you got paid for it (right?), so it's all good. :thumbsup:

 

Good God! :no:
"Likable" is such a relative term. I would have a seizure making dinner in that kitchen. Stop with the "suggestions".

 

I stopped in at a job I posted on a while back and they had the electrician get the niche lighting in.
After 5 weeks the Laticrete Plasma Translucent finally came in will be adding the back-lit deco strip this weekend.

 

It seems simple to me. Straight notches for all surfaces. A suction cup works by having no air under it. Straight notches are the only way to get rid of all the air.

 

I'll stick to straight everywhere but ceilings. Where's charimon?

 

I was concerned that my customers idea of changing the orientation of the tiles at the corner into the shower. I'm relieved that it worked out ok. first time using the silicone method on the glass blocks. pretty solid, clean look.

 

I can't find a video of anyone putting large heavy tiles on a ceiling. I'll keep looking though because I'm on a mission now. Dammit

 

My most recent shower had 12" x 24" full 3/8" porcelain speced for the ceiling.

We looked all over the place to find a video of someone doing an install but 12" x 12" marble was the largest I could find.

Ended up using straight trowel method, unmodified over kerdi board. Three tiles were up and seemed to be sticking, but I was feeling anxious and spidey sense told me to look up. I ended up catching a tile as it fell, then stood there like the dutch boy with his finger in the dike waiting for my helper to get back from the saw while I juggled the fallen tile and kept one hand on the two tiles remaining on the ceiling.

I've braced the top tile in niche applications before, so I borrowed from that method. Thinset and troweling methods stayed the same, but I used a ZipWall pole under each tile as it set. The twist lock extension, wide top plate and fairly gentle spring loaded top kept the tiles in place while mortar set but didn't push so hard that I couldn't level my edges.

I will definitely use the poles again if doing the same type of install, I'll just make sure I have more than four of them

 

http://floorelf.com/how-to-install-tile-on-a-shower-ceiling


Finally found a site describing how I learned long ago. Especially with heavy tiles, I think it's pretty good

 

I guess I am missing the physics behind this method. How does making it in a circle create more suction over a full coverage method?

 

Nothing too fancy.

 

Oops. Forgot the picture to go with that!

 

 

On ceilings I go strait But many tile setters I respect use other methods.
The one tip I have for ceiling work is a 3r'd hand from fastcap. You can get a great press on the tile with them and by moving the pole back and forth while it is under load you get the back and forth action from the Trowel and Error method.

 

Ahhhh, that's cute, a budding bromance.

 

:laughing:
CUTE!
:laughing:

 

Damn. He IS E.F. Hutton..

 

Feel like I'm missing something, what does SMH mean?

 

Shaking My Head:no:

 

So my job this week. Another contractor installed 450 sf of Ditra heat over OSB subfloor with Unmodified mortar. Ran the cable and everything. The owner read the Schluter manual that was left in the room along with the unmodified mortar bag in the trash and called the Schluter Rep. I was asked to Tear it out and do the re-install by the flooring dealer, the work was well done, just used the wrong product. We tore it out and ground the residue and installed new ditra heat mat, and reinstalled the cable. Oh and guess the tile --- 8x36 rectified porcelain plank with 1/8 grout joint.

Will post picks when finished.

I guess the take away here is remember to use modified mortar on wood sub-floors when using Schluter Ditra products.

 

The lesson is clean up your job site and leave nothing for them to snoop around.

 

But it was stuck down fine, right?

 

My Schluter distributor told me it was always unmodified with any Ditra or Kerdi products, regardless of substrate

 

He's a idiot or you don't listen.