Hello –
I usually hang out in Knots. But I am remodeling my master bath, and just finished hanging the cement board. My question is this. Is there a rule as to whether you should tile (ceramic) the floor or walls first? Does it matter? Are there opinions on both sides, or an obvious rule?
I would assume the walls, so you are not walking all over the floor you just did to tile the walls…but I don’t know.
I appreciate the help.
Joe
Edited 11/3/2007 7:57 pm ET by ThreePuttJoe
Replies
Floor first, so that you have the actual and true finished floor height to begin your walls from.
I typically lay a sheet of homosote down to protect the floors while working on the rest of the room.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Floor first. After that, my tile guy works in his socks.
Yeah, unlike with other floor coverings, you generally tile the floor first. One reason is so that the wall tile can hide the often-irregular joint between the floor and the wall. Also, this order leaves less of a crack that moisture can get through at the wall edge.
Of course, there may be special cases where wall first makes sense, but can't think of an example off-hand.
Thanks to all for the replies. BTW, I was going to use cement board for the floor underlayment as well. But now I am seeing a lot of that orange rubber sheeting. The cement board seems like it might be a little crumbly underfoot, but then the orange stuff seems a little thin. What is really the best way to go?Thanks again.
TPJ,I usually do the walls first, sans the bottom row. Then the floor, then the bottom row. Everybodys got the same idea,,,,, don't mess up the floor.I don't follow you using concrete board for the floor.If you look in the picture section in this forum,you'll find a thread titled "Kerdi shower w niche". This one thread will pretty much take you through a whole shower. Check it out.H
...but then the orange stuff seems a little thin.
"orange stuff"?
You talkin' about the Kerdi product?
Not necessary on the main bath floor area.....or are you talking about the shower floor?
Set the cement board down on a bed of thinset to take up for the imperfections in the wood subfloor. That will give you a nice solid base.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
He's probably talking about Ditra for a bathroom floor.
Joe,
In wet areas like a shower, I always do the walls first.
I figure out the elevation of the top of the shower floor tile, then measure up two grout widths plus one tile height and set a level board. I then start tiling the walls from that board. When I'm done, the walls will be tiled with the exception of the bottom course of wall tile.
I'll then tile the ceiling.
Then the floor preslope and tile the floor.
Then I add the bottom course of wall tile.
If tiling the bath outside the shower, I still tile the walls first, but I'll do the entire wall including the bottom course of tile. Then I come back and to the floor.
There is one caveat. If I'm dealing with an intricate floor and/or wall design, a design where the floor grout lines and/or tile patterns need to integrate with the wall grout and tile, then one (floor or wall) usually takes precedence over the other. In that case I'll do whichever one needs to be done first.
If this is a shower, did you use a vapor barrier behind the cement board, between the CB and the framing?
Mongo