How would you redo your shower?

[CaptainPike]

I have a handy man offering to tile my shower for 400 dollars. This would include cutting the pipe for the spicket to make it fit correctly against the wall. I don't know how long this would take. Maybe a day or day and a half.

Does that sound like a fair price? I'm thinking it would be cheaper to do a surround or a one of those 50 dollar kits.

[Wookinstien]

Make sure he's licensed and bonded, especially if he is going to do some plumbing work.

Does the price include tile?

[Samm]

I have a handy man offering to tile my shower for 400 dollars. This would include cutting the pipe for the spicket to make it fit correctly against the wall. I don't know how long this would take. Maybe a day or day and a half.

Does that sound like a fair price? I'm thinking it would be cheaper to do a surround or a one of those 50 dollar kits.

I would tile it myself... Get a "how to" book at Home Depot or Lowe's if you have never done it before. It is not difficult. Over the years I have done several home tile jobs and even the first one came out good. You do need the right tools... tile breaker and tile nippers (for around the spigot and valve pipes) adhesive trowel and it helps to have a proper grouting float. Any tile store will have the tools and may rent you a breaker and nippers. On my last job - a tub/shower surround - I used my Dremel tool for the "fancy" cuts around the shower fixtures.

You will save a lot of money and the satisfaction of doing it yourself is priceless.

[smyrna]

How would you redo your shower?


Hmmmmmmmmmm....I'd start with a blond.:mrgreen:

[MrShotShot]

Well I generally start with my backside and then do my hair. But I guess I could do my hair first and my backside last.

[StoneScratcher]

I have a handy man offering to tile my shower for 400 dollars. This would include cutting the pipe for the spicket to make it fit correctly against the wall. I don't know how long this would take. Maybe a day or day and a half.

Does that sound like a fair price? I'm thinking it would be cheaper to do a surround or a one of those 50 dollar kits.

Make sure that the tile you choose is best suited for the makeup of your water. For example, if you have too much copper and you have white or light-colored tiles, you'll get a bluish tinge on your tiles (even if you wipe them down, it builds up).

Also, choose your grout carefully (same as above), you can get a colored grout which may help in any mineral/metal build ups.

And have the grout PROFESSIONAL sealed.

Lucky you!

[Alaric]

Try the tile forums at http://www.johnbridge.com

Lots of experts there. Personally, I'd install a Kerdi system on the shower, thats what I used in my basement and I was seriously impressed.

BTW, four hundred bucks sounds really low for a complete shower redo. Too low to be a good deal, about right for a cheat job - unless its not a complete redo but a repair.

[JudasGoat]

redesigned for convenience and low financial impact.

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx327/judas777/1st/fail-owned-toilet-idea-fail.jpg

[Wake-Up]

$400 does not tell the story. What grade of tile is he using? How large is the shower? Is it three walls, floor to ceiling or a partial tile job? What is the substrate the tile is being placed over, Green Board? Is he planning on using an adhesive or cement?

I've redone 8 bathrooms in the last 20 years myself and its not a terribly tough job but takes some planning and skill. The last one sure came out a lot better then the first one so as anything, experience makes the difference.

Have him supply references and talk to his customers.

As far as tile versus an insert. Both will work but tile, done right will always look better, richer and more custom than any inserts. On the other hand, inserts are lower maintenance than tile on a day to day basis.

If you plan on selling soon the lower cost alternative is safer in this real estate market. It will freshen the look of the shower, make it more current in terms of look and might be one of those little factors that help sell the house. If you're planning on staying, I'd go with the tile.

[Alaric]

As far as tile versus an insert. Both will work but tile, done right will always look better, richer and more custom than any inserts. On the other hand, inserts are lower maintenance than tile on a day to day basis.


Stick with tile - don't do an insert, especially if tile is what you already have.

[camarozz]

The cheap surrounds are just that... I had one, hated it.

Tileing is cheap if you do it yourself... VERY easy. Take your time, use the little "wedges" to keep the lines even.

And I agree, depending on your water make up, pick tile and grout that minimizes the "ugly" that will show up.

I have hard water, and white worked best for me.

[Samm]

Make sure that the tile you choose is best suited for the makeup of your water. For example, if you have too much copper and you have white or light-colored tiles, you'll get a bluish tinge on your tiles (even if you wipe them down, it builds up).

Also, choose your grout carefully (same as above), you can get a colored grout which may help in any mineral/metal build ups.

And have the grout PROFESSIONAL sealed.

Lucky you!

Professionally sealed? :eh:

Grout sealing is a liquid applied with a paint brush... even you could do it. :razz:

[CaptainPike]

It's not going to be a complete redo of the shower. It's already sheet rocked. The 400 dollar price does not include materials. It would be a partial tiling on three walls.

The guy offering to do the work is a licensed general contractor.

I've never done tile work before so that's why I'm leaning towards having someone else do it. For those of you that have done tile work, does the sheet rock need to be spackled to fill in any gaps, or is it OK to have some minor gaps before gluing on the tile?

[ThrowCop]

If he is licensed & bonded, that is a very good price!

Almost too good...

[CaptainPike]

If he is licensed & bonded, that is a very good price!

Almost too good...

Really?

It doesn't include materials. And he was even talking about using 12x12 tiles. I wouldn't go with that. It would look really weird. It's a small bathroom so big tiles would make the walls look very small. I think if I let him do the work, he can use whatever tiles I buy.

Honestly I think I could knock it out in one full day and he probly could too if he wanted to. 400 for one days work doesn't sound too bad to me.

[terri910]

I would tile it myself... Get a "how to" book at Home Depot or Lowe's if you have never done it before. It is not difficult. Over the years I have done several home tile jobs and even the first one came out good. You do need the right tools... tile breaker and tile nippers (for around the spigot and valve pipes) adhesive trowel and it helps to have a proper grouting float. Any tile store will have the tools and may rent you a breaker and nippers. On my last job - a tub/shower surround - I used my Dremel tool for the "fancy" cuts around the shower fixtures.

You will save a lot of money and the satisfaction of doing it yourself is priceless.
+1

Hubby and I removed linoleum and tiled the floor of our kitchen as our first project. Turns out hubby is good at laying the tile, and I'm good at grout. We were so happy with it, that when we gutted and renovated the rest of our kitchen we did all the tile for the coountertops/backsplash and island. Get the right tools and it really isn't complicated...but it CAN be hard on the back and/or knees (when doing a floor).

[jimjames418]

It's not going to be a complete redo of the shower. It's already sheet rocked. The 400 dollar price does not include materials. It would be a partial tiling on three walls.

The guy offering to do the work is a licensed general contractor.

I've never done tile work before so that's why I'm leaning towards having someone else do it. For those of you that have done tile work, does the sheet rock need to be spackled to fill in any gaps, or is it OK to have some minor gaps before gluing on the tile?
There is a special backer board used for tile. Esp if it is to be used in a wet enviroement.

[CaptainPike]

Everyone always told me that green board was used for showers. What I got was supposed to be better than green board.

[Alaric]

Everyone always told me that green board was used for showers. What I got was supposed to be better than green board.

Greenboard is not suitable for showers unless you are using Kerdi or similar. Otherwise you need to use a 1/2" cement backer board for the shower area. Greenboard is for bathroom walls adjacent to the shower. Grout is porous and water will wick right through it and into the wall and grow mold because the grout and underlying wall is always wet. Kerdi and similar products keep this from happening so that a shower can dry out completely.

does the sheet rock need to be spackled to fill in any gaps, or is it OK to have some minor gaps before gluing on the tile?
Cement backerboard joints should be taped with an alkyline resistant fiber mesh tape (do not use dry wall mesh tape even though it looks the same) and mudded with the same thinset used to set the tiles and feathered flat. Greenboard joints should be mudded and taped with drywall compound and drywall tape and finished flat.


I can see that at this point you really need to go to the forum I suggested earlier and discuss your project - or you are going to have mold problems and tile adhesion problems. But whatever, its your project and you have to live with the results.