Miscalculations

I have been busy tiling the bathroom. So far I've made a number of mistakes - most due to my inability to measure correctly. I keep forgetting to add the 1/8" grout line when I am measuring tile for cutting to size. When the shower is 7 feet tall that's a lot of 1/8's to miss (total of 7/8".) So I've had to do some fudging  to work things out. Most people would not care, but I am a severe type A personality who likes things pretty close to perfect. My husband keeps saying I will be the only one who knows about the mistakes, other people won't notice. But I will know. So here's a photo of my fudging - not a pretty sight. The mosaic tile was 1/4" higher than the cement backer board so I had to do a little thinset buildup. Unfortunately, my fix was so soft the tile kept flopping over so had to devise something to hold them in place until the thinset hardened.

If you ever decide to do a DIY bathroom remodel here are some tips that I found to be invaluable. Buy Tile Wedges, they're tiny red, plastic wedges that can be used to shim tile for leveling, you can stack them together when the regular tile spacers are not quite the right width. They can be used to keep rows of mosaic tile aligned, etc. Here is a photo of the wedges - love these!



I also discovered new spacers that are amazing. They not only separate tiles from each other in 1/8" or 1/4" sizes, but they also align corners perfectly!  Since I have arthritis in my hands these spacers are much easier to grip and use then the tiny plastic x's contractors have been using for may years.

A good friend of ours loaned me something called a sanding stone. I used it to sand down the cement board joints that I had taped and thinset. Taping and thinset can leave an uneven surface, by soaking the stone and then rubbing it across the joint it really smooths and levels the joint. It was really handy in areas that I had to float because the walls were not quite square. Made work so much easier.

Probably the most important tool in my tiling arsenal is a level (s.) I use a small level to check each tile as I set it, then 30" level to check the row I am working on and a 48" level to check the final edge. The large level also comes in handy as a straight edge to check for high and low spots. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take your time and check level each step of the way.

Today I will finish tiling the shower and begin setting quarter round trim. Never used it before, hear it's tricky to install.