| Author |
Is there any reason for aggregate in this concrete application?
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| Seigfried 2006-04-24, 3:21 pm |
| I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a shower.
One contractor insists that the concrete under the tile must be hand
mixed using pea gravel for best results. Another says that ordinary
sand mix will work just fine. So the question is, "What is the purpose
of an aggregate in this application and is there any reason why the
concrete under tile in a shower should be made with pea gravel?"
Thanks!
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| Hmmm. Perhaps the first guy owns a pea gravel pit?
"Seigfried" <Seigfried@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1145901786.221938.219600@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
> I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a
> shower.
>
> One contractor insists that the concrete under the tile
> must be hand mixed using pea gravel for best results.
> Another says that ordinary sand mix will work just fine.
> So the question is, "What is the purpose of an aggregate
> in this application and is there any reason why the
> concrete under tile in a shower should be made with pea
> gravel?"
>
> Thanks!
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| tmurf.1@juno.com 2006-04-24, 4:21 pm |
| General rule of thumb is thicker than two inches use aggregate, under
two inches sand and cement.
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| Nehmo Sergheyev 2006-04-24, 5:21 pm |
| Aggregate is for strength. To a point, the larger the aggregate, the
stronger the concrete. Under a shower, it wouldn't make any difference
if you had any or not. Usually, though, under tile you would use
Backerboard http://www.floorstransformed.com/backerboard.html or
something similar.
--
(||) Nehmo (||)
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| marson 2006-04-24, 10:21 pm |
| i'm guessing OP is talking about tiling a shower floor. never heard of
backerboard in that application.
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| Nehmo Sergheyev 2006-04-24, 11:21 pm |
| First, let me concede that I've never done a shower floor. But if I
did, unless the floor was already concrete, I'd use Backerboard (or
Wonderboard or something). I understand that's not the only method, of
course. Backerboard wasn't around when most of the tile of the world
was installed. But anyway, what's your objection to Backerboard on a
shower floor? (Apparently, there's going to be floor tile over it.)
Maybe you know something I don't.
--
(||) Nehmo (||)
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| tmurf.1@juno.com 2006-04-25, 12:21 am |
| The shower PAN will be a rubber or vinyl composit material. To insure
a tight fit and no gap or pockets a wet bed is the right way to go.
Tile backer is fine foe bathroom floors but a shower floor is very
different.
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| Charles 2006-04-25, 1:21 am |
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"Nehmo Sergheyev" <nehmo54@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1145931027.901745.185460@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> First, let me concede that I've never done a shower floor. But if I
> did, unless the floor was already concrete, I'd use Backerboard (or
> Wonderboard or something). I understand that's not the only method, of
> course. Backerboard wasn't around when most of the tile of the world
> was installed. But anyway, what's your objection to Backerboard on a
> shower floor? (Apparently, there's going to be floor tile over it.)
> Maybe you know something I don't.
> --
> (||) Nehmo (||)
>
How would you slope the tile toward the drain with just backer board ?
In my shower, I used backer board with a rubber membrane then 2 - 3 inches
and concrete with sand.
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| Nehmo Sergheyev 2006-04-25, 3:21 am |
| Assuming I understand, OP will have a tile floor in the shower. The
upper surface will be tile not plastic. I wasn't envisioning using a
plastic or composite pan - just a membrane beneath.
Here's something on the subject:
http://www.thetiledoctor.com/instal.../showertubs.cfm
I was envisioning something like illustration D (rotated 90=B0 CC) on
http://www.thetiledoctor.com/instal...lls_methods.cfm
However, after thinking it over and researching it, I would not use
Backerboard for the floor - but not because of the lack of "tight fit".
I would use a mortar bed because it would be easier to slope.
If I could get their product, Schl=FCter=AE-TROBA, which I can't
pronounce, that's what I would use as the membrane. The convincing
video on http://snipurl.com/pn3s shows a method.
Now we're getting afield from OP's issue. OP used the word "concrete"
but was apparently referring to the mortar bed. Would and the addition
of pea gravel improve the mortar bed? It would be a bit stronger in
some respects... but considering strength of regular mortar is adequate
in this case, it wouldn't make any difference. The normal practice is
not to add pea gravel.=20
--
(||) Nehmo (||)
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| "Seigfried" <Seigfried@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1145901786.221938.219600@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a shower.
>
> One contractor insists that the concrete under the tile must be hand
> mixed using pea gravel for best results. Another says that ordinary
> sand mix will work just fine. So the question is, "What is the purpose
> of an aggregate in this application and is there any reason why the
> concrete under tile in a shower should be made with pea gravel?"
>
> Thanks!
>
The question presents invalid information. Concrete requires aggregate to
be concrete. As another respondent stated, the aggregate is for strength.
If such strength is not needed, slop some Portland cement and sand and water
mixture.
Pea gravel is certainly not going to hurt anything irregardless. Just be
sure a smooth surface results.
--
Jonny
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| Glenn 2006-04-25, 12:21 pm |
| I believe backerboard should be banned. I had a job that I speced a mud job
and they used backerboard. It bridged over a high joist and was springy.
Job used 12" x 12" tile. They cracked. A mud job with metal lath would
have been flat and it would have had no joints to give.. Backerboard is
just a quick and cheap fix for the real thing.
Old timer, been there, done that.
"Nehmo Sergheyev" <nehmo54@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1145931027.901745.185460@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com
> First, let me concede that I've never done a shower
> floor. But if I did, unless the floor was already
> concrete, I'd use Backerboard (or Wonderboard or
> something). I understand that's not the only method, of
> course. Backerboard wasn't around when most of the tile
> of the world was installed. But anyway, what's your
> objection to Backerboard on a shower floor? (Apparently,
> there's going to be floor tile over it.) Maybe you know
> something I don't. -- (||) Nehmo (||)
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| crhras 2006-04-25, 7:21 pm |
|
You think the whole shower enclosure should be mud ? Walls too ?
"Glenn" <pilcheg@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:UWq3g.2158$Bh.516@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>I believe backerboard should be banned. I had a job that I speced a mud
>job and they used backerboard. It bridged over a high joist and was
>springy. Job used 12" x 12" tile. They cracked. A mud job with metal lath
>would have been flat and it would have had no joints to give.. Backerboard
>is just a quick and cheap fix for the real thing.
>
> Old timer, been there, done that.
>
>
> "Nehmo Sergheyev" <nehmo54@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1145931027.901745.185460@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com
>
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| I was primarily thinking of the floor seeing as how that was the topic. But
yes, I don't like backerboard anywhere.
I would rather have green sheetrock (water resistant) taped and sanded and
sized (a water sealer) and mastic the wall tile onto that. As you can see,
I like flat surfaces under tile.
"crhras" <crhras@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:r0x3g.19839$tN3.7187@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net[color=darkred]
> You think the whole shower enclosure should be mud ?
> Walls too ?
>
>
> "Glenn" <pilcheg@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:UWq3g.2158$Bh.516@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
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| tmurf.1@juno.com 2006-04-25, 11:21 pm |
| Wet bed if done correctly is the best way. No contest.
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| crhras 2006-04-26, 2:21 am |
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Yeah, I had a wet bed that was done correctly last night. Slept like a
baby.
<tmurf.1@juno.com> wrote in message
news:1146017391.310115.250130@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Wet bed if done correctly is the best way. No contest.
>
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