20 year's to learn a lesson

[Codyboy]

It'll be different this time i said.

Nope.

Just added insult to injury.

Trying to schluter a shower. First time.

It all *****. Thinset, kerdi band, buckets all of it.

20 years ago I did all the floor tile and showers. It turned out well but there was weeping and gnashing of teeth along the way and I vowed to never do it again. Nope. Not ever doing it again!

Well here I am.

 

[Just_Steve]

Practice makes perfect.

 

[duneslider]

Curious if you are having specific issues?

I have done dozens of schluter showers and there is def some technique involved with it. Or is it just the fact that this work is WORK and it is hard to do?

I have spent a ton of time over my career giving people advice online and tons of DIYers have done beautiful work BUT at the end of the day it is hard work and it does take practice and technique to do it right/well/fast. If you are only doing this sort of thing every 20 years it is going to be a challenge. I will say the newer materials are much easier to use and much less physically demanding. I can carry 300sqft+ of schluter ditra in one go when that would be 20+ sheets of backerboard, it's no contest which I am going to pick.

 

[Codyboy]

Curious if you are having specific issues?

I have done dozens of schluter showers and there is def some technique involved with it. Or is it just the fact that this work is WORK and it is hard to do?

I have spent a ton of time over my career giving people advice online and tons of DIYers have done beautiful work BUT at the end of the day it is hard work and it does take practice and technique to do it right/well/fast. If you are only doing this sort of thing every 20 years it is going to be a challenge. I will say the newer materials are much easier to use and much less physically demanding. I can carry 300sqft+ of schluter ditra in one go when that would be 20+ sheets of backerboard, it's no contest which I am going to pick.

Not the shcluter . Tile work in general.

Mixing , spreading , clean up tools and buckets etc.

Yeah its work.

 

[duneslider]

Not the shcluter . Tile work in general.

Mixing , spreading , clean up tools and buckets etc.

Yeah its work.

So, just a little pro tip. Cleaning the bucket every time you mix thinset is key, just clean the top 1/2 to 2/3. I keep a gong brush by my water buckets and it takes just a couple seconds to get the top and sides clean. Also, give your notch trowel and margin trowel a quick scrub at that time as well. This will make the clean up at the end of the day way easier.

Don't mix a full bucket of thinset at a time if you are a beginner, just mix a 1/4 to half bucket at a time. Don't rush yourself and enjoy the process.

But yes, being on your knees for a long time is not easy and takes a long time to get to where that alone doesn't wear you out.

I hope everything turned out well in the end! At least when you are done you can stand back and admire what you accomplished.

 

[Codyboy]

Yeah I just hired it out. Painting and tile for me just *****.
The actual work isn't too horrible. The horrible part is cleaning everything after I'm wore out from doing the work.

When I did my house 20 years ago I was 40 y.o.
It still sucked but not like it does now at almost 60.

 

[jrsulo]

I am 60 and do this everyday !!!!,,,,,,yes it ***** !!!!!!!

 

[BSWS]

I must have had beginner's luck, and I was 20 years younger. I'd never heard of Kerdi but it sounded like a good idea. I was doing my smallish shower but I was tiling the ceilings, all four walls and floor so I encapsulated the whole thing in orange before I tiled. I thought it worked great, and the fact it was nearly my first tile job, and every tile looks as good today as it did then, I'd say I had great results.

I'd probably do it again as long as I wasn't rushed.