Planning a Tile Shower: Wall Tile, a Pebble Floor, Trim and Backer Board

A tile shower is one of the few rooms in a house where a mistake gets hidden behind the finish and then shows up years later. The decisions that make it last are mostly the ones nobody photographs: what's behind the tile, how the water is kept out of the wall, how the floor is sloped. The visible decisions, such as wall tile, a pebble floor and trim, are the fun part, and they deserve attention too. Here's how to think through both.

Start with the wall tile

Wall tile in a shower can be ceramic, porcelain, glass or natural stone, and the choices are wide. Subway tile is the classic. Mosaics add pattern. Wood-look planks laid on the wall give you the warmth of timber with none of the worry about water. The shower in the photo above pairs plank-style wall tile with a band of river pebbles, and the contrast between the long straight lines and the rounded stones is what makes it read as a custom job.

A few things are worth deciding early. Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines to clean. Smaller tiles follow curves and tight corners more easily. A glossy finish brightens a small shower but shows water spots. A matte or textured finish hides them. Whichever you like, carry a sample home and look at it with the bathroom light on, since that's the light you'll shower in.

A pebble floor: good grip, more grout

Pebble and small mosaic floors are popular for a reason. Because the surface is made of many small pieces, there are many grout joints, and those joints give your feet traction. Pebbles come mounted on mesh sheets, so they install in sections and follow the gentle slope toward the drain better than large tiles do.

There are tradeoffs. More grout means more to keep clean, so a sealed grout and a regular scrub keep it looking fresh. Natural pebbles can feel lumpy underfoot, so stand on a sample barefoot if you can. Some people love the massage and others don't, and you want to find out before the floor is set. If you want a pebble floor but not much texture, ask about flatter, honed pebbles.

Trim: the finishing detail people forget

Every place where tile ends needs a plan. An outside corner, the edge of a niche, the top of a wainscot or the line where one pattern stops and another begins are all places where raw tile edges show. Trim pieces solve that. M & M has stone trim available to separate patterns with style, along with decorative wall tile, subway tile, mosaics and glass, and the sales staff can help you build a design you like.

Bring the trim question to the counter along with the tile, not after. Trim comes in its own sizes and profiles, and it changes how thick the finished wall looks. Picking it at the same time as the tile means the pieces suit each other.

Why backer board matters

Tile and grout are not waterproof on their own. Grout is porous, and water gets through to whatever is behind the wall. If what's behind the wall is ordinary drywall, the paper face absorbs moisture, softens and eventually lets go of the tile. Cement backer board doesn't break down when it gets wet, which is why it's the standard base for tile in a wet area.

M & M distributes Durock cement board, along with the setting materials and tools that go with it, including products from Bostik, Roberts and Stauf. Backer board is one piece of the assembly, and it still needs the waterproofing method and fasteners the manufacturer calls for. A good installer follows those instructions in full, and M & M installs to the manufacturers' specifications.

Questions to settle before demo day

• Where will the niche, the bench and any shower valve go, and do the tiles line up around them?
• Do you want a walk-in shower, or a tub and shower with a surround? M & M carries tub and shower enclosures and tubs as well.
• Which tile goes on the floor, and is it right for a wet surface?
• How will the tile end at each corner and edge, and which trim covers it?
• What grout color will look right in this light, and will it be sealed?

One customer, Mike D, wrote in a Google review that he and his wife were doing a shower reno and that M & M had exactly what they wanted. That's usually how it goes when you arrive with a plan, because the staff can point you straight at the tile, trim and materials that belong together.

Stop by the showroom on Highway 412 West in Tontitown and walk the racks with your measurements in hand, or call 479-361-2551 for a free estimate on tile and installation.