Black and Gold Veining Marble Tile Explained – Part II
This past week we began looking at a particular shower surround with a white tile that had a very distinct black and gold veining. We talked about different elements of the tile and also about the sheathing and substrate preparation for a shower surround in general. We didn’t talk about the particular tile bond. In this case, this is a medium format size tile. The dimensions are roughly 24 in wide x 12 in tall. The same tile could also be installed in a vertical type of position. Here though, in a horizontal position which is more traditional, they have installed the tiles on a running bond.
The running bond happens to be one of the most common types of configurations both for tile work and for stone masonry and brick masonry as well. You can think of a running bond as similar to Footprints of someone running horizontally across the wall. Each tile is halfway in front of the other. In other words, the tile is positioned so that the center of a tile is directly above the grout line of the vertical joint between the two tiles below. That pattern repeats at each course.
The floor of the shower is set with a thin rectangular black tile on a herringbone pattern. They chose a white grout color for this installation. We like the way that the white grout accentuates the pattern and configuration of the mosaic of the tiles, but we generally recommend against installation of a very light colored grout at the shower pan area of a floor. This area will have a significant amount of usage and foot traffic and will also have trace amounts of soaps that contact and run across this floor system.
White grout colors are just more difficult to clean and must be cleaned more often. They have used a 4-in square floor drain in the center of the shower. The placement is okay, but we really prefer a linear trench type drain or slot drain set at one of the shorter sides of the shower. Our preference would also be for the side for the slot drain or trench drain to be on the side of the shower head and controls. In a configuration like that, the entire shower grades towards that one side and drains at an edge.
The shelf brackets shown here are a black finish angled corner shelf. They’re extremely helpful. Often, people who are building showers and shower surrounds don’t realize how important it is to think about and plan for storage. People often have several different types of shampoos and soaps inside of their shower. The idea of not having a shelf planned and installed ahead of time means that you have to either enter the shower with your cleaning and bathing products in your hand and hold them while you’re showering or sit them on the floor. Impractical terms that idea or plan doesn’t work because it’s extremely inconvenient. Instead, often people purchase and install an aftermarket shelf.
The problem with aftermarket shelves is that they have to be fastened from the outside through the tile and therefore through the substrate membrane of the shower surround. That’s problematic because it can lead to leakage. If it’s installed by other means such as surface attachment through suction cups or set on to the floor of the shower then it’s a bit of a cleaning hassle and suction cups don’t stick permanently or very well. It’s much better to think about storage shelving in a shower ahead of time. Permanently installed corner shelves like this are a great option.
Niches are an even better option, but niches are complicated. Niches have to be wrapped very carefully with a membrane before the tile is set. Using a roll membrane in a small boxed out area is a little bit complicated because the corners have to be treated very carefully for there not to be leakage. The difficulty comes in maintaining continuity of the membrane as it is folded into each of the corners. As another alternative, free fabricated shower niches can also be purchased, but they have to fit within the framing plan and they’re simply expensive.
Simple corner shelves like this work well without some of the other complications. These particular shelves are factory finished and have a perforated horizontal surface. The perforations allow water to drain freely through the shelves so they avoid significant ponding or puddling of water.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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