DIY Network

Inside Job: Bathroom Suite Transformation As part of a makover turning a dysfunctional bathroom into an oasis of calm, master carpenter Carter Oosterhouse shows what it takes to install a travertine tile shower. From "The Inside Job" episode DISJ-105

In this installment of DIY's The Inside Job, Carter Oosterhouse takes you behind the scenes of sister-network show, HGTV's Carter Can, to reveal what it takes to reinvent a master-suite bathroom. A problematic bath gets The Inside Job treatment as Oosterhouse and his team of experts rip out a tiny, fiberglass shower and replace it with a tiled masterpiece, creating a spacious sanctuary for a newlywed couple.

Outlined below are the tools, materials and basic steps Carter followed for re-making the shower with travertine tile. But first, here's before-an-after gallery of the overall master suite transformation. (Click on individual images for enlarged view.)

Before

Before

Before

After

After

After

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	Before: The old shower was cramped, and distinctly lacking in terms of visual appeal.
	After: Travertine tile provides an elegant, luxurious look.

Travertine Tile Shower

If you long for classic ambiance in your shower, you can't go wrong with the natural look of travertine tile. Travertine is one of the most commonly used stones in modern architecture, but its porous nature means some precautions should be taken when applying the tiles to your bathroom wall.

But with time and patience, you can update your old ceramic tile and give your shower a warm, earthy look with a solid feel.

Materials and tools:

travertine tiles
accent tiles (optional)
ledger board (2x4 will suffice)
screws
premixed thinset mortar or dry mortar mix
tile grout
plastic tile spacers
plastic shims (optional)
tile sealant
penetrating sealer

Tools:

wet saw
notched trowel
grout float
screwdriver
tape measure
joint knife
sponge

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Steps:

1) With cement board walls pre-installed (figure A), start by screwing in a temporary ledger board at the bottom of your wall space to support each tile above and to ensure they are placed nice and evenly. Keep in mind you will later remove the ledger and place custom-fit tiles in its place.

2) For tile adhesion, it's recommended that you use a premixed thinset tile mortar (or "mud") that typically comes in a large tub. You also can purchase a dry, powdered tile mortar mixed with water and a latex additive, but it's difficult to mix properly if you don't have the right equipment, such as a mixer that attaches to a drill. Once the mortar has the same consistency as peanut butter, it's ready to go.

3) Using the notched end of your trowel, spread the mortar on the back of each tile and on the wall with an upward fanning motion (figure B) so that the tile has ridges to cling to. Be careful mortar does not touch the front of the tile since the tile is not yet sealed!

4) Set the tiles in place and insert plastic spacers at each corner to ensure there's a consistent gap between each of the tiles. The size of the spacers will depend on the size of your tiles and the look you are going for. You will remove the spacers once the tiles are set and seal in the space with grout.

5) Including accent pieces is a great way to give your shower even more character. If you opt to add special pieces in addition to your base tiles, follow the same procedure for tiling, but pay particular attention to symmetry and how the new tiles will affect the placement of your base tiles (figure C). For tiny pieces with smaller grouting gaps in-between, use a plastic shim instead of a tile spacer.

	Figure D
	Figure E

6) Now that the tiles have been placed, it's time to unscrew the ledger, remove it, and fill in the space with tiles. If the adhesive on the bottom of the tile touching the ledger is stuck, there's a chance you could snap it, so be sure to remove it slowly and carefully! If necessary, slide a knife along the edge (figure D) and tap downward to remove it more easily.

7) Assess where smaller pieces are needed around the edges for trim. Using a tape measure, calculate the dimensions of any pieces that need to be cut to size, keeping space for grouting into consideration.

8) Using a wet saw, which helps prevent tile breakage, cut down the travertine tile pieces to fit in the remaining spaces (figure E). Continue by applying mortar to the wall wherever needed, placing mortar on the back of the new tiles, and fitting them on to the wall with spacers.

9) After the tiles have all been put into place, they will need to set overnight. You will then remove the plastic spacers, using a sharp object to help pry them out if necessary.

10) Once everything is dry, the next step is sealing the naturally porous stone in preparation for shower use. First lightly sponge off the tiles to clean them and then apply the sealant over each of the tiles with a roller and let it dry for 3-5 hours.

11) After the sealant has dried, it's grouting time. Scoop out some grout with a float and carefully apply it to all of the spaces in-between each tile. Once the grout becomes chalky — but before it gets too hard — grab your soft sponge and very lightly clean off all of the surfaces with water. As you sponge away the haze, your travertine will come to life!

12) Allow the grout to set for 48 to72 hours, then add a penetrating sealer before exposing the travertine to water.

RESOURCES :

Shower tiles: L Walnut Premium S22108604, 12" Travertine tile
Floor & Decor
www.flooranddecoroutlets.com

Shower accent tiles: MC 2 Regia 2"x2", Marca-Corona
Tile For Less
www.tileforless.com

Glass tiles: Crystal Blue, glass mosaic
Tile For Less
www.tileforless.com

Glass blocks: Premier, Model #101934
Pittsburgh Corning
www.pittsburghcorning.com

Paints:

Le Chateau (Mocha), 20YY 18/140
Seahawk, 10BG 21/087
Glidden
www.glidden.com

Turquoise Sea, RL #RM17
Silver Plated, RL #RM13
Ralph Lauren Regent Metallics Website: www.ralphlauren.com