Pebble shower floor

[sanddab]

We are redoing our shower and are planning tile walls and a pebble-grout floor. Folks at the tile shop warned that the pebble floors were very prone to mildew. Any experience or ideas regarding this problem?
Thanks Jim

[jadnashua]

A couple of things: with tile, the recommended slope is 1/4" per foot, but with a pebble floor, you probably want to nearly double that to account for the potential high spots...you really want it to drain. Then, because there is a lot of grout, you might want to consider using a surface waterproofing membrane, either a fabric or paint on the setting bed to limit how far moisture can penetrate. It would be expensive, but you might consider using an epoxy grout, which is pretty much impervious, won't absorb moisture, and therefore doesn't support moisture. You might want to check out www.johnbridge.com (http://www.johnbridge.com) for some thoughts as well.

[hj]

ANY surface that can "trap" water will be prone to mildew, and I doubt that you will be able to construct the floor and NOT have low, or dammed up, points

[johnfrwhipple]

Be very careful of the stone you select. The mesh backing should have 95% of the stone bottom free from residue. Also make sure that the stone is recommended for shower or pool construction - get a letter from your supplier stating this.

Take some time to read this article. http://www.infotile.com.au/pdfFile/advicetopic/48201031834.pdf It will shed some light into the problem of different suppliers and different mesh mounting techniques.

I recommend you leave a sample (pebble sheet) in water for 48 hours and inspect for changes in the adhesive. Look for tile/stone falling off sheets. Looks for changes in adhesive colour or appearance. And remember that with any natural stone you run the risk on mineral deposits affecting the finished look.

Most stones and natural products (and large format tile's for that matter) require the use of modified thin-set. Most waterproofing products accept these types of products with the exception of Schluter's Kerdi in most cases. Make sure you don't deviate from a manufacture's guidelines and flood test your shower before tiling - many online posters will tell you it's OK to do ABC when in fact it is not. Always double check any information you receive online with the manufacture and find out if the person giving you this advice in the first place is in fact someone still in the business of building showers, I have found that 90% of the online posters are in fact not in this business at all or perhaps where years ago. Dispensing online advice in a disguise of a helpful contractor is very common place online and many of these "Builders" in fact work for a separate party or are Marketing Professionals.

All shower drains need to be installed by a ticketed plumber - this is code all around North America. Hire a plumber to install your drain - not your tile guy.

[louistoth]

Recently I renovate my bathroom and use river rock tiles for creating a pebble floor but I realize that the floor not cleaned out properly. Can anyone suggest me what should I do?