Tile Shower Wall

[DKAudio]

I am re-doing our bathroom and got a Kohler Archer bath tub and then want to do a tile shower wall/surround. Is this the same process as a floor would be? Do you use a different kind of thinset or mortor since it will be wet a lot?

These are the correct steps right?

Durarock backer board
Thinset
Tile
Mortor
Seal

Am I missing anything?

What is a good way to cut the backer board, can you score/snap? Can I drive the special screw through it or do you need to pilot countersink?

Thanks

[The Builder]

The same thinset mortar for the floor you can use for the wall. They manufacture ones that are for both

[DKAudio]

Should I put a layer of something over the studs before I put the durarock on? Plastic or something?

What about cutting the cement board?

[The Builder]

If you don't feel comfortable with the thinset, then use one that is manufacturer recomemded. I use MY thinset

[DKAudio]

I deleted my post because I read more and the guy who said not to use "Thinset" was incorrect, he meant to say not to use Mastic which I already knew. I am just going to use versabond from HD. Thanks

[pushkins]

Mastic is for walls, thinset is for floors, thinset can also be used for walls. but never mastic for floors or anywhere near fireplaces.
Get the flexi versa bond from HD it's about $28 a bag.

[DKAudio]

I've used the FlexBond before but since I'm using Durock and installing correctly wouldn't VersaBond be fine and I could save some money? I thought FlexBond was when you were going over a typically "none appropriate" surface, i.e. plywood, vinyl, etc.

[pushkins]

Yep you can, I always work on the thought philosophy of, that for the extra $10 you get a product that is superior in bond and much more flexible when applying it in all uses. The VersaBond will work fine.

[DKAudio]

True, $10 is cheap at that point and I think I still have 1/2 a bag or more left too.

I came to a delema...I am tiling the shower wall and the bathroom floor. The tub and toilet are white, vanity is more of a cherry. The walls are painted a semi-dark gray. First, should I use the same tile for the floor and shower wall or would you split it up? The tile we picked out is fairly dark. Attached is a pic of a similar tile, ours may be a little darker...


My other question is I wanted to do the floor diagnal because I like the look. The shower wall however I do not. The reason for this is mostly because I am not using bullnose or anything, I just want to have the edge be of the 12X12 tile and I don't want to rough cut edge revealed. Do you think it would look odd doing the floor diagnal and not the shower wall if it's the same tile?

[HayZee518]

it's really a personal preference call. use your computer's "paint" program and make a diagonal "mosaic" to see how it would look and go from there. go look at a few tile sites and see what designs look like in real time photos.
take a look here: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/floor-tile-patterns.html