The plan for the shower evolved over time. Originally, it was going to be more form than function. After many revisions to the plan, we decided that we wanted the shower to stand out as a unique feature. We wanted to tile it!

I had seen other skoolies with tile showers before, so I knew it could be done, but I was skeptical about how well it would hold up over time. So, I went back to skoolie.net and started looking for some updates from builders that had done it. With very few exceptions, people reported that the shower was holding together just fine. There were some recommendations for specific grout and thin-set to use, so I took notes and slowly started making decisions.

First, we had to do some prep work. With the plumbing in, I just needed to figure out how to install a vent and a light. You can see how I did that in this video:

The process was the same for most other vents, but I did need some wiring for the fan. Overall, this was pretty uneventful. The fun stuff is what came after the infrastructure was in place and it was time to build the shower walls!

Here’s the video on how I did that:

To summarize, I put up a vapor barrier, then used Wonderboard backerboard to line the walls. I did add a few extra studs for added support. There was a learning curve, so it looked rather rough. But, most things were going to be covered by tile and other trim pieces, so I wasn’t too worried. There are other options for tile backer material out there, but I wanted something that was somewhat rigid on its own, which is why I went with Wonderboard.

After the wonderboard was installed, I added a couple coats of RedGard waterproofing membrane, and after some good advice from some kind Instagram followers, I used Sikaflex construction sealant to fill and seal all of the voids and cracks in the Wonderboard. I also added some mesh tape to the cracks for added stability and to allow the thinset to adhere over the sealant a little better.

Next came the thinset. I used stuff that was a little more expensive than average and said that it was more crack resistant. I’m not sure it actually is, but for such a small space, I figured why not? I only ended up using half a bag for my job. I mixed it according to the directions and Julene did most of the applying of the mix to the wall. She got volunteered for that part because she originally insisted on the tile. Once it was applied to the backer board, we just carefully applied our sheets of tile directly to it. We used horseshoe tile spacers to make sure the sheets were properly spaced as we went.

I was pretty sloppy with my tile application. There were a lot of places where the thinset squeezed through the cracks and got on the tiles. After letting it dry that way, I was forced to scrape the excess away with a grout removal tool, to make room for the grout. That part was TERRIBLE! As you can see in the video, we used tiny little tiles, so the entire wall was covered in gaps and grooves. It took hours and hours of labor to get it scraped out, and not all of the tiles made it through the process in one piece. I definitely chipped a few tiles in the process, which just made me mad and frustrated. It was also exhausting and made me worry that the grout wouldn’t come out okay.

Luckily, my hard work paid off. After the thinset was set and cleaned up a bit, I mixed up some Pewter-colored non-sanded grout (since the space between my tiles were pretty narrow) and again drafted Julene to spread it on. For the most part, it covered all of the bad parts and made the walls shine!

The hardware store also sells silicone sealant that is meant to go in the cracks and match the grout that was used. I also used it around the shower to touch up certain rough spots, and it just kept getting better!

It’s important to note that I have never done tile work before. I simply did the research and trusted the process.

Once everything was dried and cleaned up with cheesecloth, I put my shower mixer valve trim on, installed the shower head that I had been keeping in storage for 3 years, put the trim around my fan, installed the light, stood back, and admired my work! Later, I put aluminum angle trim around the outside and that really made the shower look “Finished.”