Sal is the MASTER! I have done two of these and his tip on the brush DURING setting the stone is a time saver. I know that seems like a simple thing, but cutting thinset out of the grooves to apply grout is a PITA. I will also be cutting my edges on the next one. that looks like it will save a couple hours on its own. Great tip, SAl! I really enjoy watching Sal do his job. It is obvious he knows what he is doing and it is so nice of him to let us in on his tips and tricks. Thanks Sal!
I'm laying a pebble floor in my shower this weekend, this video makes me feel more confident in what I'm doing, as do all your Videos. Thank you for posting you've helped me get through more work in my house than I could have without it.
It was so satisfying to watch. We are building a home and getting the good old shower pan because well.. budget.. but someday God willing I will get a beautiful pebbles shower floor.
Excellent vid, thanks! Mid-way through my first shower install from scratch and it's going much smoother thanks to your helpful & informative vids. Cheers from Canada!
Hey @SalDiBlasi I was wondering what grout do you recommend for flat pebbles on a shower floor? I want to use an epoxy but as a diyR it kinda got me second guessing if I could pull it off correctly
Sal, I truly enjoy watching your videos; you explain things so clear and effective that the new person can understand and not get overwhelmed. Thank you so much for taking your valuable time and teaching us your techniques. Have a great day! Regards, JZ
I continue to enjoy your uploads! Fine craftsman like ourselves are far and few between. Attention to detail is the most important part of the job in my humble opinion. Keep up the good work brochacho!
well done. i see so many pebble tile vids where they dont cut the edge , thus adding little pieces everywhere and it adds so much time to the install. i know some meshes weaken when wet and if that the case you can use an angle grinder dry or hold a damp sponge on the blade, this wont give you a great cut but the wall tiles cover anyways. really the only single tiles you need to add might be around the drain or ones that have fell off. i also pre lay my sheets so the edge cuts are on the meat of the sheet, meaning if you trim the first sheet against the wall just about a half inch off than dry lay to the next wall and you find a full sheet falls 1 or 2 inches short of the wall, then go back and cut more off the sheets on the first side. you just dont want to fall short of a full sheet by an inch ir two because thats very flimbsy and harder to cut than making a cut from a bigger portion of the sheet. also when your dry fitting , if you find a sheet foesnt interlock as tight as you would like, you can nip or trim an edge tile here and there to get the sheets closer, if you do that just stone the edge so it looks factory.
You have another pebble video where you removed them from the backing and didn’t cut any. Is this a different product or is this just the way that you used to do it and now you do it differently?? Thanks for all you do Sal! 😃
Hello Sal, great work as always. So I installed Pebble stones for a shower floor I have not grouted yet and have not installed the first row of tiles in the wall. I'm using the schluter pan system. Is it possible to remove the Pebble stones and use a different material? Or would removing them ruin the schluter pan? I'm guessing it's too late at this point?
Thanks for your videos Sal! I just did one of these floors and had a bit of thinset overflow. I now have a bit of haze on some of the pebbles. Any recommendations for getting this off?
Hi Sal. You are my hero. I have done 3 bathrooms from the studs up thanks to you! I have a quick question. When installing the schluter drain, if thinset retains moisture near the drain when the shower is in use, will it just sit there? I know that there are no weep holes in this system, but I was wondering if it would have a chance to seep back up under the membrane and into the mud base if it never really dried.
Since i dont mind the bright white look of the modified thinset i used to lay it down, could i just use the thinset as grout as long as i seal everything after? Just thinking it might glue everything together alittle better then grout. And get harder. Thks
Starting my first steam shower Monday with schulter pan and Kerdi walls , concerned with setting 13x20 tiles on ceiling with T-lock as I am a fan of there system . Any suggestions for Thinset or application
I install tile on ceilings all the time with just regular thinset i use for the rest of the install, however if you are concerned about falling tile, use a non sag thinset to help.
Thanks for the advice ! I follow a lot of installers and you are by far the best . Thanks for all the videos to help make me or anyone who watches a better installer
Is there a follow up video of this floor finished? I am getting ready to install a floor like this and have been told to pull pieces from edges to remove lines. I have seen this type of floor installed and lines show in some and disappear in others. I do not see any lines in your layout, and you installed sheets together without pulling pieces. Is dry fitting the key to see if these lines will exist or not?
As fancy as that backsplash is on the vanity, can you imagine what the painted wall will look like over time as the owner tries digging\wiping the dust and splash that settles on the lip of that tile around the sink? The designer didn't think about that when they came up with that idea.
What size trowel did you use for this job? I was reading some reviews on paradise blend pebble mosaic from Lowes because I was looking to use this for my shower. People were complaining that around the pebbles and grout were rusting due to iron being in the pebbles. Have you ever ran into this and can this be prevented or should I not use this? Excellent video once again!!!!
I have seen Iron in all kinds of natural stone tiles, you might be better served if you buy your tile related products at a tile store rather than a box store.
have you used any epoxy grouts for your stone floors? Manufacturers say not to use sanded with stone but unsanded on the floor with thick groutlines seems like a bad idea too...
dskater411 I have and its not easy, it sets fast and leaves a thin clear film on the tile that changes the reflecting effect of the tile...it's not easy to apply. I recommend to mix it in parts. Good luck.
I just had smooth river rock put in my shower and it is taking some getting use to because the rock is a little uneven. Also the grout is not completely level to the rock in some places. I've had the contractor come back once to re-grout but there is still some dips and holding water in some places. Also the drain is really sunk below the rock and grout quite a bit. Yours is almost flush. Does it take time to get use to the rock feel or should it be completely smooth like tile would be?
@@SalDiBlasi contractors should warn their customers about the pitfalls of river rock. And the tile company! My tile company promised the tile would be smooth and flat. Most of it is, but the few that aren't feel weird. And now I'm hearing on the internet that the upkeep is tough due to mold build up on the grout!
@@gosman949 The problem is not with the contractor, he is just installing what you have chosen, it is rare that the tile will be changed after it has be selected and bought. The sales people are more to blame, they just want to sell you tile, and for better or for worse, they are not aware of the pitfalls, because the don't do installs. So that brings us back to the customer that should have done some research to find out what it is that they are buying, the information is not hard to find, you found it. The research you have done after the fact, would have served you better before choosing and buying the tile. Not The contractors fault at all, the blame lies with the person choosing the tile and the person selling it. Hindsight is always perfect, and blaming the contractor is always the first instinct, however the person that should be blamed is the one looking back in the mirror.
@@SalDiBlasi I think it is a team effort. Going in, I assumed the contractor and tile company (DalTile) were the experts. I gave them general guidelines that mostly had to do with my impending knee replacements and the need for a safe walk-in shower. To that point, the objective was met! It's the devil in the details that gets left out. And yes I take mostly the blame for not researching ahead of time. Something that I have become pretty expert at with cameras, cars, etc. I had no idea that UA-cam provided the details for tiling too until I needed to find out! I've learned my lesson, and will research ahead of time with any other projects!
Thank you so much for the video!! I'm getting ready to install similar rock in our custom shower. What type of sealer do you recommend to use before grouting? I'm a novice and first time tackling such big job :0
When laying tile on the floor where would you start laying the tile? Would you just square off the floor and go from there? And when laying you don't laying against the wall am I correct? If I have trim take it off then put it back on?
I will do a layout of the room so I know what all my cuts will be, then based on how i decide what looks best I will start in the most convenient spot with a straight edge and go from there. There always have to be room for movement where tile meets a wall.
+Sal DiBlasi so what's the point of squaring off a room I see people talking about it? So I would leave space in between the tile and wall and put grout like normal?
george kelly Layout includes squaring off the room. Soft joint means that you need to use a flexible filler where the tile meets the base board, grout is not flexible. Better to remove the base board and leave a gap and then cover the gap when the base is put back in .
Hey Sal, few questions for you. Would you seal the pebble before grouting for this style? Do they make a polished style that wouldn't need to be sealed? And also, are there any special tricks to cut this on the wet saw. Thanks!
Sal DiBlasi Thanks Sal. One last question about sealing...some people say grout lines are better not to seal, to allow moisture to escape, most say it is necessary. What is your opinion?
What sealer is used on sliced white pebbles like you use in this video? I had a floor like this installed. Unfortunately, the pebbles turned yellow I don't know how to remove the yellow, neither does the installer; any ideas? Second if I buy another batch of stones to redo to floor using the proper grout and sealer, must the current floor be ripped up? As you know demo and leveling makes a huge mess and I would like to avoid that if possible.
It may be possible to go over the existing tile floor, but in most cases I don't think it is a good idea. Another issue that you might have when ripping up the floor is that you may compromise the waterproofing of the floor if the shower is a sealed system like Schluter, however if i a vinyl liner was used, you may be ok ripping it up. Make sure that you don't create a bigger problem.
Schluter now says foam pms you can’t use tile and stone under 2” so this insulation isn’t guaranteed Unmodified thinset is garbage over plastic Schluter is wrong about that and always has been
Ok better but I’m still not used to Kerdi over mud instead of a traditional pan float and set, after walls are completed. Old school I never drank the Schluter kool aiid
Sal as always you are a GREAT TEACHER, thank you!
Excellent video, he’s an ace at his profession. 👍👍👍
Sal is the MASTER! I have done two of these and his tip on the brush DURING setting the stone is a time saver. I know that seems like a simple thing, but cutting thinset out of the grooves to apply grout is a PITA. I will also be cutting my edges on the next one. that looks like it will save a couple hours on its own. Great tip, SAl! I really enjoy watching Sal do his job. It is obvious he knows what he is doing and it is so nice of him to let us in on his tips and tricks. Thanks Sal!
Your welcome, glad you found some helpful tips. 👍😊
I'm laying a pebble floor in my shower this weekend, this video makes me feel more confident in what I'm doing, as do all your Videos. Thank you for posting you've helped me get through more work in my house than I could have without it.
Thanks, glad it helped
exactly what I am doing in my standup shower now with the Schluter shower tray system. Very useful. Thank You Sal.
Glad to help
Sal, can I ask how you cut the river around the drain? What tool did you use?
Great job. You work cleanly and the technique to remember the placement works really well.
It was so satisfying to watch. We are building a home and getting the good old shower pan because well.. budget.. but someday God willing I will get a beautiful pebbles shower floor.
Excellent vid, thanks! Mid-way through my first shower install from scratch and it's going much smoother thanks to your helpful & informative vids. Cheers from Canada!
Your welcome. ☺
@@SalDiBlasi ts1q
Great video! Thank you. I can’t find the video where you grout the pebbles. Please could anybody link me to this video.
Doing my first pebble shower floor system next month; I would have over looked sealing the rock before grouting. Thanks for the tips Sal!
Your welcome
Such freaking tedious work. I was getting stressed out just watching the install. Looks absolutely gorgeous!!!!
😊👍
Hey @SalDiBlasi I was wondering what grout do you recommend for flat pebbles on a shower floor? I want to use an epoxy but as a diyR it kinda got me second guessing if I could pull it off correctly
Sal, I truly enjoy watching your videos; you explain things so clear and effective that the new person can understand and not get overwhelmed. Thank you so much for taking your valuable time and teaching us your techniques. Have a great day! Regards, JZ
Excellent video...this is the same rock I have to put down...thank you for sharing the technique and knowledge 🙂
Thank you Sal for your great works
your very easy to follow. Cheers
THAT DRAIN SET UP IS MUCH MORE FORGIVING THAN THE PREVIOUS DRAINS I HAVE USED. IN THE PAST, ONCE THEY WERE SET THERE WAS NO ADJUSTMENT THANKS, DAN
Modern systems have their advantages.
Thanks Sal, I am doing this right now with my shower. I'm looking to use a drain that can also be tiled on the top, so that the drain is hidden.
I continue to enjoy your uploads! Fine craftsman like ourselves are far and few between. Attention to detail is the most important part of the job in my humble opinion. Keep up the good work brochacho!
Sal… I’ve always loved learning from you over the years! I just wished it was easier to find you video series grouped together like 1-4 etc.
Sal. You make it look so easy. I am sure that it is not. Thanks.
nice one Sal, cant wait to see the finished shower!
well done. i see so many pebble tile vids where they dont cut the edge , thus adding little pieces everywhere and it adds so much time to the install. i know some meshes weaken when wet and if that the case you can use an angle grinder dry or hold a damp sponge on the blade, this wont give you a great cut but the wall tiles cover anyways. really the only single tiles you need to add might be around the drain or ones that have fell off. i also pre lay my sheets so the edge cuts are on the meat of the sheet, meaning if you trim the first sheet against the wall just about a half inch off than dry lay to the next wall and you find a full sheet falls 1 or 2 inches short of the wall, then go back and cut more off the sheets on the first side. you just dont want to fall short of a full sheet by an inch ir two because thats very flimbsy and harder to cut than making a cut from a bigger portion of the sheet. also when your dry fitting , if you find a sheet foesnt interlock as tight as you would like, you can nip or trim an edge tile here and there to get the sheets closer, if you do that just stone the edge so it looks factory.
great tip on brush man. been following you for quite a while now and been doing good quality work party because of you. Thanks for what you do man!!
Thanks, you should join the geeks on Facebook, closed group of industry professionals, let me know if you need help.
thanks definitely will
You have another pebble video where you removed them from the backing and didn’t cut any. Is this a different product or is this just the way that you used to do it and now you do it differently?? Thanks for all you do Sal! 😃
If the sheets fit together nice, then do it this way, if you see sheet lines, one at a time.
Great video. Thank you!
I had thinset squeeze through .how thick does the grout need to be what's the minimum thickness off the grout
awesome Sal from a nebie in burien washingto
Thanks for watching my video.
I really like those pebble tiles can you recommend where I can buy them I would love to put them in my shower
What is the best way to cut your pebbles for up against the walls?
Hello Sal, great work as always. So I installed Pebble stones for a shower floor I have not grouted yet and have not installed the first row of tiles in the wall. I'm using the schluter pan system. Is it possible to remove the Pebble stones and use a different material? Or would removing them ruin the schluter pan? I'm guessing it's too late at this point?
if it's been more than a day, probably not a good idea.
@@SalDiBlasi thanks Sal
Love your videos. Great work sir!
Thanks for your videos Sal! I just did one of these floors and had a bit of thinset overflow. I now have a bit of haze on some of the pebbles. Any recommendations for getting this off?
Yes, they make product that will take care of that, make sure you use one suitable for natural stone. amzn.to/3B5chM7
@@SalDiBlasi thanks so much for the reply! Keep up the awesome work!
Hi Sal. You are my hero. I have done 3 bathrooms from the studs up thanks to you! I have a quick question. When installing the schluter drain, if thinset retains moisture near the drain when the shower is in use, will it just sit there? I know that there are no weep holes in this system, but I was wondering if it would have a chance to seep back up under the membrane and into the mud base if it never really dried.
If you installed the system properly, you have nothing to worry about. The system is rock solid.
nice and cleaning job master. 😎👍
What is the best thin coat for a shower floor?
Since i dont mind the bright white look of the modified thinset i used to lay it down, could i just use the thinset as grout as long as i seal everything after? Just thinking it might glue everything together alittle better then grout. And get harder. Thks
No, thinset is an adhesive, not a joint filler.
@@SalDiBlasi ok thks for quick response you are the man
Starting my first steam shower Monday with schulter pan and Kerdi walls , concerned with setting 13x20 tiles on ceiling with T-lock as I am a fan of there system . Any suggestions for Thinset or application
I install tile on ceilings all the time with just regular thinset i use for the rest of the install, however if you are concerned about falling tile, use a non sag thinset to help.
Thanks for the advice ! I follow a lot of installers and you are by far the best . Thanks for all the videos to help make me or anyone who watches a better installer
Is there a follow up video of this floor finished? I am getting ready to install a floor like this and have been told to pull pieces from edges to remove lines. I have seen this type of floor installed and lines show in some and disappear in others. I do not see any lines in your layout, and you installed sheets together without pulling pieces. Is dry fitting the key to see if these lines will exist or not?
Depends on the tile, some fit together very well, others do not ua-cam.com/video/SRKItRZXvPI/v-deo.html
what kind of sealer for natural stones? 😊
As fancy as that backsplash is on the vanity, can you imagine what the painted wall will look like over time as the owner tries digging\wiping the dust and splash that settles on the lip of that tile around the sink? The designer didn't think about that when they came up with that idea.
Had same thought
Any concern with the grouting of the river rock, since some stones are so close together and grouting may not get between some of the river rock?
Why do you use unmodified thinnest instead of modified for the river rock?
What size trowel did you use for this job? I was reading some reviews on paradise blend pebble mosaic from Lowes because I was looking to use this for my shower. People were complaining that around the pebbles and grout were rusting due to iron being in the pebbles. Have you ever ran into this and can this be prevented or should I not use this? Excellent video once again!!!!
I have seen Iron in all kinds of natural stone tiles, you might be better served if you buy your tile related products at a tile store rather than a box store.
Hi, thanks for this treasure! Did you say 1/2 trowell at 8:59?
how much approximately does the Schluter shower system cost for materials for a 3×4 shower?
what size trowel are you using for these. Thank you
have you used any epoxy grouts for your stone floors? Manufacturers say not to use sanded with stone but unsanded on the floor with thick groutlines seems like a bad idea too...
dskater411 I have and its not easy, it sets fast and leaves a thin clear film on the tile that changes the reflecting effect of the tile...it's not easy to apply. I recommend to mix it in parts. Good luck.
Well done as always Sal! What is your unmodified thinset of choice? I have used Bostik Ditra Set on my last 3 jobs and all have gone well.
Ditra set is a very good choice, I usually use Tec Uncoupling membrane mortar, but they are more or less the same.
Also what thickness are the Pebbles
I just had smooth river rock put in my shower and it is taking some getting use to because the rock is a little uneven. Also the grout is not completely level to the rock in some places. I've had the contractor come back once to re-grout but there is still some dips and holding water in some places. Also the drain is really sunk below the rock and grout quite a bit. Yours is almost flush. Does it take time to get use to the rock feel or should it be completely smooth like tile would be?
Many people regret using river rock on a shower floor, for the very reasons you talk about.
@@SalDiBlasi contractors should warn their customers about the pitfalls of river rock. And the tile company! My tile company promised the tile would be smooth and flat. Most of it is, but the few that aren't feel weird. And now I'm hearing on the internet that the upkeep is tough due to mold build up on the grout!
@@gosman949 The problem is not with the contractor, he is just installing what you have chosen, it is rare that the tile will be changed after it has be selected and bought. The sales people are more to blame, they just want to sell you tile, and for better or for worse, they are not aware of the pitfalls, because the don't do installs. So that brings us back to the customer that should have done some research to find out what it is that they are buying, the information is not hard to find, you found it. The research you have done after the fact, would have served you better before choosing and buying the tile. Not The contractors fault at all, the blame lies with the person choosing the tile and the person selling it. Hindsight is always perfect, and blaming the contractor is always the first instinct, however the person that should be blamed is the one looking back in the mirror.
@@SalDiBlasi I think it is a team effort. Going in, I assumed the contractor and tile company (DalTile) were the experts. I gave them general guidelines that mostly had to do with my impending knee replacements and the need for a safe walk-in shower. To that point, the objective was met! It's the devil in the details that gets left out. And yes I take mostly the blame for not researching ahead of time. Something that I have become pretty expert at with cameras, cars, etc. I had no idea that UA-cam provided the details for tiling too until I needed to find out! I've learned my lesson, and will research ahead of time with any other projects!
thanks sal.
Thank you so much for the video!! I'm getting ready to install similar rock in our custom shower. What type of sealer do you recommend to use before grouting? I'm a novice and first time tackling such big job :0
amzn.to/2NFN6aP great stuff
Sal I have a question is densshield good to use for steam showers??
I would not use it, you need 0.5 perms or less, I doubt Denshield can meet that, most liquid applied membranes can't meet it either.
Any tips for doing this on the walls?
Set as you go.
When laying tile on the floor where would you start laying the tile? Would you just square off the floor and go from there? And when laying you don't laying against the wall am I correct? If I have trim take it off then put it back on?
I will do a layout of the room so I know what all my cuts will be, then based on how i decide what looks best I will start in the most convenient spot with a straight edge and go from there. There always have to be room for movement where tile meets a wall.
+Sal DiBlasi so what's the point of squaring off a room I see people talking about it? So I would leave space in between the tile and wall and put grout like normal?
george kelly Layout includes squaring off the room. Soft joint means that you need to use a flexible filler where the tile meets the base board, grout is not flexible. Better to remove the base board and leave a gap and then cover the gap when the base is put back in .
Would you then use flexible (caulk?) filler in vertical corners of shower instead of grout as well?
yes
Art.
Do you use sanded or unsanded grout on stone like that ?
Hey Sal, few questions for you. Would you seal the pebble before grouting for this style? Do they make a polished style that wouldn't need to be sealed? And also, are there any special tricks to cut this on the wet saw. Thanks!
+illshowyouwhorock polished or not, still need to be sealed before grouting
Sal DiBlasi Thanks Sal. One last question about sealing...some people say grout lines are better not to seal, to allow moisture to escape, most say it is necessary. What is your opinion?
Hi, what size trowel did you use for this? I am going to be installing a similar tile.
amzn.to/3fOC9QA
Thank you.
hello sal. is it true u can lay the river rock in grout . i was told but i never tried it .
No, unless it is an adhesive that is rated for both setting and can be used as grout, otherwise do not try it.
Is it possible to tint the thinset to get it close to the grout color?
You should not modify the thinset in any way.
What sealer is used on sliced white pebbles like you use in this video? I had a floor like this installed. Unfortunately, the pebbles turned yellow I don't know how to remove the yellow, neither does the installer; any ideas? Second if I buy another batch of stones to redo to floor using the proper grout and sealer, must the current floor be ripped up? As you know demo and leveling makes a huge mess and I would like to avoid that if possible.
It may be possible to go over the existing tile floor, but in most cases I don't think it is a good idea. Another issue that you might have when ripping up the floor is that you may compromise the waterproofing of the floor if the shower is a sealed system like Schluter, however if i a vinyl liner was used, you may be ok ripping it up. Make sure that you don't create a bigger problem.
Installing this over Wedi- what thinset and grout do you recommend.
A good polymer modified thinset.
Thanks - was going to use flexcolor cq- does that work for grout?
Don't use CQ with river rock, it is one of the limitations.
Hey, could you tell me how do you cut these stones so they are parallel and how you don't curve while cutting them?
I have a good wet saw.
Sal DiBlasi maybe you could give me your email so I could send a photo how my mosaic stone tile looks, maybe you could tell me more then?
Schluter now says foam pms you can’t use tile and stone under 2” so this insulation isn’t guaranteed
Unmodified thinset is garbage over plastic Schluter is wrong about that and always has been
Not a foam pan. It's mud.
Ok better but I’m still not used to Kerdi over mud instead of a traditional pan float and set, after walls are completed. Old school
I never drank the Schluter kool aiid
You the best..after me.sal..
Do you cut the stone with a wet saw ?
Yes