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Homeowner Forum / Construction / April 2006Is there any reason for aggregate in this concrete application?
I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a shower. One contractor insists that the concrete under the tile must be hand mixed using pea gravel for best results. Another says that ordinary sand mix will work just fine. So the question is, "What is the purpose of an aggregate in this application and is there any reason why the concrete under tile in a shower should be made with pea gravel?" Thanks! Hmmm. Perhaps the first guy owns a pea gravel pit? > I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a > shower. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Thanks! General rule of thumb is thicker than two inches use aggregate, under two inches sand and cement. Aggregate is for strength. To a point, the larger the aggregate, the stronger the concrete. Under a shower, it wouldn't make any difference if you had any or not. Usually, though, under tile you would use Backerboard http://www.floorstransformed.com/backerboard.html or something similar. -- (||) Nehmo (||) i'm guessing OP is talking about tiling a shower floor. never heard of backerboard in that application. First, let me concede that I've never done a shower floor. But if I did, unless the floor was already concrete, I'd use Backerboard (or Wonderboard or something). I understand that's not the only method, of course. Backerboard wasn't around when most of the tile of the world was installed. But anyway, what's your objection to Backerboard on a shower floor? (Apparently, there's going to be floor tile over it.) Maybe you know something I don't. -- (||) Nehmo (||) The shower PAN will be a rubber or vinyl composit material. To insure a tight fit and no gap or pockets a wet bed is the right way to go. Tile backer is fine foe bathroom floors but a shower floor is very different. Assuming I understand, OP will have a tile floor in the shower. The upper surface will be tile not plastic. I wasn't envisioning using a plastic or composite pan - just a membrane beneath. Here's something on the subject: http://www.thetiledoctor.com/installations/showertubs.cfm I was envisioning something like illustration D (rotated 90° CC) on http://www.thetiledoctor.com/installations/walls_methods.cfm However, after thinking it over and researching it, I would not use Backerboard for the floor - but not because of the lack of "tight fit". I would use a mortar bed because it would be easier to slope. If I could get their product, Schlüter®-TROBA, which I can't pronounce, that's what I would use as the membrane. The convincing video on http://snipurl.com/pn3s shows a method. Now we're getting afield from OP's issue. OP used the word "concrete" but was apparently referring to the mortar bed. Would and the addition of pea gravel improve the mortar bed? It would be a bit stronger in some respects... but considering strength of regular mortar is adequate in this case, it wouldn't make any difference. The normal practice is not to add pea gravel. -- (||) Nehmo (||) > First, let me concede that I've never done a shower floor. But if I > did, unless the floor was already concrete, I'd use Backerboard (or [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > -- > (||) Nehmo (||) How would you slope the tile toward the drain with just backer board ? In my shower, I used backer board with a rubber membrane then 2 - 3 inches and concrete with sand. I believe backerboard should be banned. I had a job that I speced a mud job and they used backerboard. It bridged over a high joist and was springy. Job used 12" x 12" tile. They cracked. A mud job with metal lath would have been flat and it would have had no joints to give.. Backerboard is just a quick and cheap fix for the real thing. Old timer, been there, done that. > First, let me concede that I've never done a shower > floor. But if I did, unless the floor was already [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > there's going to be floor tile over it.) Maybe you know > something I don't. -- (||) Nehmo (||) You think the whole shower enclosure should be mud ? Walls too ? >I believe backerboard should be banned. I had a job that I speced a mud >job and they used backerboard. It bridged over a high joist and was [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> there's going to be floor tile over it.) Maybe you know >> something I don't. -- (||) Nehmo (||) I was primarily thinking of the floor seeing as how that was the topic. But yes, I don't like backerboard anywhere. I would rather have green sheetrock (water resistant) taped and sanded and sized (a water sealer) and mastic the wall tile onto that. As you can see, I like flat surfaces under tile. > You think the whole shower enclosure should be mud ? > Walls too ? [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >>> there's going to be floor tile over it.) Maybe you know >>> something I don't. -- (||) Nehmo (||) Wet bed if done correctly is the best way. No contest. Yeah, I had a wet bed that was done correctly last night. Slept like a baby. > Wet bed if done correctly is the best way. No contest. > I'm talking to contractors about installing tile in a shower. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Thanks! The question presents invalid information. Concrete requires aggregate to be concrete. As another respondent stated, the aggregate is for strength. If such strength is not needed, slop some Portland cement and sand and water mixture. Pea gravel is certainly not going to hurt anything irregardless. Just be sure a smooth surface results.  SignatureJonny |
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