For quite some time now, I knew we had a major problem lurking in our master bathroom shower. Our home was a new build when we moved in about 10 years ago, so I could not fathom how serious our problem was. However, this past weekend, we got up front and personal with the issue, which was much more serious than we could have ever imagined.
Last year we noticed small, moth-like flies in our bathroom. After some research, I learned they were drain flies. As a nuisance, they are associated with damp habitats in bathrooms and kitchens. The larvae of the subfamilies live in aquatic sludge-based habitats, including bathroom sinks, where they feed on bacteria and they can become problematic. Adults lay their eggs just above the water line of the drain and sometime later become worms.
It is safe to say that when I went to clean my shower last Thursday and noticed an abundance of little black worms, I freaked. My phone call to my husband was quick and very adamant in letting him know that we had a major problem in our shower that would have to be dealt with immediately.
Since then, we have ripped our shower down to the studs, and the findings were not for a weak stomach. The black mold we encountered was a beast of another nature. Apparently, the neck extension to our drain had not been installed properly so instead of all the water going down the drain, much of it was going underneath the floor of our shower stall. Sigh.
The silver lining to this mess is that we are installing a brand new tiled shower exactly to our liking. With all this behind me, I figured I would share some tips and tricks of tiling.
• Use spacers to keep everything spaced evenly.
• Apply all solid tiles before cutting the odd pieces.
• Order 10 percent more than you calculate in square footage
• Always have a helper to help you cute tiles
• Mark the cuts with a grease pencil.
• If holes need to be drilled in the tiles for any reason, make sure to use a diamond tip drill bit.
• After adhering tile to the wall, allow it to dry 24 hours before grouting.
• Always apply sealer to any natural stone tile, like slate, before grouting. For all tile apply sealer initially and then reapply sealer every six months.
• Measure and re-measure any cuts.
• Do not skimp on the prep work. Make sure everything is even vertically and square to the wall.
• Make sure the first row of tile is level. This will help ensure everything up from the starting point will be level as well.
• If you are using subway tiles as we are, then there are built in spaces of 1/16 of an inch. As long as you are okay with thin grout lines, which I prefer, no spacers are needed.
• Only mix as much grout as you can spread at one time. The grout will start to dry out and this can be a big problem. This applies to mortar you mix on your own as well.
• Make sure you clean all the grout off the tiles before it dries out.
• Be sure to use the appropriate grout for the amount of spacing in your tile. Generally, the rule of thumb is to use non-sanded grout for spaces less than 1/8 of an inch and to use sanded grout for anything larger, but in any case be sure to read the package recommendations.
• If cost is not an issue and you would like to save time, buy the premixed mortar. This eliminates the chance of mixing too much mortar for the job, as well as mixing too much at one time and needing to take a break. Instead of having to worry about it drying out, you are able to just pop the lid on and keep going. Priceless.
Even though growing up I helped with tiling jobs in my father’s home and on mission trips, this is my husband’s first time tiling. I am making his head spin by changing the original footprint of the shower as well. Although, I am aggravated at having to do this on such a young home, I am thoroughly excited about having a shower that is exactly to my liking, and that will show well when we choose to move forward from our starter home.
Bathrooms and kitchens are the main areas in the home that will increase the value of the home, and tile is an inexpensive way to entirely change a room. Do you have any pointers, tips, and tricks? Feel free to email me with any great information that I can share as well as any questions!
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com.
For quite some time now, I knew we had a major problem lurking in our master bathroom shower. Our home was a new build when we moved in about 10 years ago, so I could not fathom how serious our problem was. However, this past weekend, we got up front and personal with the issue, which was much more serious than we could have ever imagined.
Last year we noticed small, moth-like flies in our bathroom. After some research, I learned they were drain flies. As a nuisance, they are associated with damp habitats in bathrooms and kitchens. The larvae of the subfamilies live in aquatic sludge-based habitats, including bathroom sinks, where they feed on bacteria and they can become problematic. Adults lay their eggs just above the water line of the drain and sometime later become worms.
It is safe to say that when I went to clean my shower last Thursday and noticed an abundance of little black worms, I freaked. My phone call to my husband was quick and very adamant in letting him know that we had a major problem in our shower that would have to be dealt with immediately.
Since then, we have ripped our shower down to the studs, and the findings were not for a weak stomach. The black mold we encountered was a beast of another nature. Apparently, the neck extension to our drain had not been installed properly so instead of all the water going down the drain, much of it was going underneath the floor of our shower stall. Sigh.
The silver lining to this mess is that we are installing a brand new tiled shower exactly to our liking. With all this behind me, I figured I would share some tips and tricks of tiling.
• Use spacers to keep everything spaced evenly.
• Apply all solid tiles before cutting the odd pieces.
• Order 10 percent more than you calculate in square footage
• Always have a helper to help you cute tiles
• Mark the cuts with a grease pencil.
• If holes need to be drilled in the tiles for any reason, make sure to use a diamond tip drill bit.
• After adhering tile to the wall, allow it to dry 24 hours before grouting.
• Always apply sealer to any natural stone tile, like slate, before grouting. For all tile apply sealer initially and then reapply sealer every six months.
• Measure and re-measure any cuts.
• Do not skimp on the prep work. Make sure everything is even vertically and square to the wall.
• Make sure the first row of tile is level. This will help ensure everything up from the starting point will be level as well.
• If you are using subway tiles as we are, then there are built in spaces of 1/16 of an inch. As long as you are okay with thin grout lines, which I prefer, no spacers are needed.
• Only mix as much grout as you can spread at one time. The grout will start to dry out and this can be a big problem. This applies to mortar you mix on your own as well.
• Make sure you clean all the grout off the tiles before it dries out.
• Be sure to use the appropriate grout for the amount of spacing in your tile. Generally, the rule of thumb is to use non-sanded grout for spaces less than 1/8 of an inch and to use sanded grout for anything larger, but in any case be sure to read the package recommendations.
• If cost is not an issue and you would like to save time, buy the premixed mortar. This eliminates the chance of mixing too much mortar for the job, as well as mixing too much at one time and needing to take a break. Instead of having to worry about it drying out, you are able to just pop the lid on and keep going. Priceless.
Even though growing up I helped with tiling jobs in my father’s home and on mission trips, this is my husband’s first time tiling. I am making his head spin by changing the original footprint of the shower as well. Although, I am aggravated at having to do this on such a young home, I am thoroughly excited about having a shower that is exactly to my liking, and that will show well when we choose to move forward from our starter home.
Bathrooms and kitchens are the main areas in the home that will increase the value of the home, and tile is an inexpensive way to entirely change a room. Do you have any pointers, tips, and tricks? Feel free to email me with any great information that I can share as well as any questions!
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com. v