Troyer Construction LLC
Lic 172073
Bathroom Tile Projects
Tile Showers
Corner Showers
Just because you may not have as much space as some master bathroom remodels do doesn't mean you can't have a stylish tile corner shower with the conveniences of tile shelves or niches and the occasional tile shaving shelf.
Tile installation is an excellent way to dress up your bathroom to suit your own personal style. Whether that means a glass tile eyeline and a mixed mosaic tile shower pan or a classic travertine tile with a slate decoline, whatever tile suits your fancy, this tile installation contractor can make it happen.
For ideas and advice on tile choices, check out our vast portfolio. You are bound to find something that appeals.
We are both certified for installing wedi underlayment. If you have never heard of the wedi shower system, you are in for a treat. While traditional cement shower pans and backerboard will break down over time and can start leaking, wedi is a completely water-tight unit that will never break down when installed correctly. It will not wick water like cement board does. It installs faster, lasts longer, and is comparatively priced as far as labor versus material. While we started with the traditional shower pan method, we highly recommend this product in all shower pan and tile tub surround projects. On second stories and condo situations, we will not use any other product. It has our complete confidence. Let us know if you need help sourcing it.
Curbless Tile Showers
A roll-in shower, wheel chair accessible, curbless shower is a safe and convenient way to allow access to a tile shower for someone with limited mobility. If you add a tile shower bench, so much the better. My grandmother has a hard time stepping over shower curbs, but a curbless tile shower would allow her the use of her able walker right up to the shower bench. If you want a wheel chair accessible shower, then a curbless shower is the obvious solution. With our wedi shower pan solution, this is an easy remedy without major structural engineering. As far as we are concerned, the curbless wedi shower system is the only way to go if we were asked about roll-in tile shower possibilities. It stands the test of time.
Just scroll through some of our pictures for curbless showers in our tile portfolio. If you'll notice, one of them appears to have a curb since it is not floor level, however, the tiled shower floor is level with "curb" so it is actually just a small step to get into the tiled shower. It was necessary to do this shower in this manner because of the underlying structure. Normally we would recommend countersinking the shower floor to prevent what we see as a trip hazard. We do custom tile shower installation though and that is what our customer asked for, so that is what kind of curbless shower tile we provided. Whether you want to walk in or roll into your shower, we have a wedi shower system solution for you.
Fiberglass Shower Pan
Some customers prefer to have the fiberglass shower pans. I believe it is for the ease of cleaning rather than their level of durability. I have experienced too many cracked fiberglass pans (since we do a lot of shower and bath remodels) so I think I am naturally inclined to promote tile shower pans- especially the wedi shower system. Since we are custom tile setters though we are perfectly happy taking care of the tile surround regardless of which base you choose. A licensed plumber will need to attach the fiberglass pan, but the tile shower surround we would professionally install whatever tile you would choose. For a free estimate be sure to give us a call today!
A fiberglass shower pan isn't the end of the world, and it is certainly somewhat less expensive than a tile shower pan; however, as tile professionals, we generally advise a sturdier tile shower pan to stand the test of time. We have experienced many fiberglass shower pans that have cracked (and leaked) because of heavy objects falling or because they weren't properly stabilized for the heavier customer. Fiberglass shower pans do have the advantage of being easier to clean, but I weigh the potential for cracking against that and my decision is an easy one. For the light-weight user or the spare bathroom, I wouldn't talk them out of it, but for the every day user and the heavy-weights… I'd definitely try.
Tile Shower Pan and Benches
Here are a handful of tile shower pan examples. Some have Schluter edgework for the tile and some have bullnose tile for the tile shower curb. Sometimes the tile bullnose is on top of the curb and sometimes the bullnose tile is on the front and back of the curb. Generally this depends on the thickness of the curb and the width of the bullnose. We install the tile for maximum ascetics and do our best to avoid too small of tile cuts. When looking at the shower pans for ideas, note the type of tile used. Generally the tiled shower pans have 2x2 or smaller tile so that the slope of the tile shower pan doesn't have any lips that you could stub your toe on. The smaller the tile, the easier the slope.
Something else to note when viewing tile shower pans here is what color of tile and grout is used. Some tile customers prefer to use accent tile and some prefer to keep the shower floor tile similar to the wall tile. Some customers prefer to use accent grout while other tile customers prefer the grout to blend. While most of the wedi shower pans come with a standard drain cover, other colors are optional. This should be decided before shower pan installation though. We are custom tile installers and can do just about anything when it comes to tile; however, it just streamlines the tile project when our customers know to think through certain variables before we begin tile installation.
Tub Surrounds
3x5 Tub Surrounds
A tile tub surround installation for a bathroom tile remodel is a great way to dress up a bathroom. While drop-in tubs generally have tile all the way around them, a tile tub surround often includes only the three walls surrounding the tub. Sometimes a customer will request having a specially framed front face for their tub in order to have more seat room and sometimes they just figure tile looks better than the typical acrylic tub face. Sometimes our customers prefer us tiling just to above the shower spout in the tile tub surround and sometimes they like us to tile to the ceiling. Bathroom tile installation of a tub surround can be a refreshing change of daily scenery.
Installation of tile tub surrounds begins with the underlayment- we highly recommend the wedi shower system for all wet area tile installation- it is waterproof rather than simply mold resistant like cement board is. As a tile contractor doing tile tub surrounds on a regular basis, we have installed both types many times. For the extreme long-lasting reliable waterproof route... we will always recommend wedi and we have both gone to the advance course for certification. You can view a bunch of our tile tub surrounds here for ideas of color and designs that can be brought to life in your own bathroom tile remodel. As contractors in your area, we'd love to asist
Free Standing Tub
A tile wainscoting is a great way to protect your walls from whatever water damage may occur with a free standing tub as well as to accentuate your little slice of luxury in your bath tile remodel. Tile installation can be with the same tiles used for the floor tile or a complementary tile can be chosen for the purpose of tile design and installation. Using a similar design as your shower surround and/or vanity backsplash is a great way to have a cohesive design and tie the tile components together. Any bathroom remodel with a free standing tub shows a desire for a luxurious soak. Take your time and design a tile wainscoting that allows you to relax and unwind. No need to look industrial.
One idea for tile under a freestanding tub is a different type of tile than the main floor- like a tile border or a tile "area rug". It would be an added expense, but I just think it's a fun look. It is a good idea to tile before setting the tub for a cleaner look and to avoid the caulking mess. Also make sure your installer has the tub dimensions if you are planning on having infloor heat.
A free standing tub doesn't necessarily need a tile surround. It can, however, be a fairly inexpensive way to dress up the bathroom and make it so that you don't have to worry about painting near it whenever you are changing or just freshening up the bathroom colors.
Soaker Tub Tile Surrounds
Soaker tubs tend to have shorter tile tub surrounds than a standard tile tub surround that has a shower. Soaker tub tile surrounds tend to be a tile wainscoting height or a tile backsplash height. Since the purpose of a soaker tub is not to shower, the tile is more decorative than functional, though it is a nice way to handle the occasional splash of water. Some of our soaker tub tile customers have us tile right on up the wall to make the area more of a showpiece. Bathroom tile remodels, especially of master bathrooms, often include an area for a soaker tub if there is enough room for one. Tiled areas for soaker tubs give the area a spa effect.
Bathroom remodels doing showers separate from a soaker tub involving tile can take some planning. Are you going to have tiled shelves or soap niches? Are you going to have some kind of stone slab? Are you going to have a tile accent line? Using the same tile in both areas is a great way to have a cohesive look. Perhaps you can use the same tile that you are using for the eyeline in the tile shower for a backsplash to the soaker tub. I have always thought it would be cool to have niches in the wall for the soaker tub so that the surface area doesn't get cluttered with shampoo bottles and soap... plus you get the added benefit of an eye-catching accent tile piece.
Shelves and Niches
As you can see from the tile pictures, there are many ways to arrange shelves or niches in your tile tub surround or tile shower remodel.
Some shelves can come premade, but we often custom manufacture them right on site with the tile our customer provides. The larger the tile the easier it is to make a reasonably sized tile shelf.
If a custom tile niche (or 2 or 3...) is what you are after, you can see that we have done plenty of them as well. I have tried to add pictures to the portfolio so you can get an idea of just how custom we can make your tile shower shelves. Customers also refer to these shelves as "soap caddies". Whatever you wish to call them, tile shelves are a great way to de-clutter your tub edge or shower floor.
Do you want a tall tile niche with a few small shelves inside? Do you want a normal sized tile shelf and a soap shelf? Do you want special TileWare installed as well? Would you rather have side by side tile shelves? So many custom tile options.
In designing the tile shelving area, something to consider is how you would prefer the front face to look. If you look closely at our pictures you will notice that some of the tile niches have a picture frame look that surrounds them. Others have just a clean edge.
Speaking of edges for tile soap niches or shelves, there are a few different options available. Some tiles have rounded edges- we refer to these as "bullnose" pieces. Bullnose tile can be used anywhere there is a visible outside edge- such as in tile shelves, tile benches, tile curbs, and tile shower walls that meet the drywall.
Tile niches can have the bullnose on the outside of the shelf (like a picture frame) or on the inside of the shelf (to maintain shower wall tile pattern continuity.
Other edging options are plain factory edge tile and Schluter. Schluter can be plastic or metal and has a wide variety of edging profiles to suit your specific design.
DecoLines, Design Lines, Eyelines
Tile Eyelines or Tile DecoLines or Decorative Tile Bands- whatever you wish to call them- are a great way to add style to a plain tile tub surround or tile shower.
I have often seen designers use the same type of tile design line on a bathroom backsplash as they use for the shower tile eyeline. It adds a bit of cohesiveness to the look of the bathroom.
There are many types of tile to use for decolines as you should be able to see from our pictures. Whether you use an all glass mosaic tile, mixed metal mosaic tile, rectangle tile, hexagon tile, glass bubble tile, square slate tile, or simply turn your field tile to a different direction for the "decoline", anything that helps break up the monotony of the tile wall helps to add interest to your custom tile project.
Most people tend to stick with just one tile eyeline, but we have had two projects that wanted multiple eyelines.
Some tile customers also decided to have a vertical eyeline instead of the more customary horizontal tile decorative line in their showers.
Since we do custom tile installation, your imagination and your wallet really are the limit to what kind of great tile projects we can accomplish in your home. The simpler the tile design, the faster we can install; the more complex the tile design, the more intense the measurements and layout can be.
Most of the time, we install tile deco-lines flush with the field tile. We believe that is the best and most professional way to install them. That means we take the extra step required for a smooth mosaic tile installation project. Occasionally, we do get eyelines that have pencil trim borders around them, and that gives us some flexibility in our design line tile installation.
When choosing what type of decoline you want to use for your bathroom tile installation project, here are some things to think about.
Odds are used more than evens. This is a simple design trick used when deciding how wide or high the decoline should be. If the tile you picked for your shower is 12x12 but has several rows of smaller tile in it, this generally gets trimmed down to 3-tile high, 5-tile high, 7-tile high rather than 2,4, or 6. You get the picture. The tile design line is also generally put at about 2/3 up the wall rather than at a 1/2 or 3/4. Don't ask me why; it's just what I have seen time and time again.
If you are going to have tile shelves or tile soap niches, do you want the decoline going up to or through them? Do you want the tile eyeline to go between them (a shelf above and a shelf below the tile design line)? Or would you also prefer to have your soap niches outfitted with the same accent tile to add even more interest?
Another tile design that sometimes occurs with these accent lines is that the layout pattern gets changed after the eyline- what was vertical set tile is now horizontal set tile, or what was square set tile is now diagonal set tile.
Sometimes a different grout color is wanted for the design line, but generally we see people choosing the same color of grout to unify the tub and shower tile elements.
Hopefully, our tile photo gallery will give you a good jumping point for your own bathroom tile inspirations. Take note of what particularly appeals to you. And give us a call for a quote! 206-251-0932
Vanities and Backsplashes
One excellent way to add cohesion to a bathroom tile style is to have the same granite used for a vanity top and a shower bench or tile shower shelf.
Another way would be to add a vanity tile backsplash using the same tile as a tile decoline, tile eyeline, or what some simply call a tile design line in the tub surround or shower.
Some customers have gone all out and used the floor tile in both the vanity tile backsplash and the tub surround design line and shower niche... which seemed like an awful lot of blue to me, but I believe it turned out very well, and, more importantly, the customers loved it too.
We see many different shapes and sizes of vanity backsplash tile- from small and plain, to large and outlandish. Make it lovely and make it your own. That's my advice- for what it's worth.
Can you tile on a mirror? We have a handful of times, but we prefer to only install tile that we know will stand the test of time. There are products out there that say that it's possible to tile on mirrors, so we have. We just don't know if and how long they will last- and we let our customers know that in advance.
That being said, I believe that tile around mirrors is like a wonderful art piece to add to a bathroom tile experience. It sometimes negates the need for a tile backsplash since the mirror's tile frame becomes that for the vanity.
I always recommend caulking a line at the base no matter what kind of tile you put on the vanity. Even though there isn't generally enough standing water there to cause a problem, it's just one less thing to worry about when it comes to your bathroom tile installation. Take your vanity to another level with tile!