Ceramic Tile on the ceiling of a shower?

tfb4me

I was just wondering what method I should use to instal the 12 x 12 floor tile on the ceiling of the shower? I am using the schluter shower system with a cement board backer...I will be using flexbond for the mortar with 1/2 x 1/2 square notch trowell..The question is what is the best method in getting them to stick and stay..? I know the flexbond if mixed a little in the sloppy side will stick em however they do want to fall and move around a little.any ideas? In the past I have used 2 1/2 inch wood screws with 3/4 inch washers..Im going with 3/16th grout lines.. Just lookin for a new idea thats all
Thanks!

clasact

once you get a couple of tiles in place take a piece of wood against them then a couple of 2x4 length wise to hold it in place while it dries.You can use anything that will apply pressure to it to keep them in place but it will take awhile to do the whole are since you can only do a few at a time.Good planning is the key to this if you have them all spaced out right you can work from two sides at the same time or from the middle and one side at the same time so as not to have an off area at the end

tfb4me

I have tried that method..The problem with that is when you apply pressure with the plywood and 2x4 the tiles move and the grout lines missalign..Not only that you cant complete the ceiling in one day..I think ill stick to screws and washers with moderate pressure.
Thanks!

DangerMouse

how about..... some small (2 or 3 inch) squares of cardboard or thin foam with 4 minute epoxy on each side of it centered in the middle of the tile? leave small squares clean on backerboard and tile to accept the glue. you'll only need to hold it a few minutes this way.

DM

Wildie

How about using a hot glue gun?
Leave an area in the center of the tile or where it will be placed, uncovered with tile cement.
Then when you are ready to lay the tile, squirt in a dab of hot glue in the center and hold it until the glue sets!

DangerMouse

good idea hot glue.... but ya better work fast to get the tile positioned correctly. epoxy 4 minute at least would give you a bit more time to square it off. but hot glue might still work too, if yer quick. but how well will it hold tile's weight upside down on ceiling? hafta test that....

DM

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o_jay66

I use the orange tile spacers that set on top of the tile, drill a hole in the middle of them and shoot a screw through it. The spacer keeps the tile in alignment, the screw holds the tile up until the mortar dries. When you're done, just unscrew all the spacers.

Ron6519

The Schluter products I've used states expressly to only use unmodified thinset over kerdi.
Ron

LanterDan

Unless I'm missing something here, you are going to defeat the point of using Kerdi by shooting it full of screw holes.

tfb4me

Its on the ceiling. I didnt use kerdi on the ceiling. Im also 100% sure you can use modified mortar to install tile on top of the kerdi.They recomend you use unmodified mortar to set the kerdi to the backer. I could be wrong none the less.Im going to use the orange spacer idea with a hloe drilled in them..Thanks for the tip!

Speedball

I once used the hot glue trick to hold the chrome hardware to the underside of a bath sink until the silicone could set up.

Instead of 2x4's how about maybe 3/4" square strips of molding bowed, because not much pressure would be needed to hold it in place?

tfb4me

Problem solved! All I did was use the flat side of the trowell and apply mortar on the ceiling No square notch..Then Back Buttered the tile with the square notch stuck like a charm...You can almost hear the air escaping from behind the tile when set correctly