| Here's how I would do it in your case. Install cbu of your choice over the subfloor, then install your mats and then embed them in SLC. You need to maintain a perimeter gap around the room and foam weather seal works great for that. Then I'd cover the floor with an antifracture membrane of your choice to help isolate the tile from the shear stresses of the floor's heating and cooling cycles. The slc is a very important step as your wall installation with cove will go much easier with a completely level perimeter base. Dry lay a cove tile along the wall and with a fine tip sharpie marker, slide the tile along the wall (do each wall) marking where the cove will extend past the wall. Measure in from the cove marking 1 grout joint width. That's where your floor tile ends and when you set the cove tile, that joint will be filled with a color matching caulk.
I wouldn't go less than 1/8" for the joint though.
There's no need to use hardi on any of the dry area walls receiving tile, unless you like dealing with the added cumbersomeness of the hardi and the waste generated since it doesn't sync up to 16" oc wall framing.
Inside corners of cove can me mitered and outside corner pieces are available. There might be just one outside corner avail. or there might be both left and right pieces available.
You don't say if there are any existing issues with your current tile that inspired your decision to change out the floor. Just to make us all a bit more comfortable, what's there for your subfloor, and what's the size, spacing and unsupported span of your joists?  |