Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - ceramic tile project

I am having a few problems figuring out how to ceramic tile my tub/shower area. I am down to the studs, installed a new tub, vapor sealed the outside wall, did all the plumbing for the tub/shower. My question's are: my tub has a flange on it do i need to shim out the studs before I put up my backer board?, do you need to mud the joint where sheet rock meets the backer board? Also at one end of the tub there is only about a one inch space between tub and end of the wall, where do i put my bullnose?

thanks tons

dodger

You shouldn';t have to shim out the studs in most situations. The backboard will come down and sit on top of the flange, then the tile should drop down overv the flange. Don't grout the tub line or the vertical tile corners bur rather use a silicon caulk that will remain flexible...they even have them now in colors to match colored grout.

At the end of the tub where there is only an inch you can cut the bullnose down to the one inch...it's hard to say without a picture. If you can take a picture email it to me at bgiltnan@belllsouth.net and I can help you a lot more.

Is the backer board the same thickness as the drywall it butts against ? If so you probably don't need to mud it, the tile wll span over the joint and cover it

I shimmed my walls 1/4" before I hung the backerboard, so it would go over the lip. I didn't like the idea of that much tile "floating" over the flange without a backer support. But it seems like there are two differents camps on this. Your tile size should be considered when deciding what to do. You obviously would have to overlap the flange with backerboard if you were using small tiles.

There was one wall that I had to shim out the whole wall since it went beyond the tub, but I had it all down to the studs anyhow, so it was no big deal.

:) thanks for the information it will help with the next project. my husband decided to hire someone instead of us doing it.