Those corners are going to be an issue in that bench too, they need to be sealed or water/steam/runoff is going to pop those pieces off one by one. So many places for seepage to be problematic. Where the wood bench hits the back tile is also going to be a huge issue
That's a bead of silicone that pulled away because of the movement in the wood. I've no idea why it happened, so if you know please tell me lol. The piece is being replaced just so you're aware, and I'm aware I'm gonna have to waterproof the bench again. If yall have any pointers on how to waterproof this again that'd be awesome too, its kerdiboard, Banding and corners with all set, and silicone set over top ¾ osb on a ledger and knee wall. Thanks!
What kind of psychopath decides to use ledger stone under their shower bench??
Work looks real good though man, please tell me you were patching those screws on the kerdi board though
This one lol, it was sharp asf too. As far as screw hole go is silicone ok there? That's what I was taught. Or is it standard practice to actually band over them?
Was it the customers design to use that stone under the bench though? I'm assuming you didn't grout all the joints in right? Lol that's like the absolute worst possible material to use in a wet area, super porous with no grout between pieces... What could go wrong? 🤣🤣
Definitely not ok as far as warranty coverage is concerned, as far as water protection I can't really say. Standard practice is to patch each screw with a 5" x 5" piece of band
Great job! Poor choice on the designer for that wood slab top though. Hopefully it doesn’t mess with your waterproofing when it gets removed and replaced.
The plumber is the real hero here. That plumbing looks incredible. Also I probably wouldn't have used osb for the bench but that might just be me being picky.
Quality effort on your side. Design is certainly horrendous tho. Personally not a fan of all of the non-matching wood and wood like tile. Then to top it off with the busy stone facing makes it very busy to the eye and non cohesive.
Thanks, I personally love this one and so does the customer, I see what you're saying though, if I had to change anything it would be the stack stone. When bossman handed to me, I legit said "what?"
Your work looks top-notch! That teak bench though, what a head-scratcher! Could be humidity fluctuations causing the warp, even with varnish. Maybe try sealing it with epoxy next time? Hope the replacement goes smoother. Also, the niche adds character, like a hidden treasure spot!
I don’t think epoxy prevents wood movement though so it still makes it difficult to seal around. Isn’t the top tiled beneath the wood? I wood put little feet on the wood slab, it doesn’t need much to allow air movement if the teak is finished with something that allows it do its thing. But it could work with epoxy, too. It seems heavy enough it wouldn’t move but if that’s an issue maybe the feet could recess. It could create a nice shadow line if the new one doesn’t also warp, which it might.
It’s a live edge slab, and deep, I don’t think there’s much to prevent it other than building the slab itself differently, and adhering solid wood to any substrate is problematic. There are lots of methods that are more stable, but this whole environment is a risk. None of the methods for securing/joining a solid counter or tabletop with a live edge are possible here because of potential water penetration.
It’s unlikely the finish but I wonder if it might be too waterproof for teak directly in water? Water can’t evaporate through a spar finish? Relying on it being completely sealed when it’s a solid piece expanding and contracting seems naive. I have more than average finishing experience but this is a unique application, I think even a pro would defer to someone who actively works with marine finishes. My default would have been nothing or an oil that can be reapplied.
I'm green asf when it comes to finishes ngl. I just listened to what bossman said and read the back of the can. I tried giving some push back but it wasn't well received lol.
Maybe the contractor warned the homeowners it was risky? Weird he had you install it and pushed about how to finish it. I wonder who actually built it.
I avoid live edge slabs like this in general, there are ways to make them more stable and they’re popular but in a shower it seems crazy to me to build it this way. I would have built it to lift off, with hidden feet to keep the entire slab from laying flush on the bench. Or I would have done something with slats or 2” pieces with joinery to allow for expansion and contraction and drainage. But my experience is with carpentry and finishing, my experience with tile has been indirect, I’ve only laid a little myself in my own home.
Love this input man thank you. Definitely gonna look into marine finishes or an oil that can be reapplied, and most certainly gonna try and keep the slab away from the underlayment. Now that you've pointed it out, it seems silly we thought we could completely seal a piece of wood in spar varnish and silicone, then slam it into a sauna and expect it not to move in the only way it can.
As you said, no responsibility for a teak bench. But was the bench presloped prior to kerdi fabric? Also allow for moisture to escape under the teak is important.
If water was puddling underneath the teak, it will most likely warp
Ohhhhhh, it was pre sloped but now that you mention it, if the wood starts moving and gets underneath it'll never dry out, and as another commenter said we probably should have had someone who does marine finish come out and seal it.
Should have used a leveling system to avoid that lipage, there's a very noticeable one on the niche. Also looks better if you did 45° cuts on the metal edge.
Man fuck you for seeing that lol, I tried for so goddman long to get that piece to sit right. Do you have any tips for 45ing the edging? Every time I do it, it either walks, and I have a gap, or it blows the finish off. I redorted to this cause I couldn't figure it out.
What are you using for cutting the metal edge? The best way it's using a miter Saw with a aluminum blade. You'll get perfect and clean cuts. It does takes practice to get the metal edge on niches to look and square. For the tile on the niche, I use a trigger clamp that can be used as a spreader to holder the tile so it doesn't try come down.
Fucking a thank you, I've been using a dewalt wet saw with a 45° stop, but using a miter saw with a proper blade seems much easier. And the trigger clamp for the niche? chefs kiss. How have I never heard of or thought of that? Such a good idea, thanks!
Not sure I can look around and see if I can find a loose tile next time I'm there, I'll ask bossman too. I do know it's a "distressed copper" @ 24"×12". Hope that helps, and I'm pm you if I find it.
God, what an awful design!!! Is the work good? Sure, but it's hard to use pictures like this for your portfolio because all people can see is the poor design choices.
Damn I kinda love it. The customer also loves it, and that's what matters to me, but for the future, when I'm the one deciding what the job should look like, what about this is not good?
Too many different sizes and shapes of tile, too much "Western rustic" wood and wood look tile, it just looks cheesy, like it belongs at some old west themed hotel. Also that split face tile does not belong in a shower and doesn't look good on the tub face either, the brown tones in the tile on the bottom of the shower actually don't go with the rest of it. The first pic you posted I was thinking it was going to look great with those distressed copper looking 12x24" tiles and then it was all downhill from there, even the fact that the smaller version of the same tile was used around the top of the tub deck bothers me. Also, the marble look quartz on the tub deck doesn't go with the rest of this at all, and really doesn't go with the hammered copper sink on the vanity, it's just bad. There's too much going on here and too much of it clashes with other elements.
I wasn't tbh, but only because I didn't think about it at all. It was handed to me, and i installed it. I work for the contractor, but I am not the contractor. It was super fun tho, I love remodeling.
Would have just used full pieces in the niche. Or at least the cut offs from the outside pieces. Front piece doesnt follow grout line, why put it in the inside pieces? Also think mitred Schluder looks better. But small details looks good overall. Bench looks like it lips up in the front though and will puddle water (back of it is under grout line, front of it looks way above grout line)
My boss said the same thing about the full pieces. Tbh I wanted to see if I could run the grout line through it and still keep a clean look. I hate mitering schluter but only cause I've never got it looking really good. Also the bench top is entirely fucked. I only included pictures of it cause it's so fucked up I wanted people to see it and also to let me know what happened if they know lol.
I wouldn't be so quick to praise the plumber.....
Sharkbites to transition from PEX to copper at the tub is a poor choice...
They were (2) 1/2" 90's and a hole away from being able to center the niche on the sprayers...
Drain is off-center and undersized for that many water features, would have went linear...
What is going on under the lid on that bench?
I’m an old school guy, a lot of times we would use cinder blocks as the base for the benches. As far as I know we never had one rot.
Yeah that’s how I’ve done the ones I’ve done. Most of my customers want the flip down benches now so I haven’t done a built in one in several years.
Those corners are going to be an issue in that bench too, they need to be sealed or water/steam/runoff is going to pop those pieces off one by one. So many places for seepage to be problematic. Where the wood bench hits the back tile is also going to be a huge issue
So you’re saying we can get this solved with one tube of caulk?
I did run about a tube of silicone back there, I know it's not ideal, but I simply didn't know what else to do.
I’d have done exactly the same :)
That's a bead of silicone that pulled away because of the movement in the wood. I've no idea why it happened, so if you know please tell me lol. The piece is being replaced just so you're aware, and I'm aware I'm gonna have to waterproof the bench again. If yall have any pointers on how to waterproof this again that'd be awesome too, its kerdiboard, Banding and corners with all set, and silicone set over top ¾ osb on a ledger and knee wall. Thanks!
Ask over on r/woodworking I only know enough to say go there
What kind of psychopath decides to use ledger stone under their shower bench?? Work looks real good though man, please tell me you were patching those screws on the kerdi board though
This one lol, it was sharp asf too. As far as screw hole go is silicone ok there? That's what I was taught. Or is it standard practice to actually band over them?
Was it the customers design to use that stone under the bench though? I'm assuming you didn't grout all the joints in right? Lol that's like the absolute worst possible material to use in a wet area, super porous with no grout between pieces... What could go wrong? 🤣🤣
Yeah I was confused when I recieved it too
Definitely not ok as far as warranty coverage is concerned, as far as water protection I can't really say. Standard practice is to patch each screw with a 5" x 5" piece of band
Thanks! Now I know
Great job! Poor choice on the designer for that wood slab top though. Hopefully it doesn’t mess with your waterproofing when it gets removed and replaced.
Thanks for the well wishes there, wish it was different but it is what it is at this point
Is that real wood on the ceiling of that shower?
Yeah, it's sealed with spar varnish as well
The plumber is the real hero here. That plumbing looks incredible. Also I probably wouldn't have used osb for the bench but that might just be me being picky.
Hero is a strong word lol
Yes it is but that is some very nice looking plumbing and it is obvious that the plumber is skilled.
Quality effort on your side. Design is certainly horrendous tho. Personally not a fan of all of the non-matching wood and wood like tile. Then to top it off with the busy stone facing makes it very busy to the eye and non cohesive.
Thanks, I personally love this one and so does the customer, I see what you're saying though, if I had to change anything it would be the stack stone. When bossman handed to me, I legit said "what?"
Your work looks top-notch! That teak bench though, what a head-scratcher! Could be humidity fluctuations causing the warp, even with varnish. Maybe try sealing it with epoxy next time? Hope the replacement goes smoother. Also, the niche adds character, like a hidden treasure spot!
Thanks! Probably does have to do with the humidity, and we will def try some epoxy next go around when they get done milling a new piece.
I don’t think epoxy prevents wood movement though so it still makes it difficult to seal around. Isn’t the top tiled beneath the wood? I wood put little feet on the wood slab, it doesn’t need much to allow air movement if the teak is finished with something that allows it do its thing. But it could work with epoxy, too. It seems heavy enough it wouldn’t move but if that’s an issue maybe the feet could recess. It could create a nice shadow line if the new one doesn’t also warp, which it might.
Need a wood guy to verify this is actual teak.
If it's not that'd be great to know cause it was bought at a lumber mill and bossman would have some choice words lol
That’s a lot of wood, and I’m not talking about your erection in picture 7
It’s a live edge slab, and deep, I don’t think there’s much to prevent it other than building the slab itself differently, and adhering solid wood to any substrate is problematic. There are lots of methods that are more stable, but this whole environment is a risk. None of the methods for securing/joining a solid counter or tabletop with a live edge are possible here because of potential water penetration. It’s unlikely the finish but I wonder if it might be too waterproof for teak directly in water? Water can’t evaporate through a spar finish? Relying on it being completely sealed when it’s a solid piece expanding and contracting seems naive. I have more than average finishing experience but this is a unique application, I think even a pro would defer to someone who actively works with marine finishes. My default would have been nothing or an oil that can be reapplied.
I'm green asf when it comes to finishes ngl. I just listened to what bossman said and read the back of the can. I tried giving some push back but it wasn't well received lol.
Maybe the contractor warned the homeowners it was risky? Weird he had you install it and pushed about how to finish it. I wonder who actually built it. I avoid live edge slabs like this in general, there are ways to make them more stable and they’re popular but in a shower it seems crazy to me to build it this way. I would have built it to lift off, with hidden feet to keep the entire slab from laying flush on the bench. Or I would have done something with slats or 2” pieces with joinery to allow for expansion and contraction and drainage. But my experience is with carpentry and finishing, my experience with tile has been indirect, I’ve only laid a little myself in my own home.
Love this input man thank you. Definitely gonna look into marine finishes or an oil that can be reapplied, and most certainly gonna try and keep the slab away from the underlayment. Now that you've pointed it out, it seems silly we thought we could completely seal a piece of wood in spar varnish and silicone, then slam it into a sauna and expect it not to move in the only way it can.
As you said, no responsibility for a teak bench. But was the bench presloped prior to kerdi fabric? Also allow for moisture to escape under the teak is important. If water was puddling underneath the teak, it will most likely warp
Ohhhhhh, it was pre sloped but now that you mention it, if the wood starts moving and gets underneath it'll never dry out, and as another commenter said we probably should have had someone who does marine finish come out and seal it.
Should have used a leveling system to avoid that lipage, there's a very noticeable one on the niche. Also looks better if you did 45° cuts on the metal edge.
Man fuck you for seeing that lol, I tried for so goddman long to get that piece to sit right. Do you have any tips for 45ing the edging? Every time I do it, it either walks, and I have a gap, or it blows the finish off. I redorted to this cause I couldn't figure it out.
What are you using for cutting the metal edge? The best way it's using a miter Saw with a aluminum blade. You'll get perfect and clean cuts. It does takes practice to get the metal edge on niches to look and square. For the tile on the niche, I use a trigger clamp that can be used as a spreader to holder the tile so it doesn't try come down.
Fucking a thank you, I've been using a dewalt wet saw with a 45° stop, but using a miter saw with a proper blade seems much easier. And the trigger clamp for the niche? chefs kiss. How have I never heard of or thought of that? Such a good idea, thanks!
Kind of digging the big wood look wall tile, it would look rad in silver or something. What is it?
Not sure I can look around and see if I can find a loose tile next time I'm there, I'll ask bossman too. I do know it's a "distressed copper" @ 24"×12". Hope that helps, and I'm pm you if I find it.
Thank you!
Think I found it actually. Bedrosian!
Great work, dude. Also, that wood doesn't look like epa(or however it's spelled). It looks oak? lol... did someone just use the template?
Ipe lol and it's teak
God, what an awful design!!! Is the work good? Sure, but it's hard to use pictures like this for your portfolio because all people can see is the poor design choices.
It’s really hard to see past the design choices here
Damn I kinda love it. The customer also loves it, and that's what matters to me, but for the future, when I'm the one deciding what the job should look like, what about this is not good?
Too many different sizes and shapes of tile, too much "Western rustic" wood and wood look tile, it just looks cheesy, like it belongs at some old west themed hotel. Also that split face tile does not belong in a shower and doesn't look good on the tub face either, the brown tones in the tile on the bottom of the shower actually don't go with the rest of it. The first pic you posted I was thinking it was going to look great with those distressed copper looking 12x24" tiles and then it was all downhill from there, even the fact that the smaller version of the same tile was used around the top of the tub deck bothers me. Also, the marble look quartz on the tub deck doesn't go with the rest of this at all, and really doesn't go with the hammered copper sink on the vanity, it's just bad. There's too much going on here and too much of it clashes with other elements.
is that ungrouted tile on the bench riser?
Yes
not worried about mold and mildew back there? regardless, looks like a fun project.
I wasn't tbh, but only because I didn't think about it at all. It was handed to me, and i installed it. I work for the contractor, but I am not the contractor. It was super fun tho, I love remodeling.
Would have just used full pieces in the niche. Or at least the cut offs from the outside pieces. Front piece doesnt follow grout line, why put it in the inside pieces? Also think mitred Schluder looks better. But small details looks good overall. Bench looks like it lips up in the front though and will puddle water (back of it is under grout line, front of it looks way above grout line)
My boss said the same thing about the full pieces. Tbh I wanted to see if I could run the grout line through it and still keep a clean look. I hate mitering schluter but only cause I've never got it looking really good. Also the bench top is entirely fucked. I only included pictures of it cause it's so fucked up I wanted people to see it and also to let me know what happened if they know lol.
45 the corners of schluter trim in niches
Aye sir, Megatron sir!
Only criticism would be the corners need to be cleaned better/tighter. Other than that this is phenomenal workmanship!
I wouldn't be so quick to praise the plumber..... Sharkbites to transition from PEX to copper at the tub is a poor choice... They were (2) 1/2" 90's and a hole away from being able to center the niche on the sprayers... Drain is off-center and undersized for that many water features, would have went linear...
Drain size nets them 3 TDP which is more than enough for the water features assuming they are up to code everywhere under it
Whats TDP?
Why so many surface types and colors? Why so BIG?
Customer like many BIG. I install many BIG.