How To Install Kerdi Shower Niche

In my previous mail service I showed you lot how to make a niche for your shower out of Kerdi-lath. If you haven't read that yous probably should. It's gonna be really difficult to install a Kerdi-board niche if you don't take one.

Only sayin'.

When I install shower niches I prefer for the edge of the niche to be lined up with the grout lines in the tile installation. This way it looks like it belongs in that location rather than looking like something that was an afterthought (I Hate that…). Then it requires planning.

When I build my niche I brand it the aforementioned size as the tile I'm installing (or a multiple of those tiles, similar two tiles loftier by one tile wide). This will exist the INSIDE dimension of your niche when you build it. So again – more planning.

For case: If my tiles are 12×12 and I want my niche to be two tiles high I will measure the exact dimension of ii tiles loftier (with a grout line in the middle). You then want to ADD 1/iv″ to that measurement. You can ever build the tile out, you can't make a tile fit into a space too small for it unless you cut it – then it will throw everything off.

If my tile is xi 3/four″ square and I'm using a i/8″ grout line then the inside dimension of my niche is going to be 23 7/eight″ 10 12″ (11 3/iv (tile) + 11 3/4 (tile) + ane/eight (grout line) + ane/iv (actress) loftier) X (eleven 3/iv (tile) + 1/4 (actress) wide). It looks disruptive, it really isn't.

I volition commonly install my wall tile up to a row below where I want the niche. Once that'due south finished I tin draw level lines horizontally and vertically to determine exactly where my grout lines will be on the wall where the niche is being installed (or use a laser, 'cause I'm star-warsy like that…). Those lines are where the inside dimensions of your niche volition be.

Using 1/2″ kerdi-board for your niche, you desire to draw lines i/2″ exterior of your grout line markings. That fashion once you lot get your niche in there the inside dimensions volition fall exactly on those grout lines. Now that I've completely confused the hell out of you I'll walk yous through it with pictures.

It is important that yous know where your wall studs are located! The niche must fit between two wall studs. I normally mark them direct onto the wall substrate equally I am installing it. In some of the photos you lot'll notice a random bluish mark on the right side of where the niche will be, other than the marks I'grand indicating – that is where that stud lays inside the wall. You need to ensure that you are inside these marks with your niche.

You can click on any of these pictures for a full-size version.

This particular shower uses kerdi-lath for the wall substrate equally well, but you tin can do this with a regular kerdi shower or whatsoever other substrate if you can seal the wall waterproofing to the kerdi-lath niche. Kerdi-fix works for this with any topical waterproofing, liquids tin be painted directly onto the niche. Traditional waterproofing with a barrier backside your substrate does not work with a kerdi-board niche. Information technology tin can be done, but I really don't recommend it.

We begin with installation of the wall tile up to a row below the niche. This allows us to see exactly where the grout lines will exist.

Now we'll shoot our light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation lines (or draw level lines) from both the vertical grout line from the bottom and the horizontal grout line off the back wall.

If you click on this picture you'll find a blue pen marker to the right of the vertical light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation line (it's near the crossing betoken on the bottom) and a marker one/2″ below the horizontal grout line. This marking is one/2″ outside of the grout lines, that allows for the 1/ii″ thickness of the kerdi-board in the niche.

You desire to describe a vertical line ane/2″ to the right of your grout line and 1/2″ under your bottom horizontal grout line all the way up past the top of your niche and all the style across the bottom.

Y'all are drawing lines to indicate where the outside of your niche can exist and still see up with the grout lines.

Now line upward the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (or level lines) with the grout lines on the left side of the niche and the top of the niche. Make your one/ii″ marks outside of those and draw those ii lines. In this photo the laser is lined up with those marks ane/ii″ away from the grout lines.

Now hold your pre-made niche up there and brand certain the perimeter is outside the lines that you just marked – the ones that are 1/ii″ exterior the grout lines.

Trace the outside of the niche onto the wall substrate. These will exist the lines that you cutting to create the space for your niche.

So cut out the rectangle that you just traced around your niche.

In one case y'all have the hole cut out place your niche in at that place about half way to ensure that the perimeter is big enough and information technology fits snugly.

Now you want to cut a 2×four for both the top and bottom of the niche. Measure between the studs for each – they may not be the same size (depending on how consequent your wall studs are).

Place the ii×iv's in there and tap them in so they are affluent with the top and bottom of the opening in your wall. Place ii screws on the top and ii on the bottom through your wall substrate to agree them into place. You can see the screws and washers holding the 2x4s on the superlative and bottom in the second photograph below.

If you happen to button the bottom 2×4 too far down (that NEVER happens to me…) yous can just drive a screw into the eye of it and pull it back up. Don't tear your wall apart because it went downwards too far.

At present push your niche into the opening. You lot can utilize screws into the sides to secure it, kerdi-set on the back of the niche volition hold it in identify as well. Once you get it in in that location it should exist snug and unable to motion around.

One time it's all flush and snug stop waterproofing the transition from the wall substrate to the niche box, in this case I used kerdi-fix, and allow information technology cure (it is Non installed yet in this photo!).

If you're using regular kerdi, kerdi-set will work every bit does a band of kerdi over the edges. If using a liquid membrane only pigment information technology over the edge at least two inches into the niche and out onto your wall substrate.

That's it. Now it's all ready for tile. Provided you placed and cut everything correctly the within edges of your niche should be almost 1/eight″ outside your grout lines. With thinset below the tile inside the niche it should line upwardly perfectly.

You can read well-nigh how I install tile into the niche hither: Building a niche for your shower Part iv.

It'south yet thing – a box inside your wall. The tile is installed the same way whether you employ kerdi-board, regular kerdi, liquid waterproofing like hydroban, etc.

I'll get out you alone now since you lot have to go scrub kerdi-fix off of everything – again.

Tenacious stuff, isn't it?

Source: https://floorelf.com/installing-a-kerdi-board-niche

Posted by: munztamed1976.blogspot.com

Share this post