Good Questions: Bathtub Tile Experience?

Hello AT,
Does anybody have experience with putting tile on the side of their bathtub? It is just a standard plastic/fiberglass tub but it is pretty tall and would look really nice finished with either tile or a small aggregate stone of some sort. I'm not sure if a frame could be built along the outer edge of the tub with cement board or something like that and then tiled.

Thanks!
Art

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Anyone??

Good luck, Art!

Comments (10)

Oh! My boyfriend and I are thinking about doing the whole wall above the whirlpool tub in a rock/tile almost exactly like the one shown above! All I know about the process so far is: the 'tiles' come in 12" x 12" pieces that are indivdually placed on the 'wall' with a stucco type of material. Then, the same stucco-type material is spread over the entire space (once all 'tiles' are placed) and sponged off to reveal the tiles/rocks.

All your answers

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I had this done last summer. I have an old clawfoot tub I wanted to keep. A previous owner had boxed it in (including the top of the tub) with 2 x 4s. The tile men nailed blueboard (I think that's what it's called)to the 2 x 4s on the side of the tub, then mounted the 1" x 1" tiles on the blueboard. The tile man then cut 12" x 12" stone tiles to follow the curve of the top inside of the tub. The large tiles on top overlap the small tiles on the sides of the tub forming a right angle. The walls of the room are the 1" x 1" tiles. It looks gorgeous!

I did this exact thing with my fiberglass tub. Bought a nice deep, very linear tub and got the store to cut off the front apron. Had the tub installed in the bathroom without the apron and after it was secure built a 2 x 4 frame to replace the apron. Cement board then went over the frame as a substrate for the tile and grout.

The important thing with the frame is to be very precise in the set back from the top of the tub so that it is exatly the same distance as the cement board, thickness of the tile and underlying thin set

I hope that makes sense.

thanks ryan,

this sounds exactly like what i need to do. so the apron is just a thin layer of fiberglass and behind it is the actual "bubble" part of tub?

your method makes a lot of sense because that seems to be the only way to keep the tile flush with the top of the tub.

did you take any extra steps to make sure everything is absolutely water tight? i mean to keep water from getting behind the tile and pooling back there.

got any pictures?

thanks!
art

Make sure you sand the surface you are putting tile on with a rough grit sandpaper. If it's smooth and shiny it will just slide right off. The rough surface will give the thin set mortar and tile something to adhere to. Simple as pie.

In South Africa, it is standard practice to install fibreglass tubs with built up front walls. These walls are done with bricks and mortar (as are all interior walls). They are either built up to finish flush with the horizontal overhang of the tub, or they are built with a ledge. The entire inside space around the tub is filled with sand.

When it comes to finishing, most people simply tile the front of the bath in the same tiles as the rest of the room. I have chosen a mosaic tile in three shades: beige, light brown and dark brown (to compliment the beige tiles, light brown towels and dark brown woodwork). I have also done the separate shower floor in the same mosaic, giving the bathroom a very "boutique hotel" look.