Questions & Answers

So first off, I am pretty proud of my measuring. I have one more sheet of floor tiles which will cover the whole floor.

1. I think I am going to cut the tile into single rows and center what is shown. Would it be better to do a strip of tiles two wide to one side or stick with the way that gets the drain into the center of a sheet?

My next steps heading into the weekend.

1. Doing the rest of the mise en place today and build curb (Wednesday)

2. Thursday is busted (To the dentist, to work because I need to be on the test track (I work for GM if anyone ever has any questions or wants a friends and family discount on a new vehicle or OnStar feel free to ping me), and then I am somehow an archery coach and have classes to teach.

3. Friday through Sunday (mostly cleared the schedule)

Friday

Mix thinset and tape all the seams and fill the screw holes in the hardibacker.

Saturday and Sunday (I am giving myself both days because, you know, DiY fear) Get the Kerdi membrane everywhere.

1. Walls

2. Cut holes for shower heads, controls, and niche (niche is Kerdi preformed)

3. Do the corners, etc.

4. Do floor

5. Finish up

Once that is done although it is not required here I shall do a flood test.

After that, next week, I am going to devote evenings and weekend to get floor tiled. Depending on how efficient I can get with mixing the thinset I hope to tile the floor Monday or Tuesday

Questions:

1. The Kerdi instructions say to use unmodified thin set. One of their installation videos says otherwise. I have not been able to get a hold of the Schluter thinset so I have Ardex x5 and some generic unmodified from Lowes or Home Depot.

Given that I am a newb with a lot of skills but hampered by electrical engineering degrees should I stick with my original plan and use the unmodified for seam taping and membrane adhesion or should I just use the Ardex x5 for everything? (my local tile distributor suggested the Ardex x5 for the tile I have and also because it has a long working time - I think it was the most beginner friendly)

2. How do you (if you have to) deal with below freezing temperatures? I have a shop sink in my basement where I am tiling this shower and can do the mixing indoors. Also I thought about hanging plastic up in my work room Dexter style and using the tile saw I acquired based on discussions here in the basement near the work area. Bad ideas?

I have done an insane amount of work and learning over the past 230 days when I started the demolition of my basement. I am finally coming to the end of this project and hope I can apply these learnings to remodel the 1980's gross main bath on our second floor in under five weeks.

Also, we have a marble tiled shower in out master bath and I am thinking about retrofitting a niche. It seems possible...