Boucher marks the shower wall for his cut. He'll install the rec…
Boucher marks the shower wall for his cut. He'll install the recess box so that a full tile will fall flush with the lower edge of the box.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher lays a laser guideline onto the wall to mark the spot fo…
Boucher lays a laser guideline onto the wall to mark the spot for his box cut-out on the existing Kerdi-Board.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Bouchet probes with a razor knife to locate the edge of the wall…
Bouchet probes with a razor knife to locate the edge of the wall stud behind the Kerdi-Board.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Guided by the laser layout lines, Boucher holds the pre-built re…
Guided by the laser layout lines, Boucher holds the pre-built recess box face to the shower wall and marks its outline for the cuts.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher cuts out the Kerdi-Board to create an opening for the re…
Boucher cuts out the Kerdi-Board to create an opening for the recess box.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher removes the previously-installed Kerdi membrane over a f…
Boucher removes the previously-installed Kerdi membrane over a fastener that falls at the place where the new box must be positioned.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Using his knife, Boucher digs away the mortar covering the exist…
Using his knife, Boucher digs away the mortar covering the existing screw and washer that holds the Kerdi-Board to the wall stud.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher removes the screw from the existing washer.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher pulls the washer away from the wall.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher cuts a small triangular opening into the face of the wal…
Boucher cuts a small triangular opening into the face of the wall where the box opening must be placed, to give himself a handhold on the piece of Kerdi-Board to be removed.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher pulls the cut-out piece away from the wall.
Ted Cushman/JLC
The wall between the shower and the adjoining bedroom has been s…
The wall between the shower and the adjoining bedroom has been soundproofed with rock wool insulation, which needs to come out.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher places the box in the opening temporarily. He still has …
Boucher places the box in the opening temporarily. He still has to cut out the opening for another box right next to this one.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher lays another recess box onto the wall next to the first …
Boucher lays another recess box onto the wall next to the first one, and traces its outline onto the wall. He will now repeat the step of cutting out the opening.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher removes the section of Kerdi-Board from the location whe…
Boucher removes the section of Kerdi-Board from the location where the second box will be installed.
Ted Cushman/JLC
This box installation is complicated by the presence of a bedsid…
This box installation is complicated by the presence of a bedside lighting receptacle for the next-door bedroom, which can't be relocated. Fortunately, the 2×6 wall framing allows enough depth to hold both the recess box and the wiring box.
Ted Cushman/JLC
To make room for his shower recess box, Boucher has to chisel aw…
To make room for his shower recess box, Boucher has to chisel away a piece of the scabbed-on 2×4 that the electricians used to attach their wiring box.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Because the space is quite tight, Boucher has to carefully trim …
Because the space is quite tight, Boucher has to carefully trim away the edges of the block with a Fein Multimaster.
Ted Cushman/JLC
To preserve at least some of the soundproofing effect, Boucher r…
To preserve at least some of the soundproofing effect, Boucher replaces two inches of rock wool in the cavity.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher sets fastener washers into the seams where the recess bo…
Boucher sets fastener washers into the seams where the recess boxes meet over the wall studs.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher screws the washers down onto the Kerdi-Board to fasten t…
Boucher screws the washers down onto the Kerdi-Board to fasten the box firmly to the framing.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher cuts a square of Kerdi membrane from a 100-foot by 1-met…
Boucher cuts a square of Kerdi membrane from a 100-foot by 1-meter roll of the material. He will apply this piece over the entire assembly of two recess boxes, then cut out for the box face openings.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher works unmodified cement mortar into the flocked face of …
Boucher works unmodified cement mortar into the flocked face of the Kerdi-Board boxes and the surrounding wall.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Using a Kerdi trowel with quarter-inch teeth, Boucher applies a …
Using a Kerdi trowel with quarter-inch teeth, Boucher applies a measured amount of mortar to the wall where the membrane will be set.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher lays his pre-cut piece of Kerdi membrane over the two bo…
Boucher lays his pre-cut piece of Kerdi membrane over the two boxes, completely covering the mortared joints.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher uses a six-inch drywall knife with the corners ground do…
Boucher uses a six-inch drywall knife with the corners ground down to press the membrane into the mortar. He can see well enough through the membrane to visually check that the quarter-inch grooves in the mortar have been fully smoothed down, indicating a full mortar bond with the membrane.
Ted Cushman/JLC
Boucher cuts out the openings with his knife (a task that is eas…
Boucher cuts out the openings with his knife (a task that is easiest before the mortar has set).
Ted Cushman/JLC
The completed pair of recess boxes. As soon as the mortar cures,…
The completed pair of recess boxes. As soon as the mortar cures, this assembly will be waterproof, ready to serve as a sound backing for ceramic tile.
This summer, JLC followed along with Kennebunk, Maine, professional tile contractor Tom Boucher as he and colleague Bob Vedder installed tile floors and showers for two bathrooms in a custom home under construction at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. This week, we bring you another installment in that story as Boucher creates the water-tight rough opening for a recessed shelf in one of the showers.
Compared to the old way — cutting and fitting pieces of cement backer-board — this method is far quicker and easier, says Boucher. For a step-by-step view of the process, view the slideshow.
Building the curb for a tile shower is quicker and simpler using Schluter Kerdi-Board and Kerdi waterproof membrane. Kennebunk, Maine, tile pro Tom Boucher shows how it’s done.
