Complete Carrara Marble tile bathroom instalation time lapse

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Marble master bathroom time lapse of the installation of a shower stall and bathroom floor on Schluter Ditra uncoupling membrane. The walls of the shower consist of a six by twelve inch polished Carrara marble installed on a running bond or brick pattern, featuring a niche with two shelves, and a bench seat. The shower was waterproofed before any tile was installed. The floor tile in the shower consists of a hexagonal marble mosaic tile. The main floor also a Carrara marble 24x12 inches installed using the MLT leveling system.
All tile installed by Sal DiBlasi, Elite-tile Company, in the Boston North Shore area. This video contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you click on the product link.
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[@tinkerwest]

I would like to thank Alvin, Simon and Theodore for their help in the making of this video....Beautiful job...

[@SalDiBlasi]

😄

[@ronalddino6370]

@@SalDiBlasi you dont need. Appreciaince around you

[@AnthonyGriffin23]

Sal, I am a builder in Mississippi and I enjoy watching your work. Its good to still see a true craftsman, most of the guys around here want to take short cuts and have a lot of lippage in their installations. Keep up the good work.

[@gavin_hill]

Never seen the man work so fast! 🤣👏🏽

[@extremebudget]

This guy is awesome. I am learning a lot. I am about to do my own project for the first time. thank your for your videos

[@mw-cf5dr]

I like the vids but I wonder why he's not smooshing the floor tiles so that the mortar has no air bubbles. Apparently, it creates a much stronger bond and if something drops (heavy), then there is a much less likelihood that the tile will shatter.

[@cervezatorres5700]

A lot of time and work into those shower floors. I use the square drain strainers now instead of the round ones, of course, if the customers allow me to. It saves me a lot of time marking and cutting and they look better in my opinion. Amazing work as always, I really love watching your videos.

[@fliparto2]

it's such a relief watching this video. I've mostly taught myself to tile, have my own company now, and I do almost everything the exact same way you do things.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Look into Tile Geeks on Facebook, ask to join the community.

[@constructionfreak3158]

you are a hardworker! keep up the spirit of working from your heart! Excellent inspiration

[@ozzyarmendariz2204]

Sweet thank you for showing your talent to us I'm learning a lot from you so I don't feel so nervous when I'm doing my jobs.

[@simoneb4177]

Wow! Nice work! I only wish I could have seen a slower panning of the results after all of that hard work! Thank you so much for the video.

[@fuqbrah5997]

I like how he does it start to finish by his self no help needed

[@IMABEAST191]

You are watching a master at work!!!

[@danthecarpenterman9463]

Nice trowel work I can tell that the thin set is mixed up perfectly

[@joe-ut7ee]

Sorry I don´t speak chipmunk, but good work. I always learn something from your videos.

[@zemokka2373]

yeah thats whats a brain is for learnning as it has no intelligence it is a stude mechanism pshhh so ghayee

[@akbaranderson4919]

hahah yeah why is the chipmunk voice still so funny though?

[@noreason8818]

joe lol

[@marekmajewski6014]

joe.

[@marekmajewski6014]

RTV.

[@raulrubio3856]

Excelente lo haces ver tan fácil claro es la experiencia me quito el sombrero felicidades y sigue dando latebras maestro gracias

[@SalDiBlasi]

Thank you

[@jackblack496]

Raul Rubio papers please

[@hardkore360]

Jack Black jack black, the guy who starred in NACHO LIBRE, asking for papers lmfao.... get a life dude...

[@AndrewGorny]

I've never been so mesmerized by a video in my life

[@twoserve2449]

Awesome work Sal!, one thing I do differently, I run my margin trowel along tile line, that prevents thin set from coming trough the lines, less time using sponge to clean ☺

[@cuarajhyrojayju4397]

This guy is great nice job👍

[@NaeDeen]

If you want something done right, you do it yourself!! Amazing quality--slow down to speed up :)

[@SalDiBlasi]

Actually, hire someone qualified to do the work. Qualified labor isn't cheap, cheap labor isn't qualified.

[@OnlyDubai]

Very clean work. I liked it a lot. Hard work and u did everything and u finish the work in short period of time. 👍🏽

[@meukoh]

Nice job! I am remodeling my bathroom with the same shower tile

[@SalDiBlasi]

Good luck!

[@susannilson5873]

This I got to see. I am watching this for fun

[@agame4146]

Sal, what brand of grout do you recommend for polished calcutta tile. We are thinking a white grout color, but we want to make sure that the grout doesn't stain or turn yellow.

[@shimmyshookmybones]

i love marble, and this is so gorgeous i could swoon. i'm a jealous mess right now lol😍

[@emilytucker667]

Mine basically turned out like this, love the carrera!

[@alexcastillo1384]

That's very professional you sir do a great job !!!

[@juliamihajlovich]

So satisfying

[@lucysantiagocovers5329]

that's my dream bathroom I always wanted to get my bathroom like that....men u live far

[@jackblack496]

Lucy Santiago covers we are going to build a beautiful wall you can visit

[@LorettaLynn55]

You are on my wish list: I wish I could afford a house, and hire you. Excellent work every time!

[@SalDiBlasi]

😄

[@lilz0208]

Lore Lynn I wish I cluld afford to hire him and fly him Ohio. 🙁I need both my bathrooms done.

[@Emforever123]

This bathroom reminds me of The Berkeley hotel in London.

[@RebeccaH-ks1bg]

beautiful!

[@bibit3856]

I enjoy watching this videos . You are an artist. !

[@SaturdayProjects]

Learned a lot from all of your videos. Thanks.

[@noratruong7816]

Excellent job

[@SalDiBlasi]

Thank you very much!

[@markusclay4899]

Always good to see a master, even if he is Alvin the chipmunk : )

Thats beautiful Sal.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Thanks.

[@lpzy796]

Wow! Such an amazing and beautiful job u did. What kind of brand and colour grout did u use? Those tiles are real marble?

[@crazyguy9709]

this guy is amazing

[@RajuRoy-oy2ec]

Excellent job...

[@rozacielo7792]

great work ... detailed, organised and precise ....

[@taylorflores2110]

you are my hero! so neat and great filming plus fast! beautifully done !!!!!!!!!

[@yuriyzubanov]

nice job! what kind of waterproofing are you using?

[@mrkongsimr]

Besutiful , are there any problems with heaving marble ? Thanks !

[@camilleplatt6869]

is this the carrara lifeproof? i like how the tiles have variation. my contractor is wondering if what you put up has too much gray to be the lifeproof from home depot

[@khalifaalhameli2323]

Perfect job

[@marcanthonyrodriguez3636]

Nice job 👍🏼

[@SalDiBlasi]

Thanks! 👍

[@leoo5653]

I've learned to much your video's...keep up the great work

[@SalDiBlasi]

👍

[@sigunz]

Great work again :) what grout would you recommend for polished carrera marble ?

[@ryanjazdzewski9464]

Can you do a video about the different types of tile, their properties, and pros and cons of each? Also do you seal your grout as well?

[@SalDiBlasi]

+Ryan Jazdzewski I will see what i can do, I don't seal the grout because i use advanced grouts that are stain resistant.

[@lebommjohnson8101]

Good hands, Sal ! Bene fatto !

[@daveychaz]

Absolutely gorgeous job! Your videos are really excellent and helpful thank you for posting them.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Glad you like them!

[@scottberry3287]

I feel better know. Thanks

[@lizbot1823]

Love your work Sal!

[@davindergill1888]

Hey sal i have question Installing wall tiles before the floor how much space we suppose to leave is there specific measurements on the very bottom wall tiles where u use the wood for the spot. Thanks

[@abc-ov4oh]

I'm looking to remodel my shower, how to much roughly to break down wall rip out bathtub, no tile removal and the exact same marble for a total 140 sq ft and a bench. And plumbing is already there.

[@cloverparkusa]

Beautiful!

[@dougwang9211]

why not removing the base molding? It looks shorter now. Also how do you attach shower head to PAX?

[@jeffflint8542]

Do you have a preference on when you do the shower floor tile first or not?

[@BigMeanyVids]

Completely awesome Sal. What is that shower pan? Is that an insert of some sort? Or is it something on top of a mud bed?

[@imululu]

Sal, I’m trying to source this exact marble. Where did you buy it from?

[@fishingladiesofflorida9632]

great work,

[@n2kois]

You do great work my friend!

[@Ritercrazy]

How are your knees today? Beautiful job.

[@williamjackson1014]

Hi Sal, I'm a setter out in the LA area and enjoy watching your videos. My wife thinks i'm nuts for setting all day and then coming home to watch you on youtube, but I appreciate your workmanship. My question is, I water proof my showers almost the same way you do except that I use a product called aquabar waterproofing paper behind my backer where as you use a waterproofing agent over the backer board, do you also spread the waterproofing over your float job on the floor before setting the shower floor tile? PS, you are a true craftsman.

[@SalDiBlasi]

The paper you put behind is really a vapor barrier, not a true waterproofing system, old school. The waterproofing applied to the front actually makes the cement board water tight, and i do coat the mud floor as well. This may help kzbin.info/aero/PLiB6hq5lQ3h3Tieji67lN4lrGPhrLwngf

[@SalDiBlasi]

Here is another one kzbin.info/www/bejne/joPHqWx3Zr6nZpI

[@oldcatmech]

What a wonderful job! only have one question, in the entrance to the shower, why no tile under the top of step-in on entrance side?

[@SalDiBlasi]

They wanted to run the base straight across, the used the plastic type board under the curb.

[@cu4lunch2night]

piece of art,.....awesome job .

[@Dobemandan]

Do you know if surface marks in honed marble can be easily removed? Thanks again

[@SalDiBlasi]

+Dobemandan I guess it would depend on what they are, best place to get an answer for that would be www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/

[@tilebyrobwalker]

Looks good.. I noticed you trowel walls..do you backbutter your marble also..or just walls? I normally just back dab marble. And use a small level like you do.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Always back butter natural stone. By back dabbing do you mean five spot,

[@rbfixer6037]

Love your work! I wish you could do my bathroom.

[@luiszavala9750]

Very nice job Sal!!! how many days did you work in that bathroom doing walls, floor and grout?

[@CoolHand24]

I've heard of a lot of marble tile jobs causing stains because of all the moisture it may absorb. Do you do anything in your preparation for a job like that?

[@SalDiBlasi]

There has been a lot of discussion and testing on this subject, it seems that it is best to not seal the stone tile on a shower floor to allow for any water that may penetrate below the tile the possibility of evaporating again. A sealer will let the tile "breath" which means vapor can pass through the sealer, but liquid water can not. So the thought is that once the vapor passes through the tile, below the surface it will condense into liquid form and be trapped causing the stone to darken. If a sealer is not applied, the water will not remained trapped under the tile. This is what I have heard and had several conversations on the subject. No definitive answer yet, just the news I have heard on this subject.

[@leonardoveira8627]

excellent work your are a true professional . question for you, what was that rectangle cut out you left on the floor for ?.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Plumbing hook up for free standing soaking tub.

[@leonardoveira8627]

thank you .

[@DinoAungpe]

The honey comb mosaic you used for the floor is that honed & can shiny be used also

[@SalDiBlasi]

+Dino Aungpe It is polished so i guess the answer is yes.

[@clumpkin1012]

What spacing is Sal using 1/16 or 1/8 between his tile? Thanks

[@user-pv5oc2pl5w]

Love.god.vre naec.thnks

[@DerekPickard]

One more thing I would like to add is that I am a one man show and have found out that baby sitting journeymen tile setters isn't fun . floating curbs is inexpensive and pretty quick and no waterproofing the curb.I waterproof all my showers and when you fold and not cut or puncture the pan ,the only place it can leak is at the drain. do the drain right and job well done. Pasco pan's aren't new and I think I trust something that is like a raft material over paint on and skim material or even hot mops.

[@SalDiBlasi]

+d Are you not interested?

[@brianfink4519]

Sal what kind of blade do u recommend for cutting carrara marble. I have the standard dewalt d7 I believe and it’s starting to chip at end of cuts. I’m getting ready to cut the 45’s for shower curb and I can’t have any blowouts

[@erinduggin4806]

Beautiful work! We are putting in the same tile soon for our bathroom floor. Should we use sanded or unsanded grout? I'm confused. I've heard that we shouldn't use unsanded because it will shrink and crack but have also heard not to use sanded because it will scratch up the tiles. Thanks!

[@SalDiBlasi]

Unsanded grout is for grout lines 1/8" or smaller, sanded is for 1/8" or larger. 1/8" grout lines can be either, but most times i will use sanded. If you try to use an unsanded grout on a wide grout line, say 1/4", you will have issues. if you use a sanded grout on a narrow grout line, say 1/16", it will be difficult to fill the joint. If you are using a polished marble, then it is most likely rectified, they will all be exactly the same size, so you should use a narrow grout line, 1/16" is what i use. This will require the use of an unsanded grout. Sanded grout can scratch polished marble if you are not careful, however i have used sanded grout on polished marble on occasion. Some specialty grouts do not come in the unsanded version. So what you have heard is only true in certain circumstances, I hope this clarifies it a bit for you. Another ting you should be aware of is that you should seal your marble tile before you grout, and you should use a grout color similar to the color of the tile, many grouts can leach pigments into the edge of the tile and cause a "picture framing" effect on the marble tile edges that will become permanent. So if you are installing a carrara marble, the grout should be white or a very light gray.

[@ManuelEaganBuffaloTile]

I appreciate your Videos Sal!

[@safaahmood3071]

عاشت ايدك

[@ocdis4me]

Your videos are way cool..........

[@Millennmify]

My floor requires leveler or a wet bed to level it off before tiling. Must be nice to have a level plywood floor to start with.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Does not have to be level, just flat.

[@Stevewang151]

Sir, Thanks for sharing your video. I learned lot from your videos. I have a question. Did you seal the shower floor hexagon tiles? I have a similar tiles. But it’s polished hexagon. Do I need to seal it? Thanks in advance.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Yes I did

[@tonycopelyn8730]

What type of thinset and grout did you use???

[@SalDiBlasi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHOWoomCn7GMZ80

[@holmarunter3918]

Good work. What would bother me personally is that the structure or the tone of the marble tiles seem to differentiate a lot. It just doesnt have that „clean look“ to me. Is it because of the quality of the marble?

[@SalDiBlasi]

Marble is a natural product so it can have a lot of variation, these were sorted to do just that, and was what the home owner wanted, nothing to do with quality.

[@bsudrew1]

Hi Sal. Your work is very impressive. I just got the same type of hexagonal marble tile you placed in the shower floor. I'm using it for a full wall backsplash. Mine is 3/8" thick. I'll be starting the project in a couple weeks, but have been wondering about cuts. What's the best way to cut tiles like that? Wet saw? Nippers? Grinder? Fortunately I don't have any exposed curves to go around, just straight lines. I saw you making cuts on small tiles in another video, but it appeared to be ceramic tile, not marble. Any help is really appreciated!

[@SalDiBlasi]

bsudrew1 Wet saw will be your best bet, for small tiles even a small cheap wet saw will work just fine, however if you plan on doing any other work involving larger tile, a better wet saw will serve you better and avoid a lot of frustration.

[@jerrydewlen1195]

Sal ... thanks for taking the time to post all of your videos. Do you use bullnose tiles for the outside corners, or do you bevel yourself with a grinder, or just leave the factory edge asis.

[@SalDiBlasi]

+Jerry Dewlen most times bull nose, or a schluter metal, or if it is a through body tile i might polish the edges, never just a raw edge, that would not be professional.

[@alexanderbreitman7329]

+Sal DiBlasi Hello, what tool you use to level the floor tiles? Where to buy the tool and plastics ?

[@mzdznugz7365]

Happy New Year Sal, What size tiles did you use in the shower? Thanks

[@SalDiBlasi]

+Desiree Williams 6'x12"

[@movietime111]

do you ever use tile leveling system on walls with 6x12 Carrara?

[@nzdeben]

Really like your work. What are those yellow spacers that you used under the seat in shower? Do you back fill seat area with adhesive?

[@SalDiBlasi]

just some wedges to keep the heavy stone in place while the thinset dries to maintain the slope .

[@stevenquinn1744]

great work sal, could you tell me which knee pads you favour, please and thanks.

[@SalDiBlasi]

steven quinn I have had the same crappy knee pads for ages, I have actually been thinking about getting new ones.

[@brendand6439]

I have a sheen on my marble mosaic. How do I get the sheen off of it before I seal it. I have tried a damp sponge but the sheen is still there

[@pridenprejudice2004]

Love the grout color. Can you tell me what it is?

[@SalDiBlasi]

Standard white.

[@Over_Lando]

You are awesome !! ... Sal, I recently asked about what some guys thought about some trowels I wanted to purchase. . One answer somewhat off topic was made by Armen Tavy .. " I'm glad you asked; however my answer is not as short as your question. First, I would probably through away those trowels because the best trowel to us,e is the least one in the hands of installers. 1/4" x 1/2" x 1/4" U-Notched for tiles 12 inches and larger. The key to control the variations of height of mortar ridges between the smallest and largest tiles is in the angle of the trowel to the substrate. Why is this the best trowel, well, because I, and our industry, says it's the best; however, until the mortar companies show a diagram of it on their packaging, it will remain in obscurity. Why is the U-Notch so important? Well the laws of physics takes over here, Rounded mortar ridge collapse with less drag and allows more air escape. Air is the "enemy" unless it;s in your lungs or life jacket....;..it does not belong under tiles. I could wright a thousand and more words on this subject; however it is not practical on Facebook. You wish to know more? write me and I can elucidate. To make it short, I demonstrate the logic with four 16" tiles with deep crevices on their backside. "Rialto" tiles (at Lowe's) are perfect for this demo. Install all of them individually spaced an inch or so apart with a different technique for each. Worst, better, best, and "perfect". I even stand on the tiles after they are set to prove my point. The only tiles that can pass inspection for mortar transference is "perfect". Which would you rather have on your installations???? " .. What do you think about his opinion on the U vs. square trowels

[@SalDiBlasi]

Hi Orlando, I have not seen the test he is talking about, so I can't really speak to that. Personally I don't use u notched trowels, but I do back butter almost every tile I install, also the consistency of the thinset will affect coverage, if the thinset is too stiff it will be difficult to colapse the ridges. The size of the trowel is also important and must be appropriate to the size and kind of tile including how deep the pattern on the back of the tile is. Another important thing to remember is that thinset should be spread so that all the lines go in one direction, having swirls will trap air, but you kniw all this anyway. Post a link to the test on FB so I can see it, then I will give you my thoughts, for what they may be worth.

[@SuperKaloyan]

Bravo!!

[@chicofun4779]

Thanks again for your videos and Ideas. I grouted part of my shower yesterday, I used Mapei Ultra Color Plus FA and what a waste of money and time, it dried too fast, I used half of the bag and it was dried in less than 20 minutes in the bucket, the color was not the same in all areas and it shrunk below the flush line with the tile. I followed all the instructions for mixing and applying. I bought this one because I couldn't find the one you recommended here in Miami and it said it didn't need sealing. At the end I just removed it and now I'll buy other brand more friendly to use even if I have to seal it at the end. Do you recommend any brand? thanks

[@SalDiBlasi]

Try tec Power Grout.

[@goosebahr]

Sal, from what I understand Carrara Marble contains iron deposits that may cause rust stains. Do you do any sealing on these tiles?

[@SalDiBlasi]

Yes that is a possibility, usually happens more with lower quality material.

[@radekkrysztofiak2776]

Great video. Thanks. Quick question though. Wouldn't you want to install the wall base trim after you tile the floor?

[@SalDiBlasi]

Yes, I have that argument with the GC all the time, so I leave a soft joint where the tile meets the base.

[@Spiderman50505]

I really wished you lived in Australia 🇦🇺

[@SalDiBlasi]

I did a long time ago.

[@Spiderman50505]

Sal DiBlasi.....come back!. Can't get a tiler anywhere, they're the busiest tradies in the country, and on about $100 per hour!.

[@SalDiBlasi]

@@Spiderman50505 Maybe I will. 😁

[@tilebyrobwalker]

Sal..sorry I cant read your full reply. But yes 5 spot is what we do on carerra.

[@SalDiBlasi]

I lot of installers use that method, makes it a lot easier to make the wall flat, I just don't like to have all those voids behind the tile so I always try to get full coverage.

[@tilebyrobwalker]

Understand. We have a major problem with builders wanting to go cheap. And the system trickles down causing us tile guys..and all trades for that matter ..to be unconcerned. Do you see that in your area? We do high end homes on the beach here..marble..glass..travertine, etc. But were being underpriced by amateurs..which causes big problems.

[@SalDiBlasi]

Sad to hear that, I know what it takes to put food on the table fortunatly these days I realy don't have that problem, I actually stopped doing work for a builder that always wanted to cut corners. I got tiered of arguing about how it should be done, fortunately I have plenty of work and don't need to. There are lot of installers around here that just don't know any better, which is just as bad. For my part I always try to do it right, or not at all.

[@sharontender3476]

Amazing!!