Designing Fully Functional Tile Coverings for the North American Bathroom

By Peter Nielsen
As appeared in The Profile

The tiled bathroom will always hold a position of preeminence in the long, romantic history of ceramic tile, and the reason is obvious. Tile is durable, easy to maintain, and affordable. Thanks to modern advances in tile manufacturing processes, tile is also available in a vast selection of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors.

From a designer’s perspective, a truly successful bathroom must be maintenance-free, hygienically effectual, and true and pleasing to the eye. It is simply not reasonable to think that the ceramic tile can produce all of these effects single-handedly. Only a system of components is capable of this. The basic building blocks of a viable system include waterproofing, movement joints that resist mold and bacteria growth, and trim and transition pieces.

Incorporating Schluter movement and trim profiles into the design of a bathroom not only enhances the aesthetic qualities of the installation, but also greatly enhances the utility of the installation. Consider a simple baseboard application. If wood baseboards are used, cleaning water or debris can penetrate the inside corners. In a short time, mold and bacteria will begin to grow at the junction where the floor tile and wood baseboard meet. The same is true of vinyl cove base. However, vinyl not only provides an inadequate barrier to the penetration of surface water, vinyl is out of step with the natural beauty and elegance of ceramic tile. Used in conjunction with each other, Schluter-DILEX-EKE and Schluter-RONDEC allow the designer to produce a cost-effective, fully functional tile baseboard that is true and pleasing to the eye ¾ cost effective because the base tiles can now be fabricated out of the field tile.

Finally, transitions to other floor coverings must be considered. These transitions can be executed using floor transition profiles, which are available in a wide variety of materials and finishes. For stepless transitions, Schluter-RENO-TK provides a clean transition from tiled floors to adjacent floor coverings such as carpet, VCT, etc. RENO-TK protects the edge of the tile while hiding and protecting the cut edge of adjoining surface coverings. In addition, Schluter-RENO-TK is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

State-of-the-art waterproofing and uncoupling membranes, movement profiles, transition profiles, trim profiles: these are the new "tools" of an ancient trade. Together, they fulfill the promise of timeless elegance and durability, the virtual character of ceramic tile. The designer’s creativity is no longer held back by lack of special ceramic trim pieces; rather, these new tools allow limitless design possibilities. Each product from Schluter-Systems speaks to the designer’s sense of quality and the homeowner’s demand for substance. Awareness and application of these tools provide the opportunity for the designer to produce tiled surfaces that are truly durable, maintenance-free, hygienically effectual, and true and pleasing to the eye. Incorporating these guiding principles into the design of every bathroom will be a non-negotiable prerequisite in the new millennium. Schluter-Systems has become the recognized world leader in ceramic tile and natural stone installation systems by leading the industry through innovation.

Unlike installations that are free from moisture penetration, each successful tiled bathroom relies upon waterproofing as its very foundation.

Unlike installations that are free from moisture penetration, each successful tiled bathroom relies upon waterproofing as its very foundation. If waterproofing is not provided, failure of the tile assembly and damage to the substructure are eminent. But there are other issues that go beyond the scope of simply waterproofing surfaces that are to receive tile, and they demand analysis. Let’s take a closer look.

In today’s building environment, most construction materials are prone to deformations due to fluctuations in moisture, temperature, and loading. Since ceramic tiles are rigid, brittle materials, they have a limited ability to withstand the resultant compressive, tensile, and shear stresses and are, therefore, prone to cracking and de-bonding. For this reason, a waterproofing membrane must perform the additional function of uncoupling the tile covering from the substrate, so that the tile is isolated from these inherent stresses.

With this in mind, it is essential that Schluter-DITRA be installed as the underlayment in the construction of bathroom floors. Schluter-DITRA functions as a waterproofing membrane in applications not exposed to constant water pressure. In addition, its unique dovetail design creates free-space beneath the installation to accommodate moisture occurring at the underside of the substrate. DITRA also uncouples the floor covering from the substrate and prevents the transfer of stresses to the tiled surface.

For tub surrounds and shower walls, Schluter-KERDI is the preferred membrane. KERDI is the most user-friendly, sheet-applied waterproofing membrane in the industry. Because it is so thin and lightweight, it hangs as easily as wallpaper. Additionally, Schluter-KERDI can be applied directly over common drywall to produce a watertight installation superior to that produced using cement backer units (CBU’s). This is significant when one considers that 60 square feet ¾ the size of a typical tub surround ¾ of Schluter-KERDI weighs only 3 lbs. By comparison, a ½-inch-thick CBU weighs 3 lbs. per square foot! Moreover, there is no possibility of scratching expensive bathroom fixtures with Schluter-KERDI.

Unlike installations that are free from moisture penetration, each successful tiled bathroom relies upon waterproofing as its very foundation.

Other areas that require analysis include the margins of the tile assembly. These include places where the tile assembly changes plane, where it abuts fixtures and building elements, and where it transitions to other surfacing materials. Traditionally, these areas have been treated using grout or caulking.

Grout, however, is brittle and will eventually crack at inside corners, leaving a gap that is visually unappealing and unsanitary. Caulking produces the same negative outcomes, albeit for different reasons. Caulking has a memory, which means it will always try to maintain the shape in which it was applied, and it dries out over time. These properties will cause the caulking to detach, usually within the first 6 -12 months after installation, leaving a gap at inside corners. Caulking is also highly prone to bacteria and mold growth.

The Schluter-DILEX family of corner movement and joining profiles addresses the intrinsic weaknesses of traditional methods by combining specific materials and benefiting from the advantages of each. This is accomplished by co-extruding recycled-ridged PVC, which does not have a memory, with chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), a material that remains permanently flexible. Schluter-Systems adds bacteria and mold growth inhibitors to the CPE before it is extruded, rendering the designer the ability to produce an inside corner or junction joint that is fully functional and maintenance-free. In addition, CPE can be produced in different colors, making it easy for the designer to work with creative color schemes. By incorporating movement and joining profiles, the designer can design a bathroom that is totally free of caulking.

Schluter-RONDEC, a finishing and edge-protection profile for the outside corners of tiled surfaces, can create interesting accents in decorative designs.

The attention now turns to transition and trim pieces. Ironically, one of the spin-offs of modern tile manufacturing processes is that ceramic trim pieces are difficult to produce. If trim is available in a particular tile line, it often doesn’t match the field tile in color or size. Fortunately, this can be easily overcome. Extruded trim and transition profiles are available in a wide variety of materials, colors, surface finishes, and cross-sections to coordinate with tile and grout, making it possible to create interesting accents in decorative designs.

Schluter-RONDEC is a finishing and edge-protection profile for the outside corners of tiled surfaces. It is also ideal for transitions to painted and papered wall surfaces, as well as to tiled pullmans and vanity tops, or for trimming the top of tile bases. RONDEC is available in colored PVC, color-coated aluminum, anodized aluminum, chrome-plated brass, and rolled stainless steel. This diversity allows the designer greater flexibility. For example, on a high-end project, the designer now has the option to specify a chrome-plated solid brass profile with which to match the aesthetics and quality of high-end bathroom fixtures. In addition, the RONDEC line comes with matching inside and outside corner pieces for producing graceful corners.

Schluter-DILEX-EKE and Schluter-RONDEC allow the designer to produce a cost-effective, fully functional tile baseboard.

Incorporating Schluter movement and trim profiles into the design of a bathroom not only enhances the aesthetic qualities of the installation, but also greatly enhances the utility of the installation. Consider a simple baseboard application. If wood baseboards are used, cleaning water or debris can penetrate the inside corners. In a short time, mold and bacteria will begin to grow at the junction where the floor tile and wood baseboard meet. The same is true of vinyl cove base. However, vinyl not only provides an inadequate barrier to the penetration of surface water, vinyl is out of step with the natural beauty and elegance of ceramic tile.

Used in conjunction with each other, Schluter-DILEX-EKE and Schluter-RONDEC allow the designer to produce a cost-effective, fully functional tile baseboard that is true and pleasing to the eye ¾ cost effective because the base tiles can now be fabricated out of the field tile.

Finally, transitions to other floor coverings must be considered. These transitions can be executed using floor transition profiles, which are available in a wide variety of materials and finishes. For stepless transitions, Schluter-RENO-TK provides a clean transition from tiled floors to adjacent floor coverings such as carpet, VCT, etc. RENO-TK protects the edge of the tile while hiding and protecting the cut edge of adjoining surface coverings. In addition, Schluter-RENO-TK is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

State-of-the-art waterproofing and uncoupling membranes, movement profiles, transition profiles, trim profiles: these are the new "tools" of an ancient trade. Together, they fulfill the promise of timeless elegance and durability, the virtual character of ceramic tile. The designer’s creativity is no longer held back by lack of special ceramic trim pieces; rather, these new tools allow limitless design possibilities. Each product from Schluter-Systems speaks to the designer’s sense of quality and the homeowner’s demand for substance. Awareness and application of these tools provide the opportunity for the designer to produce tiled surfaces that are truly durable, maintenance-free, hygienically effectual, and true and pleasing to the eye. Incorporating these guiding principles into the design of every bathroom will be a non-negotiable prerequisite in the new millennium.

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