Applying Glazed Wall Tile in the Bathroom

Project: Manhattan Remodel and Cape Cod Affordable, Episode 15, Part 1



Bob is at the Manhattan Brownstone, where work is underway in the bathroom to hang wall tile and set up the pedestal sink. Bob meets Rob Shedrofsky of Davinci Stone, suppliers of the Porcelanosa glazed clay tile that is being applied to the walls. This Subway tile gives a sleek, urban look to the bathroom. Permanent pipe fittings are put in place, and the anchors are marked and set in the wall before Mario Taormina from N. Pagano Plumbing installs the Toto pedestal sink and faucet. The faucet, handles, drain, spindles and diverter are attached, and a code-specified P-trap is set in place to carry waste water from the sink and prevent sewer-gas backup. Bob then visits a $3.5 million Minton tile restoration at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. The 49 original tile panels were deteriorating structurally and had to be removed in the 1980s. These panels are comprised of 16,000 individual tiles. They will be restored, backed with stainless steel, and returned to their original spot on the vaulted brick ceilings under the terrace.
Part 1: Applying Glazed Wall Tile in the Bathroom
Rob Shedrofsky from Davinci Stone explains the tiling process to Bob as the Porcelanosa wall tile is installed in the bathroom. A glazed clay tile is being used on the wall, while the floor will be done in a porcelain tile that is super strong and only 3/8 inch thick. The wall tile is a Subway design, replicating the look of the New York Subway on a larger format. Shedrofsky explains how the datum line is used to create a tile layout that is centered from top to bottom and side to side for a pleasing look. The tiles are applied to the wall with an petroleum-based mastic and a 1/4-inch notch trowel. The mastic is less expensive than thinset, sets up quicky, and prevents sagging or dipping tiles. The tiles have an 1/8-inch joint that is held by spacers for 24 hours while the job cures. After 24 hours, the spacers are removed and an unsanded white grout is applied to blend the seams into the tile and give a sleek, urban appearance.
Part 2: Installing a Pedestal Sink
Part 3: Minton Tile Repair in New York's Central Park
This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.

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