Can You Tile an RV Shower? (How-to Guide + Helpful Tips)
Tile can improve any bathroom including your RV’s restroom. It gives Your RV a classy look without breaking the bank. Plus, tile is durable and strong, keeping your bathroom in top shape for many years.
Can You Tile an RV Shower? Yes, it is possible to tile your RV bathroom. Plus, it is possible to do the job without adding a lot of extra weight to your RV. You will need to remove the existing shower wall to do the job right.
To get helpful tips and guidelines on how to do this job right, just keep reading our article. It is filled with the information you need to make sure your tile task is done correctly.
Tile in RV Shower 101
Tip #1: The key to having your RV tile job last is to use the right grout. A flexible silicone grout bends with the RV and keeps the tile together better than concrete based grouts
Tip #2: tiling an RV shower is not the same as tiling the shower in your home. You need to make sure the tile in your RV shower is flexible and can withstand the vibrations and bumps that come with traveling
Ceramic Tile in RV Shower
It is possible to put ceramic tiles in your RV shower. The task is a little harder than doing tile in a regular home due to the space issues. Ceramic tile can replace old damaged shower interiors and can withstand years of travel and use.
The trick to using ceramic tile is to use flexible silicone rubber adhesive and silicone rubber grout. Sometimes you can find success with using standard grout and glues but it would depend on the amount of use and the roads you travel.
Tip #3: One way to keep your tile shower floor in top shape is not to drop anything heavy on top of it
Tile RV Shower Stall
Tile is fast becoming a go to shower surface in modern high end RVs. If you have the money, you can have a shower stall already tiled for you and ready to go once you agree to the purchase details.
If you want to do it yourself, you will need a little patience, measure carefully and make sure you have a ceramic tile cutter on hand to fit those unique shapes. Plus, you will need a little time as tile work is not a job that can be done quickly, especially if you want to install a pattern.
Improving the look and durability on your RV’s shower is a good thing. You get to enjoy something better than the standard manufactured fiberglass style and coloring.
Tip #4: To do a ceramic tile job right, you will need a solid backing. This backing keeps the tile supported while protecting them from vibrations and other traveling issues.
How to Tile RV Shower
As we said, it will take you a little time to tile your RV’s shower. One day may not be enough, so make sure you have plenty of time and patience to do the job correctly. Here are the steps you need to follow to do the job right. These steps will vary depending on design, size,shape of your RV’s shower:
Remove the existing wall surrounding your shower first
Next, install a flexible yet stable backing board. This backing board needs to be strong yet lightweight. The brand names for this type of backing board are EZ board, Densheild or Wediboard and you should use 1/4 inch thick boards
Use 3/4 inch screws to attach the backing board to the 1 by 2 inch studs. If the boards do not meet n studs, use a good glue to hold them together. You will also need to use a good sealant on the inside corners
By now you should have selected the tile you want to use and you should start attaching it to the installed backing board. You want to use a flexible thinset and good brands to use are Tec Super Flex, Customs Flexbond or Megalite
Center the tiles on the back wall. This will leave you the biggest cuts on either side. If the cuts are less than half a tile move your tiles until the grout line is on center. Al;ways start with full tiles and go from the bottom to the top
For the side walls, start with full sized tiles on the ends. Work your way towards the back wall, leaving any cuts for that area.
Once you are done, you can trim out the tile using the bull nose tiles
After all the tile is set properly in place, you want to use modified grout that is easy to apply to vertical spaces. Silicone gout should be used in the corners and where the tiles meet the tub
When you are finished tiling and putting the grout back on, don’t forget to re-install fixtures, shower curtain and other parts you removed to do the job
The last job that needs to be done is the clean up. Let the grout and adhesive dry and set before using the shower
Tip #5: if you can’t find 1/4 inch backing board, it is okay to substitute it with 1/2 inch thick boards. You can use 1/4 inch bull nose tiles to help trim off the shower and make it look like a professional did the job.
Some Final Comments
Besides looking good, your newly tiled shower should look and feel great. The good news is that tiling can be done without adding a lot of weight or cutting down your fuel efficiency.
At best you are looking at adding between 75 and 130 pounds of weight. That isn’t a lot. But once the job is done, you can feel proud that you upgraded your RV and made it better without spending a lot of money.
They to doing a good job that will last is to use the right adhesive and the right grout. Because your RV bounces, vibrates and has other impacts, you want to make sure the adhesive and grout are flexible enough to handle the road wear and tear.
If you don’t, you may be looking at redoing a job you do not want to do again.
