Shower floors are one of the most popular uses of our gorgeous Pebble Tile. All our tile selections are completely suited for shower and bathroom floors.
People who use pebble tile flooring love the light, massage like feel of the pebbles on their bare feet!
Following the easy instructions below will allow anyone to completely renew the look of an outdated shower with pebble tile.
To see pictures of some beautiful shower installations all done by our customers go to our: Pebble Tile Shower Gallery
Pebble Tile Shower Installation Steps
1 ) Mask the Drain and Edges. Use easily removed painter’s tape to give protection to the drain before starting the tile work. Also place tape around the shower stall just above the height of where the tile will sit to offer protection to the shower surround.
2) Apply the Thinset. Start in a back corner of the shower and spread thinset on the shower floor with the flat edge of a .25″ x .25″ square-notched spade. Then use the nicked edge of the spade to form ridges in the material holding the spade at roughly a 45-degree angle. Cover an area identical to about 3 sheets of the pebble tile.
3) Set the 1st Pebble Tile Sheet. Press the 1st sheet of pebble tile into the thinset, butting the sheet as near as feasible to the walls. Apply a little pressure to the sheet of tiles to settle it in the thinset.
4) Continue Tiling. Continue to spread thinset and add sheets of tile to the floor, aligning the sheets to interlock. Mix thinset as needed. If there is not room for a full sheet, remove stones as needed from the sheet and put aside, then trim the mesh backing with a knife or scissors and set the leftover portion of the sheet as usual. Also use this method to set the tile around the drain. Optionally for a perfectly straight look a wet tile saw can be used to easily cut the pebbles. It helps to turn the sheet upside down during this process.
5) Tap the Pebble Tile in Place. On top of the tile, place a straight, flat board that covers many tiles and carefully tap it with a mallet to thoroughly set the tile and make sure the pebbles are all at the same height.
6) Seal the Pebble Tile. Natural stone pebble tiles must be sealed before grouting. Check the instructions of your selected sealer and be certain to seal the pebble tile before grouting to make grout removal easier in step 8.
7) Apply the Grout. Spread grout across the tile employing a grout float. Hold the float at a 45-degree angle, working the grout into the areas between the stones.
8) Clean the Tile. Taking care not to drag grout up from between the pebbles, wipe away the haze with a wet sponge. Wash the sponge frequently to keep it clean. Let the grout cure completely according to the package instructions. Employ a clean material to wipe any remaining haziness from the surface of the pebbles.
9) Seal the pebbles and grout. It is important to re-seal the pebbles along with the grout to prevent against mildew and stains. This will also ensure easy cleaning of the pebble tile for years to come with any mild household detergent. For the best results, implement the instructions for the explicit sealer used.
Click to see all our different colors and styles of pebble tile!
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- Beautiful White Pebble Tile Shower
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- Dark Ocean Pebble Tile Shower Flooring
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- Green Pebble Tile Shower Floor
See More Pictures in our Pebble Tile Shower Gallery!
That pebble tile looks great on those shower floors
I love the look of the pebble tiles on the shower floor, but I do not know anyone who has them. I was wondering how they would feel on the feet. I am afraid they would be like walking on pebbles, and not be comfortable in the shower. Would like some feed back on people who do have them in their shower.
Pebble Tile feels GREAT on bare feet! The stones are even enough that they are very comfortable to walk on but the texture of the surface is like getting a massage on your feet every time you take a shower. If you are considering our product but arent sure about the feel the thing to do is order a sample piece from us. Whenever someone orders a sample we always include a free “extra” piece so that you can interlock them together and walk on them etc.
How do you clean the pebbles once they have been installed on the floor of the shower and the grout has been sealed?
It seems that a certain amount of residue from soap, shampoo etc would collect?
Donna,
When installing our tile a sealer is applies. The role of that sealer is to prevent the buildup of hard water spots, shampoo, soap scum and mold. Once properly sealed our tile can be cleaned easily with a sponge and any mild household detergent.
What type/brand of sealer is recommended to give a shinny wet look to the shower floor? Thanks
Chip,
We recommend sealers from DuPont. You should use a high gloss stone sealer & enhancer available at most Lowes or Home Depot type stores.
Can I use the pebble tiles over existing tile on the shower floor? Won’t that cause a problem when they’re higher than the drain?
Mary,
You can definitely install our product directly over your existing tile. You will need to raise the drain to the level of the new tile. This can be accomplished with a drain adapter kit available at most hardware stores.
If you have any further questions be sure to let us know!
Is any special additive required to the grout because of some of the large gaps? I was told a latex mix is good practice..but not sure. Thanks!
Dario,
Almost any regular sanded grout will work fine. There is a broad selection available at most hardware stores.
Thanks!
Definitely DO seal the stones first. Definitely DO mask off the drain first. The grout makes a mess of things if you do not (learned the hard way…). Also, consider grouting by hand between the stones to avoid HUGE amounts of excess grout over the stones. They look better with a bit less grout. Excellent on the feet.
Should you use sanded or non-sanded grout on the pebble tile?
Margaret,
For most of our products a sanded grout is desirable. For our Mini Pebble tile you may want to use a non-sanded grout depending on the application.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I am beginning to pebble my existing brick fireplace. Should I mud or still stick with thin set? Was thinking about mudding brick flat and then going from there instead of installing a backer-board.
Any suggestions? Am I way off to begin to attempt this myself? I’ve done a fair amount of tile work and have installed a river rock fireplace before using wire backing…didn’t work well, gave up on it and just slowly mudded the rock into place. I want to choose the best method FIRST this time and stick with it to a gorgeous finish. You’re suggestions are very welcome.
Janene,
I think it would be best to proceed with a normal thin set. Be sure to apply enough to level out the spaces between the bricks before attaching the stone tile to it. Take a look at our installation instructions.
If you have any further questions please post them here or call us at 800-807-1549!