Red wedges

I use these to adjust tile during the installation. I use these to bevel shelves so water runs off. These are a must have for any tile installation on a wall.

Hydroban

This is what I like to use to waterproof my showers (including the pan) and tub surrounds. It is the highest quality and if your joints and corners have a gap of an 1/8 inch or less, you don’t need to use a fabric or even mesh tape. I still like to use a mesh tape, but it is only to stop the membrane from dripping down the walls.

It gives the hydroban something to grab on to in the gaps. A tub surround needs around 1.5 gallons and a shower needs around 3 gallons. This is applying 3 coats.

Hydroban- 5 gallon

This is what I like to use to waterproof my showers (including the pan) and tub surrounds. It is the highest quality and if your joints and corners have a gap of an 1/8 inch or less, you don’t need to use a fabric or even mesh tape. I still like to use a mesh tape, but it is only to stop the membrane from dripping down the walls.

It gives the hydroban something to grab on to in the gaps. A tub surround needs around 1.5 gallons and a shower needs around 3 gallons. This is applying 3 coats.

Hydro Barrier – 1 gallon

This is the cousin to hydroban. It is still a great product, but you will need to use a fabric to cover all of the joints. It is cheaper than hydroban but a little more work is involved.

A tub surround needs around 1.5 gallons and a shower needs around 3 gallons. This is applying 3 coats.

Hydro Barrier – 3.5 gallons

This is the cousin to hydroban. It is still a great product, but you will need to use a fabric to cover all of the joints. It is cheaper than hydroban but a little more work is involved.

A tub surround needs around 1.5 gallons and a shower needs around 3 gallons. This is applying 3 coats.

Laticrete Waterproofing Membrane Fabric

This is the fabric you will need if using Hydro Barrier for you waterproofing membrane. It is installed in all the corners and the joints. You install this by applying the membrane to the wall, then embed the fabric into the membrane and then paint over the top of the fabric with the membrane.

1/8 inch Horseshoe spacers

These are the black spacers that I use in my videos. They are well worth their weight in gold. They are high quality and are made of a hard plastic.

Progress Tile leveling

These are re usable These are the caps that you will need to get with the leveling system. These are sold in quantities of 50. You could get by with only one bag of these if you are working on something like a small bathroom floor, a custom shower and a tub surround.

If you run out than you stop your installation and start again the next day. However, If you are working on a larger floor or if you are installing a tile plank, you might want to consider 2 bags.

Stem removal tool

This is what removes the stem from the blue cap after it’s been used. It attaches to a drill and it screws out the stem quickly. I would definitely buy one of these but you could do it by hand, it will just take forever and a day.

T – leveling spacers (for an 1/8 inch grout joint)

This is the spacer you would use if you were installing a brick pattern or any type of staggered pattern in your tile. They have a T shape to them. You would also use these if you were installing a tile plank.

Note- You are also going to need a linear style spacer **Typically 1 bag per 100 square feet plus a 1/4 to 1/2 of a bag of the linear spacers 

Linear leveling spacers (for an 1/8 of an inch grout joint)

This is what you would use in a joint next to a wall. These can be used anywhere but they are meant for a joint that doesn’t have another intersecting joint.

Note- you would use between a 1/4 to 1/2 of a bag every 100 sq ft. 

Cross tile leveling spacer (for an 1/8 of an inch grout joint)

These are used for tile installations being installed in a standard pattern. That means 4 corners come together at an intersection.

note – you would need 1 bag per 100 sq ft You would also need a 1/4 to a 1/2 of a bag of the linear spacers per 100 sq ft

Trowel Handle

You might have noticed the trowel I use in some of my videos. It has a removable handle that can be attached to a different trowel. I love using this trowel and have been for years.

There are several trowel blades to choose from and given that you will need a few different notch sizes for your tile installation, this is really a great option to choose. This handle is the one I like best. It feels really good in the hand and I feel like I get the best control with it.

1/8 X 1/8 X 1/8  Square notch trowel blade

This is the size notch I use when installing Ditra. I also use this notch for most of my sheets of mosaics, such as glass and stone. If you are not sure what to use just ask me.

3/16 X 3/16 X 3/16 Square notch trowel

I use this when installing ditra. I also use this trowel quite often for shower floor tile like thinner 2×2’s. I use this notch for a lot of my 3 x 6 subway style tile. For some mosaics.

1/4 X 1/4 X 1/4 Square notch trowel

I use this when installing ditra heat matt. I also use it for installing ditra xl. I use this notch when installing some thinner wall and floor tile. when I say that I mean like a 1/4 thick and also 12 x 12 and smaller. I use it with pebbles on a shower floor and thicker 2 x 2’s

It’s sometimes hard to judge what trowel is right for your tile without testing it to be sure that full coverage is being achieved. The only danger in using a notch that is too big, is thin set squirting out the joints. The danger of a notch not being big enough, is poor coverage and cracked tile.

3/8 X 1/4 X 1/4  Square notch trowel

This is my bread and butter trowel. I use this notch for all my main field tile. Sizes 12 X 12 and up. I do occasionally use a really big notch like a 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 square notch, but not often. This trowel is plenty big for almost all your needs.

Flat Trowel for filling dips, back buttering and smoothing

I use this trowel a lot for filling low spots on floors and walls. I use it for back buttering tile or for putting a flat layer of thinset on a wall or floor before installing the tile.

DeWalt Tile Saw

This is by far the best tile saw I have ever owned. It is a work horse. This saw does mitre cuts, plunge cuts and straight cuts. The water system is designed well so you get plenty of water to the saw and not everywhere else. I use this saw indoors and I set it up on some carpet pad and that’s it. It cuts tile fast and accurate.

Sigma 26 inch Tile Cutter

This Tile will cut any tile that is 26 inches in length or less. It is a great cutter for 12 X 24 tile All of the Sigma tile cutters are outstanding and in my opinion the easiest to use! Great cutter for a DIY for it’s ease of use. Most cutters require a delicate touch that needs to be learned before it will cut correctly. Not these cutters!!!

The wheel has a spring in it so there is no guess work in how hard to press down and the handle is meant to give it a good whack to break cleanly even the hardest of porcelains.

Sigma 14 inch Tile cutter

This cutter would work great for any tile 14 inches and less. Perfect for 13 x 13 and 12 x 12 while it is also good for smaller tile like 2 x 2 or 3 x 6. All of the Sigma tile cutters are outstanding and in my opinion the easiest to use! Great cutter for a DIY for it’s ease of use. Most cutters require a delicate touch that needs to be learned before it will cut correctly. Not these cutters!!!

The wheel has a spring in it so there is no guess work in how hard to press down and the handle is meant to give it a good whack to break cleanly even the hardest of porcelains.

Sigma 37 inch Tile cutter

This is one big tile cutter! This would be used with those long tile planks 37 inches or less. Trust me when I tell you that this tile cutter is a must have when installing tile plank in a large area. The long planks are very hard to cut with any type of wetsaw and good luck on getting it to fit on there. The only other alternative is to use an angle grinder. It’s a mess. You will be able to cut your planks easily with this cutter. All of the Sigma tile cutters are outstanding and in my opinion the easiest to use! Great cutter for a DIY for it’s ease of use. Most cutters require a delicate touch that needs to be learned before it will cut correctly.

Not these cutters!!! The wheel has a spring in it so there is no guess work in how hard to press down and the handle is meant to give it a good whack to break cleanly even the hardest of porcelains.

Diamond blade for grinder

I have used many brands of diamond wheels for cutting tile. This one made by dewalt is the best one I have found to work. It lasts a long time and cuts through any porcelain tile.

Rubbing stone

This is what you will use to rub on the edge of the tile to sand down chips and sharp edges. This is a must have on any tile installation!!

Dressing stone

This is used to clean  your tile saw blade and your grinder blade. After 5 to 10 cuts with your saw you cut into this dressing stone and it cleans the blade to make it new again. It will help your blade make clean cuts again and prevent chipping from a dull blade.

Kerdi Built in Shampoo shelf

This is what I use for all my built in shelves in my showers. What I like best about them is that they are quick, easy to install, 100% water proof and they are perfectly square(which means they will be level and everything will be easy to measure). I have videos inside Tile University that show how to install built in shelves from installing the shell to tiling the entire shelf.  

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