If you're talking about a piece of stone, I'd say okay-- so long as it's granite, and preferrably 3 cm (1 1/4" thick). I would NOT even consider using a ceramic corner shelf, and with reference to the stone shelf, yes-- butter the back edges with thinset and "splooge" it in place (technical term), and clean off the excess. I wouldn't even worry about canting it (although you can if you wish), being that the water has no place to go to cause problems. being that the stone would be open from both the face and the bottom, any water getting into the stone would evaporate rather quickly, and the Kerdi would make sure it didn't go anywhere in the wall.

Okeee, well I guess that cancels out using the 1/2" crema marfil tiles I have. I have to get curb toppers and the niche shelf anyway, so I will just add that onto the list at the stone place.

My goal is not to use too many different materials as I already have a few different things in there (the pebbles, slate, ceramic); the counter is crema, so I am doing the tub deck, curb tops, all the same.

Do you recommend not using the marble? as opposed to getting a true granite?

I suppose you could use marble, but I'd still recommend nothing less than 3 cm, especially with something as brittle as crema marfil. The last thing you want to do is be in the shower, with the floor wet, and your weight on that stone, and it cracks. That could get serious real easily.

Thanks Bill, I appreciate your knowledge of the materials- I can find a light colored granite or I may consider the better bench... tune in soon- gee, I can't wait till I am done stressing over these silly decisions.

Oh, by the way, I got some ditraset thinset after using some of Custom's thinset and the versabond- good golly it was like butter, or whipped cream- what a great product! It was so smooth, went on the wall and the Kerdi so nicely, less arm fatigue troweling; wow.

Better bench would be my recommendation. Then it's literally bolted to the wall, and not going anywhere.

One other thing I might recommend-- I forget who it was, but one of the other pros over at John BRidge's forum did this for his wife-- the same company that makes the Better bench (Innovis) also makes preformed niches. They have one that's about 4x6, and he set that into the wall about 16" off the shower floor, so that she'd have some place to put her foot up to shave her legs, and not take space up with any kind of bench. I thought that was a terrific idea!

Just a thought. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out Rec 46

I'm not Bill, and thus no technical expert. But my tile guy installed a footrest in my shower by cutting a triangular piece of marble salvaged from a section used for the window and door sills, and tiling it with the rest of the project. Here is a picture:

It has been in daily use for 3 years, no problems so far. Hope this helps.

Ann

pepperidge farm, what did you end up doing for your footrest? I need to decide what to do as well. I'm now trying to decide between building something in or a teak bench, but since we will have a shower pan instead of a tile floor I want to make sure the teak bench won't ruin the pan....so was thinking the small footrest shelf might work.

cgarr- now that's timing- I just installed the shelf/footrest last night!
I will post a pic later today, after we grout the final walls!

I bought all the stone pieces from a local shop. Incredibly reasonable, all the pieces were to my precise specification, with the edges I wanted. It was I think 7" 1/4 round, in the Crema Marfil 3/4" thick. Once again, I practically forget to put it in when we were tiling (I did that on the last bathroom). As you will see in the pic later, I notched out the tiles below, rather than above that I often see, so the look would be more fluid. Ultimately the piece will be secured by the tiles above and below when I put my foot on it. There is thinset behind it, but that is not where the piece really gets strength.

Here is the pic, as we just finished placing the pebbles...

{{gwi:1390310}}

I did pitch the shelf in the end, just because I didn't want the water pooling there, we have well water, it will discolor anything it can sit on long enough.

The height is just right, and I am very tall, but it should be OK for anyone, about a foot off the floor.

The piece feels very solid, it is tiled in such that it can not come out unless you removed the tile. When you put weight on it, there is actually a rotational force on the piece, so it is the upper tiles in the back, and the bottom tiles at the front of the shelf that secure it.

Pepperidge_farm,

You cannot tease us with just one picture! I'd love to see more of your floor- I am quite intrigued1! Shower looks very pretty!

Thanks- I am very excited to post some photos- we will have a huge chunk done this week, and I will post then. Just got the toilet in last night!!!

Grasshoppah... to truly find your centah, you must practice standing on one foot... do not be tempted by the footrest... LOL!

Seriously, since the focus of this thread is the mechanical strength of the attachment method, why not just have two little support wedges underneath? They'd be out sight, until cleaning time.

OR... if you're really skilled with the wet-saw, just have a single larger support wedge/gusset/buttress coming out at 45 degrees from the corner? Again, you wouldn't see it.

I gather that Bill V's specifying a much thicker piece is to achieve greater surface area for adhesion, since the extra stone weight is trivial compared to the weight of a person.

I think Bill (if I understood correctly) was concerned about the material I was using, that it would be prone to cracking as it is fragile (the Crema Marfil). I totally punted on this one, mostly because I forgot he said 5/4" when I went to order it :((

It is nice and thick, and sturdy. I TRULY believe that it is well supported by the tiles that it sits on. I have NO intention (at this point in time) to put my full weight on it, it is really a "rest" so I can shave, not a step! It's our private bath, so nobody else should need to use it! I did try to find a piece of marble to match, but there really weren't any scraps that would go with everything, including my busy floor.

I will update if tragedy strikes!