Does the method of existing tile/stone installation affect whether or not a frameless shower enclosure, with no header, can be installed?
Absolutely! For frameless installations, the preferred method of tile/stone installation is referred to as “floating the walls”. This is accomplished by applying wire mesh and multiple layers of a cement product to the walls. Combined with the added wood sub-structure beneath the hinge locations, this method can support the weight of just about anything. When this type of tile/stone work is used the resulting thickness of the cement, thinset, and tile/stone is between 1″ and 1 1/4″ thick. Although this process is more costly, and requires more time than the alternative method listed below, it is far preferable. The other method of tile/stone installation uses products such as Hardiebacker and Wonderboard. These products are installed in the same fashion as drywall, but with different screws. The tile/stone is then attached to this surface with thinset. With these types of installations, CAFSD definitely recommends using a header. With either of these installation methods, the most impo
