I love working with tumbled stone and I think you are going to love working with it too! The fact that it's so imperfect it really allows for you to use your creativity.



The only think that makes me question whether or not you would want to use a tumbled stone in a shower has more to do with the fact that when it's tumbled quite often it has a great deal of pock marks. The reason why I bring this up is the fact that I actually used honed travertine on my bathroom floor in my home and only grouted the grout lines. After a few months I found it increasingly difficult to keep the stone looking clean as all of tiny holes had started to collect dirt and because it was stone I couldn't use my normal cleansers to clean it out. So when I think of doing this kind of stone in a shower I worry that it will collect a great deal of mold in all of these little "nooks and crannies" and in the end you will end up constantly having to clean the stone to make it stay looking clean.



If you are dead set on using tumbled travertine then I do reccommend your getting a special kind of sealer for it. I used one on a bar area where I put tumbled travertine (I think it was an oil based sealant). You will need to go to a specialty stone store to get it as the big stores typically don't carry anything close to this strong. I worn you though that it does stink to high heck and you don't want to put it on any surfaces where you might place food or a child or pet might lay. (One tip to get rid of the odor is to use a very neutral incense to take the odor out.) After I used it any moisture that got on the stone or grout literally bubbled up like oil and water. It was great especially considering how porous travertine can be and how much it likes absorbing the colors or anything you put on it.



Now back to you original question on how to put in a tumbled stone wall. I don't know if you've ever done any kind of stone or tile work before but for me I much prefer working from a place of having already cut all of the pieces, laid them all out and then putting them in with the adhesive. Which is very easy to do on a floor or a countertop but when it comes to working on a wall, it can be a bit tricky. So what I do is take a roll of contruction paper (you can pick this up at your local home improvement center...its typically used to cover floors while working or moving things) and cut enough pieces and tape them together to fit exactly the size and shape of the area you are going to work on. Now you have a template to work from and you have the ability to get as creative as you want to! That's the hardest part when you're laying it, you're on a time crunch because you feel like the adhesive will dry up on you too quickly so you don't tend to take the time to really think it through.



So go ahead and lay out all of the pieces and see what you like best, see what fits and don't forget to use the same spacers you plan on using when you lay the tile. You may end up going with a regular square pattern but before you settle on that, have a blast and try it all different ways (subway tile, on a bias, with a medallion in the middle). This is what's really going to make your bathroom feel like it's really yours in the end so don't worry if you end up taking your time. (You may choose to rent a wet tile saw for this. I know I did and it was totally worth the $50 daily rental fee. Most home improvement centers rent them though you may need to reserve it in advance.)



As for how to lay it, due to gravity you will need to start from the bottom which is why if you've already laid everything out you can still come out with something special. You may want to use some blue tape between the tiles to keep them aligned while drying if you are having trouble keeping them steady. Again there's no shame in using spacers. They really are your best friend in this kind of process. Also, make sure you check into the type of adhesive you'll need. I know that I needed a specific one when I did all of my travertine work because of the fact that stone is porous and will tend to have the color of the adhesive bleed through into your stone. I know it's either Thinset or Mastic but I can't remember which one. Just make sure you read the side of the bag and ask someone very knowledgeable for help on this.



Also, I can't stress enough using gloves with these adhesives. They have lye in them and while the lye is not good for you to have on your skin, you will be shocked at how just touching the stuff with your hands once will make them feel incredibly dry. So gloves, long sleeve shirts (if possible) and pants are actually a really good idea when working with this stuff. You will also want to use a really strong hand cream on your hands that night to help keep from getting construction "man hands".



Hope this helps! Please make sure you take pictures (before, during and after) so that you can show them off to everyone here at the Be Jane community! Besides, your story just might inspire another woman who didn't think she could do it to take on the same project herself. Hugs 'n hammers, Heidi

Have you already finished your tile project?

when you start to notice that the water doesn't bead up on the surface anymore, reapply the sealer. also i would recommend a product called mrs meyers shower cleaner, or just the all purpose cleaner diluted in a spray bottle.(you can buy this online) It is an all natural product that contains no acidity and is great for stone tile. it has no chemicals, therefore it doesn't break down solvent or water based sealers.. which can happen over time if you are not careful. I have been in the tile business for many years, and this is the best cleaner i have come across. i'm glad you tackled the tile job. once you've done a shower... anything compared to that will be easy. go tackle that kitchen backsplash!