Applying Barker tile to bathroom walls

I want to put Barker tile (Ceramalite)from floor
up four feet around my bathroom walls. The carpenter I have hired, wants to cut the Barkertile to fit against the edges of the baseboards and door/window casings instead of
putting it on first then putting the baseboards/door/window casings over at least one-half inch of the Barkertile. The Barkertile
is patterned to look like four inch tiles with
small grout lines slightly indented and is 4X8
sheets. Nothing being perfectly square even though
it has just been built, suggests to me that if he
does this job as he suggests, he may find a piece
of the cut Barkertile resting completely on that section of baseboard but either trying to overlap
a door casing or be touching it at the bottom but
veering away from the casing as it climbs the four foot stretch up the side of the casing. The carpenter's point is: The Barkertile is going to be stopping midway or so beside the door/window casings and since it has a thickness of one-eighth
inch, it would be holding the casing away from the wall that thickness where the Barkertile stops.
I think this would work if he was to cut away from the back of the woodwork where the Barkertile will
be, a strip one-eighth inch deep by one-half inch wide for the edges of the Barkertile to fit into.
This should guarantee that there would be no
discrepencies in fitting and the woodwork and would also be supporting the Barkertile from comming loose of its cement at these points.
I have foot square ceramic tiles on the floor.
Since this is a new bathroom installed on the second storey level of my home, I had the plumber
put a drain in the middle of the room for water overflow immergency purpose. The man who laid the tile, first built up around the edge of the room, a foot and a half tapering in from the walls with
fast drying cement before he laid the tiles. The
thickness of cement is very little at its highest point by the wall, just enough to cause any water
overflow from flush etc., to flow toward the middle of the room's drain instead of going out the door or toward the walls of the room. Since
the thickness of cement may vary at points along
the baseboards, this is where I am concerned that
the baseboards may not set square as to the door casings.
The walls are gyproc, dry walling has been done
and the walls have been primed with sealer/primer paint plus two coats of latex satin (final paint)
on top of this.
Hopefully I have not missed any details, is there
any advice or further instructions you can give
me to completing this job of adding the Barker tile sheets to the bottom half of my bathroom walls.
Much appreciate your input, Clara G.

 

Clara G,

Since you hired the carpenter to do this project, is the carpenter good or bad? Do you trust their judgment or not?

Who pays the carpenter? I assume you said yourself. I would suggest doing it the way you want unless your carpenter can't. I however think that what the carpenter is suggesting is THE PREFERRED PRACTICE.

The process you mentioned about cutting a small slice at the back of casings is good but does the carpenter have the tools to do this on site?

NOTE: Normally, the wall treatments are set in place after all the casing is installed, then the base and cap trim is done after. Basically the panels are butting against the casing. Small bead of caulk and you have finished product.

It sounds like your plumber/tile people did a great job at planning for any disaster that could occur in an upper level bathroom.

Talk it over with your carpenter and you decide what you want.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for replying to my inquiry.
I discussed this with my carpenter since writing
to DIY. Yes, he has the tools to cut away the reqired eighth inch from back side of baseboards/door & window casings where he will be
allowing the Barker tile sheets a half inch if nesessary to fit in behind once the woodwork has been put on. He is going to cut all the woodwork
first, then remove the slice from back side of that part of the pieces that will be parallel
with the Barker tile. I will be applying the Varathane (three coats) while he's cementing
the Barker tile panels to the wall.
I hope to use as little Silicone II as possible, only where each sheet meets the previous
and in the room corners. There will be a vinyl strip edge moulding around the room at top edge of
the Barker tile. I really wanted to put Formica
on the walls lower four feet up from floor to
match the vanity counter top. I did this a dozen years ago in the laundry room. I discovered, when
inquiring about this, that there is no vinyl edging sold anymore that is thin enough to connect
the sheets of Formica. I was very disappointed and
it took me awhile to decide to go with the Barker tile (Cermalite) rather than have just painted walls. I thought of Barker tile as it was many years ago, white squares with black indented lines
that yellowed with age. I must say, they have improved on the 'old' Barker tile considerably
over the years. I still wouldn't take a chance on white though. Since all my fixtures is bone in colour (shower stall, vanity basin & lavratory),
I also bought the Barker tile in bone colour, its
lines are white which is fine, this should allow
the white bathroom/kitchen silicone to look as
though its just another line on the Barker tile
when finished.
Thanks again for replying. Clara G.