When installing porcelain tile on a shower floor, walls, and ceiling, what is the correct order? Floor first, then walls, and ceiling last?

Walls, ceiling, floor, walls, in that order. Walls twice? Yes, you start by dry laying a floor tile on the pan, measure up from that 1 grout joint, one wall tile and your 1/8" caulk joint. At that mark, draw a level line around the enclosure and tack a ledger at that line. You start installing your tile with the second row supported by and maintained level by the ledger you installed. Then go up to the top or stop at 1 last row before the ceiling. Install the ceiling and then cut in the last row of the walls to maintain a consistant 1/8" caulk joint at the ceiling.

Horizontal caulk joints are easier to do at the ceiling and easier to redo later on down the road but being very visible, you will need to make sure all your cuts are dead on. Cutting the ceiling into the walls is less in the line of sight so minor imperfections won't be as noticeable.

Once the floor is installed, install the bottom row of wall tile, cutting it into the floor tile as needed. At the floor/wall intersection, it's always best to have the caulk joint at the bottom in the plane of the wall to ensure it lasts longer as it won't be subjected to prolonged standing water.

Properly constructed, the setting bed of the sight built pan should be level all the way around but out of habit from doing regular floor/wall intersections and tub or preformed shower pans, since the floors/tubs, etc always seem to have a low point, that's why the bottom gets cut in last. Flat doesn't always mean level. It's good practice on your shower pan though to prevent all kinds of thinset from falling onto your floor tile. Just cover the floor with cardboard when you grout.

If you would like a bench, I can't praise "better bench" enough. Shower Benches and Shelves - Better-Bench, Better Bench Adjustable Unit, Recess-It by Innovis Corporation and you can check their dealer link. Some will wrap the liner up and over a bench and then apply cement board over that but you cannot fasten through a liner and then expect it to still be waterproof.

You do have a presloped bed, then the liner and then the setting bed? Curb constructed using lath and mortar, not cement board? Moisture barrier behind the cement baord walls?

Another thing, mastic is a poor choice for wet areas. Thinset, mixed from a bag, is what you want to use in the shower. "Premixed thinset" from a bucket is just sanded mastic. Laticrete 255 and Tec 3n1 are great non sag thinsets, giving you the non sag and grip you get with mastic, but being portland cement based, they'll never be affected by water. Mastic on the other hand, is water based, will re-emulsify when exposed to prolonged water and won't have the longetivity you'll want in your shower. Those two thinsets work like a charm on the ceiling too.

Thanks Bljack. My shower has curved walls (two) with one end open (no door or curb). I plan to use larger tile (ie12x18) and cut them into widths that will follow a curve and stager the joints. For instance, every other tile on the first row will be half height (9"). Can I strike two chalk lines and dry set the first row to get the height correct and then go from there? If so, would I then set the floor first?

9" tiles following a curve in a broken joint (brick) pattern will have lippage between rows. Narrower cuts will result in much less lippage. You can still use a ledger to support the tile, be it staight thick cardboard, hard board, etc, anything that will follow the curve. A water level is kind of a must for those markings. Lastly, the buildup behind the tiles will vary, as the thinset will be thinner at the ends than what is needed int he middle. For that, I suggest you comb the mortar on your walls, then comb the middle of the backs of the tiles. Figure out the thickness of the thinset a the center of the span of the tile over the curved wall as regular thinset is only good up to about 1/4" thick in build up. IF it wll be more than that, you'll want to use a medium bed mortar. If you have a HD near you, the Custom's "marble and Granite" thinset will do. Lowe's has Laticretes "big tile and stone" or Laticrete 221. The one thinset I mentioned in my first post, tec's "3 n 1" is not only non sag, but it can also be used for medium bed installations. To find a Tec dealer, go to www.tecspecialty.com where you can use their dealer link. That tec dealer will also have access to or carry tec's accucolor XT series of non staining portland cement grout. If they don't have the xt series of accucolor grout, they might have the regular accucolor series and "grout boost" which is made by HB Fuller, the parent companty of tec setting materials. Grout boost, when mixed with any standard grout from any manufacturer offers a 20 year warranty against water and oil based staining. The only drawback to Accucolor XT or grout mixed with "grout boost" is the need to keep it dry for 10 days after completing the installation. If you can wait those 10 days, it will be well worth the performance you will get.

Thanks for the very helpful suggestions. Especiall about buttering the middle of the tile for going around the curve. My gap will be well under 1/4" as I will probably cut the tile to 4" widths. That gives me a 0.0417" (1.3/32nds) gap. I am still not sure about starting. The height of the tile will be 18" with the first row alternating between 18" and 9". With your brick analogy, it would be like the brick were laid on end.

I'm installing rectangular tile using a brick pattern in a walk-in-shower. How do I lay the pattern as the walls and back side of the shower won't keep the stagger grout lines with the celing? I can make the celing match the back, or the walls but not both, can you help.
Thanks: Charlie Conti