I think this happens more times than it should. That is why I was there every minute of the install.
My contractor told me he was doing a very expensive bathroom. The architect mapped it all out exactly as they wanted it done except someone turned the drawing upside down! All the tiles were installed wrong.
How much does it bother you? If it bothers you, definately they need to redo the whole job at their expense.
Donna

Hi Donna,

Thanks for the info. To be honest, I am doing it pretty much by myself (choices, etc.), and things have just now slowed down where I could start paying attention to details like this.

I work about an hour from the homesite and live an hour away too. I have been getting to the jobsite once a week or more, but I was hoping my builder was keeping a closer eye on things.

Yes, it definitely does bother me. This is a new build, and I worked hard with the tile designer for many hours to get just the right look to the showers.

I know we are going to end up paying for it indirectly, and that really ticks me off, but I also don't want to just have them leave it like it is. That would not be fair to us either.

Details like these getting overlooked are very frustrating...

Oakrunfarm -- We had a lot of problems with our tile installation, and my advise to you is to bring it up with the installers and builders and see what solution they have, after you make it clear - nicely of course -- that these things are not acceptable to you. In one bathroom, where we used white hexagon tile for the floor, the tiler only grouted half of the floor one day, because for whatever reason they didn't get enough of the color they needed. That should have been a red flag to us -- why did we let them get away with grouting only part of the floor at one time? Live and learn. It was a gray color grout. So they came back a week later to do the rest, only the grout didn't match, even though the label on the box said it was the same color! It was noticeably different, like pale gray compared to charcoal gray, and on the same floor! They also used it to grout the entire bath area, which had white subway tile. My husband and I worried about it overnight, fought over it, and finally decided to tell them it was wrong. They came and looked, and the owner agreed with us that it looked noticeably different, and he sent someone down to remove all the grout and redo it. It was a huge dirty job, and time consuming, but they did it. I'm happy.

In the same bathroom, they laid the tiles on the ceiling over the tub in a crooked pattern, and it took us a while to notice why there seemed to be something wrong with it. This was 4x4 inch tile, so by the time you got to one end of the run, it was off by a whole tile! Again, we told them, and the owner made the tiler rip out the whole thing. This solution involved the contractor having to redo the framing over the tub, because it turned out the ceiling had been framed incorrectly. Talk about a complicated repair! But they did it, and it looks good and I'm happy.

We also had trouble with glass tiles in the niches. They redid them once, and they still looked horrible. We ended up getting a whole new tiler (we told the old one it was fine, but in fact I resolved to do them over myself or hire someone else to redo them, which we did in the end). The new tiler did a fabulous job on the niches, but I will always worry that the waterproofing was compromised because they were redone not once, but twice.

I'm just not gonna worry about it now.

So yeah, stuff happens, even when you're there. But you'll feel a lot better if you bring the problem to the attention of those doing the work. If you're lucky, they'll fix it.I would always tell our GC, "don't you want to be proud of this job when it's done?'' And to tell the truth, he was responsive to my complaints, and now that it's done, he is proud of this job, as are we.

Stick to your guns, and good luck.

Don't you already have a quote for the remaining work? How would they add the rework cost to it? If they're that pricey (and don't do what they're asked), can't you just find a new tiler to do the rest of the work?

In regards to the showers, the first step I'd take is to call the chief tile honcho, tell him the tile guys screwed up, and make an appointment at the house to show him the mistakes (and the drawings of the correct way). After you show him, let him respond (don't start second-guessing whether they should rip it out and redo it). If he's a good contractor, he'll suggest a solution, like "we'll make it right" and they'll rip out what they need to rip out. If not, then you can appeal to the builder to resolve it.

Alternatively, call the builder, point out the mistakes, and have him work with the tile guys to fix it. That's what he's paid to do.

Thank you all so much for your responses. You have made me feel a lot better about making sure it is done right.

The tile and stone is one of only a couple of areas we are WAY over budget on. I picked expensive tile, and they are charging top dollar to install. In my way of thinking, if they are going to charge us $20,000+ just to install, it had better be perfect.

I have a tendency to say "Oh, it's OK," and then regret it forever, so now is the time to do something about it. In the ones upstairs that are messed up and crooked, they were installing in the DARK (no lie), so I guess I should not be too surprised. :O

mariposa, I was pretty sure the niches were wrong, so I called the tile designer to check, and she confirmed she had faxed the deisgn and niche locations to the installer and the builder.

What I think they will do is what is build the cost into the bills for the rest of what they still have to do (install all kitchen backsplashes, three more fireplace surrounds and hearths), and we will certainly end up paying for both the material and the labor when it is all said and done.

I guess I could better understand if this were not supposed to be some wizard custom home tile installer that is charging us $$$.

hmsweethm, you are smart for insisting and getting it fixed. I am also worried about the waterproofing issue, but two of the three showers won't get all that much use, so... I am sorry you had so much trouble with it. Hope it is all fixed now.

weedy, I sent an e-mail to the builder and my const. mgr yesterday. Const. mgr replied and said they would call me today to discuss. They are always VERY responsive to concerns we have had (there have been some other mistakes), so I am sure they will make them re-do the problem areas.

As I have had to already say a few times, "I don't get upset as long as the issue is fixable." :)

Thanks all.

I don't know why,m but I didn't even SEE this thread yesterday!

Oakrunfarm-- let us know how you make out. Suffice to say it's on them to make it right. Don't give em a check till they do.