Cripes! GC Made Mess of my $2000 of Tile

16 years ago

Hi Everyone,

You would not believe what my tile looks like. I'm at work and when I came home I could have fainted. GC made a mess of my tile install. This is same contractor that used mastic on shower walls instead of the Versabond we discussed. I'm supposed to have 1/8" grout lines but around my window the tiles are cut crooked and there is, in some places 1/2" grout lines. I mentioned before the grouting that tiles did not look like they were cut to proper length. GC says don't worry it'll be fine. GC did not use a wet saw he has only a hand-held thingy. Oh my gosh. I don't think he knows what's he's doing.

Worst part is he is paid in full for the job (please don't ask!!!!!). GC came highly recommended by neighbors. I would not even show neighbors the tile work it looks so bad. I'm totally, totally sick.

I think he wants to use the caulk tomorrow should I not let him caulk. I'm thinking once he's gone I'll hire a "real" tile person to fix my mess. G_d the money I've spent on this remodel. My tile was almost $2000.

Anyone know of a tiler in NW suburbs of Chicago. I suppose this would be called a smaller job since I'll live with the floor tiles. The wall tiles are the worst. All crooked as I said and very uneven. Yikes, should I kill myself now?

Thanks for letting me vent.

Marilyn

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Comments (18)

llaatt22
16 years ago
Sorry about your problems.

You wouldn't show neighbors the lousy job done by someone they recommended? So they can go on recommending him?

Anyway I wouldn't let him back in the home now. How long ago was the work done which got him the recommendation? People change. He may be sick now and incompetent. Also, I don't believe it is a good idea to leave the trades alone on any job you are paying for.
qdognj
16 years ago
could you post some pictures? Perhaps it isn't as bad as you think at this moment?
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MongoCT
16 years ago
Is the GC himself doing the tiling?

Mongo
organic_donna
16 years ago
Marilyn,
I feel so bad for you. I had a similiar experience with a hardwood floor.
Take pictures of the areas that are not satisfactory. Show him what you are not happy with and tell him you want everything redone or the money you paid him refunded. At least let him try to fix it. If he cannot or will not fix it I would take him to court.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. Next time, do the remodel when you have vacation time and watch the installers carefully.
Donna
bill_vincent
16 years ago
Marilyn, I know an EXCELLENT tile guy in Mundelein. I've seen this guy's custom work, and it's impeccable. Shoot me an email, and I'll give you his contact info. I would suggest you put a stop to this schmoe on the job now. Atleast you won't lose any more. Who knows-- maybe John will be able to fix what you have by changing out the bad pieces instead of losing all of it.
emcee
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi all you good people,

Here's some pics of the mess. BTW all my tiles are porcelian. These pics are of around my window, but it's not exclusive to the window. Anywhere a tile had to be cut it's crooked and all cut tiles are chipped on surface. This effects all around the top (tile goes to ceiling) and along the left edge of the wall. My feature strips are also spaced erradically when I asked why he didn't use spacers on the feature strips his answer was "I don't know". Do you think I should let him caulk (not grout, but caulk) at least around the tub so I can use it?

He is at the house as I type this installing my toto pedestal sink, toto toilet, then he has to put the skirt on my Bain Ultra tub, which, btw he said he does not know how to do. YIKES!!! Then he has 2 solid oak doors to drill the hinges out and door knobs holes, then install. He needs to install baseboards too. Don't forget he's been paid in full so I want him to do it all. The damage has been done. Of course he could ruin my oak doors if he doesn't know where to drill the holes.

Mongo, yup he's the GC and he did the tiling. As I said, I guess I'm stupid because I had a red flag sent sky high when I asked him when he first started if he had a wet saw. Of course he said no, but he said I shouldn't worry.

Bill Vincent, oh my gosh, I can't believe that you actually have a tile contractor for me. I'm going to e-mail you as soon as I send this. You are the best.

Here's pics-
Top right of window - what was he thinking.{{gwi:1390584}}

Left side of window. This is not pretty. I'm supposed to have 1/8" grout lines. These are more like 1/2".{{gwi:1390586}}

Grout piled up in tub corner{{gwi:1390588}}

Bottom right - tile cut with hand-held thingy.{{gwi:1390590}}

Yet another shot{{gwi:1390592}}

Another shot of right side. All uneven and crooked. All cut tiles are chipped on surface. {{gwi:1390594}}

Thanks,
Marilyn
mahatmacat1
16 years ago
Wow.

Let's hope the person Bill knows can salvage this. I also hope there is some way you can get some money back from him...sometimes it makes a big difference to show the person comments from other professionals about the work done. It definitely has to be redone, IMO. I mean, there's a *crack* in that one L piece he cut--even *I* can do better than that, but then again I have a 10" tile saw...

I'll be sending energies that this resolves beautifully and without too much acrimony.
jbjust
16 years ago
Is it just my computer?
MongoCT
16 years ago
Nope. Mine too. I've had this a happen a couple of times over the past few days. Thought it might be firefox or NoScript related...but my settings look good.

Some pics show, some don't.

Mongo
mahatmacat1
16 years ago
I'm seeing them all, unfortunately. A bad surprise in every one. I use firefox too.
worthy
16 years ago
Can't see your pics either.

What makes you think he's any better a trim carpenter than a tilesetter?? Oak doors are expensive.

I've been a licenced homebuilder for twenty years and I still end up fooled by references. So don't feel bad about that.
codnuggets
16 years ago
emcee, your pics aren't showing because you didn't put double quotes around the web address. I hunted down your photobucket album by digging in the source code, hope you don't mind. Here are the pics:

And I agree, it's not pretty. I see bad cuts, a bad grout job, thinset showing through the grout, and a freakin cracked tile in that last photo! I would get this guy out my house ASAP even though he's been paid. It's quite likely you'll be paying someone else to fix his work anyway so there's no point in letting him ruin any more materials in the process. Sorry, and best of luck!

Joe
bill_vincent
16 years ago
My stepson does better work than that, and he's only been in the trade for 3 years!! That's disgusting!
janwad
16 years ago
Those cuts look like they were made by a hungry dog. I'm so sorry.
terezosa / terriks
16 years ago
I make better cuts than that, and I am a rank amateur.
mahatmacat1
16 years ago
I'm looking at them again and I just hear a voice in my head saying to this man "you should be ashamed of yourself". It's really disgusting what he's trying to pull over on you.

I know you said don't ask about why he was paid 100% in advance, but if you feel inclined to share anything without my asking, that would be fine...I am so so sorry for your having to have this in your house for even a few days until it gets fixed. He really should make you whole.
MongoCT
16 years ago
Oh my.

Unfortunately, I can now see the pictures. With the flaws being concentrated around the window, it can be repaired, but how easily depends on what's behind the tile.

The kicked out tile at the bottom of the wall is probably due to the thickness of the folded over membrane. There are tricks in folding technique that could have minimized that, as well as construction methods that could have eliminated it completely.

I just don't understand how someone can do work like that and accept money for it.

Did you see how the floor was constructed? There should have been a sloped base installed (could be preformed or made with a dry cement "dry pack" mix), then the waterproofing membrane goes over the sloped base. Then another layer of dry pack, then tile on top of that. The reason I ask is the membrane should NOT have been installed on the flat, and the sloped base built up on top of the flat membrane.

Mongo
bill_vincent
16 years ago
The guy she's going to call will hopefully have time to take a look and maybe even work on this. If he does, he's MORE than qualified to go through this bathroom from one end to the other, find the problems, and take care of them.

Cripes! GC Made Mess of my $2000 of Tile

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Cripes! GC Made Mess of my $2000 of Tile

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