The grout issues can be fixed pretty much by scoring them out with a utility knife and then regrouting. The tile issues are a different story. I have a feeling, though that as time goes by it won't bother you as much because there's nothing there that would really stand out as a blatant OMG. But I agree-- it's sloppy tile setting. One question I have-- is that the tub flange that he tiled to all the way around, or is there another lip that goes up behind the cement board?

Thanks for your quick response Bill. Here is a picture of the tub before tiling. It doesn't look like there's a lip that goes up behind the cement board.

And another one of the tub with some of the cement board in place.

Shouldn't he have used caulk between the tile and the tub?
Can he just run a line of caulk on top of the grout? I don't think that's the right thing to do but I know that's what he'll say.

Here also is a closeup pic of the red clay that shows. If it was just a couple of places I could understand but it's visible in many places. Along the top of the window it is especially evident. This pic shows one small part of the window, but the red clay shows around many parts of the window. The top just looks dirty until you get up close, which no one is going to do so they'll just wonder what the dirt is up there.

I'm concerned about the field tile that has the red clay showing at the edges. Since the nonglazed part of the tile is exposed, will water work it's way in there? Will proper grouting hide the red clay? Again, here's a pic of one spot but the picture doesn't really show how much the red clay is showing. I tried to get a better pic but a photographer I'm not.

Oh, and there are about 6 small black marks towards the top of the tub that weren't there when I bought it. It's a vinyl tub. I tried to wash them off but they didn't budge. He did the same thing to my vanity. All of a sudden there are marks on the front where something has hit it and left a series of small dark nicks. I made it clear in the nicest way I could that I wanted the vanity fixed. Now I'll have to do it again with the marks on the tub. Though I'm not sure they can be fixed.

Thanks again for your help.

Mary

Well, I set the tile (for the first time) on our main bath 2 years ago. It shows. DH did the grouting... not his forte- it shows.

I'll tell you what bugs me most about similar issues- I don't mind where the body peeks out much, but then again it is a more rough texture on the surface finish. The grout drives me nuts when I look at it. Absolutely nuts. It's much more of what you took pics of, but when we did the master bath, we tried together really hard to get it better finished.

We are amateurs, so I don't feel bad about not having a perfect tile job. I was able to focus my financial resources on the materials, which I otherwise could not have afforded. I hope I don't need to continue to improve at this job- well, maybe when I get to the Kitchen I'll prove to be a better tile/grouter!

BUT, my bet is that Bill is gonna have something to say about that tub/tile interface and what's behind it...

YA THINK????? This guy's an idjit!! That lip that sticks up from the tub deack-- the cement board is supposed to come down TO that, and then the tile is supposed to cover it up!! What a maroon!!

Okay- and here I was concerned with sloppy grout. I know very little about these things, which of course, is why I hired someone who was supposed to know. So is there any way to salvage this? Does it all need to ripped out?

Thanks so much for your advice!!

Mary

I'm glad my thoughts about the lip & cement board were right, bill v confirmed -
Mary - so sorry you are in this bind - hope you didn't pay bro in law total - that all needs to come out - or you will have LOTS of water coming down behind all 3 walls -
I would rec not paying him one more cent - & hire a professional tile person to remove & re-do the work
so sorry

Unfortunately, yes, it should be redone, and that would include shimming the studs a little bit so that the durock will extend past that flange better.

Thank you so much for your advice. I was pretty sure that's what had to happen but hoped there might be some way. On top of this my mother broke her hip and I'm spending most of my time helping to care for her and my father. I'm going to have a long talk with my brother-in-law this weekend.

Thank you again!!

Mary

Bill, can you clarify what you mean about the Durock being supposed to come down to the lip? It look like it does come down to meet the lip.

Also, the poly barrier between the studs and the cement board - is that standard practice as well?

Thanks!

Bill, can you clarify what you mean about the Durock being supposed to come down to the lip? It look like it does come down to meet the lip.

The problem is that it sits far back enough so that the tile comes down flush to the face of that flange. The tile should COVER that flange, not come flush to it. the Durock needs to come down to it so that the face of the Durock is out further than the face of the flange to allow the tile to come all the way down to the actual tubdeck. The resulting void behind the bottom edge of the tile can be filled with thinset or caulking, either one.