Can I save this bathroom tile?

14 years ago

I've spent years saving and planning for my house remodel. I started with the bathroom. I'm pretty sure I know the answers to my questions but feel very insecure and lacking in confidence. Can you please look at these pictures and tell me if my concerns are valid?

The pictures are here and have tags explaining my concerns. Some of the issues don't show up well on the small pics, you have to click the All Sizes link above it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39166588@N04/sets/72157619308276340/

The tile is from Adex's Neri collection. The field tiles, bullnose, and chair rail have a red body and the listello and half round liner have a white body. The tiles are 4x8. The grout is Mapei unsanded. We talked about using caulk in the corners but he grouted every corner and along the bottom of tile where it meets the tub.

I am torn as how to handle this. This is my only shot at renovating my home. I've never had the money to do it before and I'll never have it again. My biggest problem - I hired my brother-in-law. Super nice guy. Does home renovations for a living but I never would have guessed that he would do this kind of work. Yes, I've seen his work before. Sure didn't look like this, but then I wasn't inspecting every nook and cranny. Guess I trusted way too much or am I just too picky?

I doubt I'll let him finish the house but wonder if anything can be done to fix the bathroom tile.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: my bathroom grout problems

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Comments (10)

bill_vincent
14 years ago
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?
maryf_on
Original Author
14 years ago
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
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@Amir Ali - I just wanted to post a comment in order to: 1. Let you know that I completely understand what you are going through right now. I have TWO FAILING slate floors that are part of current bathroom renovations. The master bathroom floor had not been grouted due to delays on his part. I discovered that some of the tiles were COMPLETELY LOOSE - and some sounded like they were only partially bonded to the floor. This floor is failing - and it has BARELY been walked on because the bathroom renovation basically stopped due to issues - bathroom isn’t usable so the only use has been when I’ve gone in there to take photos or measure something = maybe some tiles had been walked on four or five times before I started discovering the loose tiles. It is obvious that the tiles failed to bond to the floor - the mortar must have skinned over or something. I am NOT reinstalling the loose tiles. IMPORTANT - my former contractor does not fit the definition of what people here on Houzz love to refer to as a “hack” (at least not the actual business that I hired to do the work) - however, his employee clearly did not know what he was doing (or just didn’t care) - and that makes the owner of the business liable for this work. The business has hundreds of Google ratings (4.9/5), owner is a member of TCNA, I had several reviews from people I know (and trust), and I DID NOT JUST TAKE THE LOWEST BID - I am NOT a CHEAPSKATE. I am so tired of people AUTOMATICALLY blaming the homeowner when they have ZERO basis to do so. Making assumptions and basically telling homeowners that they are IDIOTS and CHEAP really makes me upset. Okay, I’m finished with my rant! 😂 The ”fix” is this: The ENTIRE floor is being torn apart. Not only is the tile being removed, the cbu will be taken out. New contractor assumes that he will also find that former contractor failed to add the required second layer of plywood in order to make sure that the substrate was prepared correctly in order to have a natural stone floor installed. Based upon the above issues, I investigated the slate floor that was installed in one of the other bathrooms back in April. I noticed a few grout issues - and as I went around knocking on each tile, the sound on many tiles indicates tiles that are only partially bonded. This is what the floor looks like from a standing position: And this is what it looks like when I realized that I needed to inspect it after the failure in other bathroom: I have cracks and broken spots of grout in many places. I also have some grout which is stuck on my tile because the contractor failed to seal the tile (as required) prior to grouting (I found this out later - I was in the hospital while this floor was being installed) and made promises over and over to come remedy the issue. So, this floor will also be ”fixed” in the same manner as the first one - I’m just waiting to have it ripped out until after the other bathroom is completely finished. 2. I also wanted to let you know that regardless of whether (i) you have a written contract, and (ii) that contracts specifically provides (or fails to provide) a five year (or however long) warranty period, you still have recourse against the contractor who installed your tile. Most states (probably all but I haven’t done research on this issue in every state) have enacted statutes that protect homeowners for this type of issue. In my jurisdiction, there are specific statutes that relate to home renovation projects - these statues require (among other things) that all work must be done in a good and workmanlike manner. Following industry standards, as well as manufacturer’s specifications, are part of this requirement. Also, the consumer protection act in my state also protects homeowners against contractors who perform shoddy work. I am 99% positive that your state will have some similar statutes. If you want to share your jurisdiction, I am happy to take a quick look in order to point you in the right direction. MANY jurisdictions require the homeowner to provide the contractor with notice and a right of remediation. Unless you follow the requirements of your particular statutes, you won’t be able to bring an action against your contractor to recover damages. FYI - my former contractor has chosen to ignore the notice I provided, so I then was free to hire another contractor to do the remediation work. My former contractor will owe me the money I have to spend to correct his failure to properly install my tile (which will greatly exceed what I paid him - removing tile + cbu + buying new material (including nice slate tile - because I didn’t purchase cheap slate tile for the the project initially). I am sorry that you’re going through this because it is NOT fun. I decided to consider myself “lucky” because he hadn’t yet installed this tile on my laundry floor! Hopefully, you won’t have water damage that will require even more remedial work in order to fix it.
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pepperidge_farm
14 years ago
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...
bill_vincent
14 years ago
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!!
maryf_on
Original Author
14 years ago
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
jejvtr
14 years ago
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
bill_vincent
14 years ago
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.
maryf_on
Original Author
14 years ago
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
kgsd
14 years ago
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_vincent
14 years ago
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.

Can I save this bathroom tile?

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Can I save this bathroom tile?

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bill_vincent

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