Hey Auzzy, Great question. The salesperson at the tile store near me suggested a mosaic of tiny marble squares for my master bath shower floor. I asked if it would be a pain to keep clean, and she said, "No, not at all." She said that the marble and grout would be sealed upon installation. Now, after reading the John Bridge site (thanks for the reference - I didn't know about that) I am worried. I didn't buy anything yet, but am close to needing to put the order in so the materials will be ready in time for the contractor. In my last bathroom, I had a tub, but on the bathroom floor there was slate that was gorgeous. I did have to seal it every 6 months but it was very easy to do. If that would be good enough so we can get our stone shower floors, I'd be fine with it. Experts?

The cove base job is shoddy, obviously. The fit may have been OK when it was done; the adhesive may have been inadequate to hold the base in place. The caulking job also is unacceptable IMO. It is a simple job that can be done right 100% of the time. Call them with your concerns. They need to know that you are not satisfied with the work on the base and the caulk.

Looking at my own very overstocked cupboards filled with never opened supplies that never clicked for me...I would take several classes/workshops to make sure stained glass is your true calling before laying down that high of investment. I only say this as you stated you were a newbie. If your locked solid in stained glass, buy on...! Here is a link that might be useful: Moosaics

If you can't get them replaced, the chipped portions can be sometimes wasted away when cuts are needed, at inside and outside corners, for example. Your pattern has courses of the same height, but there is a bit of randomness to the staggered seams. A tile that's shortened by a half-inch might not show in the somewhat busy pattern of the vertical grout lines. They can also be used where smaller pieces might be needed, when wrapping the tile through a niche, for example. Larger tiles that are chipped can sometimes be cut down to the dimension of smaller tiles and used in their place. Again, it depends on layout. Cut edges don't always perfectly match factory edges, on the crispness of the edge or in body color. A carborundum stone can ease the edge if body color isn't an issue. Not every solution can be applied, some might not be practical. Just set the damaged tiles aside, and whenever a cut has to be made, see if a damaged tile can be cut to take that tile's place. Although you've contacted the tile company, also contact the manufacturer. They can send you tile, bypassing the tile company. Some companies dislike bad press, you can post the manufacturer's name and tile style within this thread, and send them a link to this thread.