The Mad Hatter installed my backsplash! (pic)

13 years ago

I was so excited to see my backsplash installed... to see this:

Needless to say - a very disgusted me made a very pointed call and the tile is being pulled and reinstalled (by a different worker). I know grout can work magic, but holy cow. I only had my cell phone with me so I couldn't get great pics.

I guess that part of the 'splash was standing between the tile guy & his quitting time!

They were actually set to grout it this way, first thing the next morning (I grabbed these pics at about 10 pm).

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Comments (14)

transitional
13 years ago
crazy! glad they're fixing it
noellabelle
13 years ago
wow, so glad they're going to fix it! I don't think grout is able to work that big of a miracle!
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michiganrachel
13 years ago
I can't even believe anyone would do this! Maybe he had something other than water in his thermos!
pricklypearcactus
13 years ago
Umm. Wow. Maybe it was "bring your child to work" day and he let his toddler do the tiling? I'm so sorry that you came home to this, but I am very glad that you were able to work out a resolution.
chiefneil
13 years ago
The impressive part is that the installer used spacers and still managed to get the tile looking like that. That takes some real skill.
prill
13 years ago
YIKES!
julie94062
13 years ago
Y'know...thinking about it, I doubt if he left it like that. It probably slipped afterward. Which means...he didn't do the thinset right?? (is that the word...the stuff behind it) I'd double check on that before he does it again. If he does the same thing again, it still won't work.

Can't believe they would have grouted like that! Thank God for cell phone cameras!!
avesmor
Original Author
13 years ago
That's something they suggested - maybe the guy had done these tiles last, and had to mix up a last little bit of thinset and got it too watery. The top-right tile in the pic easily moved with very little touch (I poked them a bit to see if they were "set", since the rest of the areas were solid). The rest didn't budge, though, so I can't even guess what actually happened. :)

Stopped by during lunch and all the tiles in that area were pulled down & they were prepping for re-application tomorrow.

We have probably 25 - 30 linear feet of wall done in this tile, and this small area (about 4 sq ft) is the only part that didn't look great.
bill_vincent
13 years ago
Somewhere along the line, someone knocked out a spacer or two. That's all it takes for that to happen. I'm sure that was not intentional, and there should be no question that it be fixed.
remodelfla
13 years ago
That had to be so disppointing avesmor... sorry. I know how exciting it is so your heart must have sunk a bit. But in the end, you'll have your perfect backsplash.
kitchendetective
13 years ago
Think of it as a post-modern tile installation.
boxerpups
13 years ago
:( I would be mad at the madhatter.
~boxerpups
vidaprodiga
13 years ago
embarrassing on he tilers behalf and sadly very shocking to the homeowner. I just tiled my kitchen for the very first time and even me as a beginner knows a bit more about tile setting than this mad hatter. I pray that the second time around with tile goes better for you.
bill_vincent
13 years ago
I'm sorry, but I don't see this as a workmanship issue. I see it as a mistake that needed to be fixed. Hell, I'VE made worse mistakes than that!

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The Mad Hatter installed my backsplash! (pic)

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The Mad Hatter installed my backsplash! (pic)

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