Marble Tile Issues--Help!
First, please, please, please spare me the "well, that's marble for you" comments. We recently gutted two bathrooms and did marble in both, knowing it's a high maintenance stone. We were prepared for that.
Yet, we've been using our walk-in shower with mosaic marble floors for a week, and we're concerned by discoloration. I've attached photos.
The carrara marble is turning a cloudy grey, and there are clear wet spots. There's also already some yellowing. ONE WEEK AFTER FIRST USE.
The tile itself had some inconsistencies when we first installed, which we noticed after the fact, but this discoloration seems to be coming from moisture under the tile.
Before I contact my contractors and complain, I want to be sure I'm not crazy. This looks abnormal, right?
Appreciate any advice!
Comments (13)
millworkman
7 years agoRelated Discussions
URGENT bathroom tile setting issues-help please!
Comments (12)We talked to our contractor yesterday and everything has been worked out to our satisfaction. Regarding the bullnose, he agreed to pull off two of the worst and replace them with tiles that are more square. Regarding the uneven 12 x 12s, he explained that our wall is not the same size all the way up (our house was built in 1970) and he said he purposely jogged the tile ever so slightly so there wouldn't be a big gap at the top. He said if we were worried about the grout lines not looking straight because of this, he wound use a diamond edge against the tiles to remove a bit of the edge and help the grout lines look straight. We looked at the way he set the 12 x 12s, and he did indeed jog out each line very slightly--there was nothing haphazard about it at all. All's well that ends well, except that we chose a terra cotta-look tile that has a fairly high degree of variability between the tiles, and he set 3 of the darker ones too close together, so that they really stood out on the shower wall that you see as you walk in the door. So today, my husband asked him to take off 2 of the tiles and replace them with different tiles ( DH has a more flexible schedule since he's self-employed so I got out of the task of telling the contractor something he probably wasn't happy to hear). The result is absolutely gorgeous. Now that you guys (mongo and bill vincent) have informed me that Florida tile is notorious for being out of square, I probably won't use it in future projects, but this tile is just stunning. I'm VERY happy with the look. We are sticking with the light chocolate grout and I will post pictures after it's grouted. Thanks for all the incredibly helpful input....See MoreFloor tiles that look like marble, but don't cost like marble?
Comments (6)These floors look beautiful! Are they slippery? Has it ever been a problem? I was all set on getting polished porcelain and my contractor just told me its very slippery if I put it by the entrance and the stairs to second floor. I have little kids....what am I to do? Thank you!!!...See MoreMarble look tile and/or marble look kitchen countertop
Comments (2)What did you end choosing? I have a similar design dilemma and would love to know what you decided and if you still love your choice?...See MoreShower linear drain and marble tile issues, help
Comments (7)Slope cannot be correct if that is the issue you are having. Gets torn out or you live with it unfortunately. Not the only issue as there appears to be grout the wall/floor intersection and that should be silicone caulk not grout as that will crack in short order. Progress pics of the whole magilla would be helpful....See More
Danielle
7 years ago
jellytoast
7 years agoroarah
7 years ago
PROCabot & Rowe
7 years agoProvided the shower was properly constructed and waterproofed, this is the natural 'feature' of marble. Don't be surprised when the darkened, wet area continues to grow up the walls, over the curb and outside the shower. We've seen this many times before. See pic below. When a customer fails to heed our advice and insists on a marble floor, we always use a surface applied waterproofing membrane to eliminate the 2 inch thick drypack layer below the shower floor tiles which acts as a huge sponge. Tiles installed over a surface applied membrane dry out faster. Even with a surface membrane, marble will still be marble and suck up water.
Danielle
7 years ago
PROCreative Tile Eastern CT
7 years agoDanielle
7 years ago- PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
7 years ago User
7 years ago
PROStar Tile & Stone, LLC
3 years agoagaedtke
last yearlast modified: last yearDo you mind sharing what ever happened with your tile issue? We recently built and used honed marble mosaic tile on the shower floor. The tiles all looked uniform color and finish when we moved in. The first week of using the shower a section started to look cloudy. I hadn't even used any cleaners on the tiles yet so I can't blame it on improper cleaning. I have attached photos. I've been told by our builder this is normal, but I don't like the two toned look. On the picture the area of concern is around the drain and up towards the top left corner of the shower. We experimented and let the shower dry out several days and it still had this look.
Joseph Corlett, LLC