I see what you're saying with the darker gray pieces, but that is much more noticeable to me in the angle of the first picture vs the second. Yes, ask him to remove one of two of those long runs in the middle and it will be great. Love your choice!

Your selection doesn't seem to have much of a variety of shades ... it is mostly either light or dark. Perhaps he was trying to avoid a checkerboard effect. In any case, it isn't grouted yet so, yes, you could ask him to pull out a few of the dark tiles here and there and insert lighter ones in their place. Even removing just a few of those tiles will improve the overall look.

Thank you both! We really like the tiles and they feel great underfoot.

The lead tile installer met me and explained that some of the variation is more apparent now because the tiles have been exposed to moisture which is not yet fully dry. He is fine with removing a few before sealing/grouting which will also help bridge the variation in color.

So now I need to mark a few to be replaced. A couple have sharp dings so those will go too.

Don't want to be too picky, but would like an improvement. How many do you think should be replaced?

I counted 5 or 6 that I would remove.

I'd say between 6 and 8 in that one room, maybe a couple more in the toilet room. Just be careful not to remove them in a way that will give you the checkerboard effect.

Go for it, otherwise it'll drive you crazy. (It would for me, at last.). That said, I don't think anyone else will notice it unless you point it out.

Beautiful tile by the way!

CA 03 - beautiful tile. It looks very similar to the 4x8 tumbled carrara subway tiles were using in our master shower. Did you get it at Arizona Tile?

Not a pleasing effect. I would probably buy more tile and pull out the darker ones. You have to do a lot of homework and be there to catch this stuff early.

Did the samples show this much variation? Wondering what you were expecting in terms of variation.

Thanks! They're 3X6 tumbled carrara from Import Tile in Berkeley, Ca.

We are going for a natural stone mosaic-type random pattern. This is much closer to what we had in mind. The grout will hopefully help pull it together, along with the tall white linen cabinet that will be next to the shower door and paint change.

We actually bought quite a bit extra because tumbled tiles have more dings and we knew more would need to be pulled. Still have four boxes which I pulled from for the replacement tiles.

Is that the picture with the tiles replaced?

Yes. The replacement tiles might look darker in this picture due to moisture.

I think it looks great!

Thanks!

We're using Bostik Heron Blue (grey--on the cool side) for floor grout.

Me too. Looks great.

I like the mosaic look but would swap out some more tiles. It does look soft and comfy on the feet!

Re: grout--actually using Silver Bullet instead.

I am so glad I'm not in a business to be second guessed so readily.

It's artistry and aesthetics - craftsmanship - not second guessing, Joseph.

ETA: Pulling straight from the box doesn't cut it. That's why there are guidelines around this aspect of tiling, for professional tilers.

For homeowners, because it is an imperfect world, you have to read up on tiling and be proactive to get the results you want.

I think it looks great! I like the natural stone mosaic look.

We're just finishing up the tumbled carrara in our shower and the installers took the tile from several different boxes. I like the variation.

This is taken at night under a yellow shop light so the color is a little skewed but you can see the variation in tiles.

I was a bit obsessive about selecting and laying out the crema marfil tiles my DH installed in our guest bathroom. I'm surprised our marriage survived it! I think it turned out really nice though.

Ooh, kindred spirits! Love both of them!

If we were installing it ourselves, I would have done that too.

Are you happy with the sealer you used in the first shower? Which did you use and what are you going with this time?

I have a couple of calls and emails out for info on Meta-Creme which supposedly has a 15 year warranty if applied by a certified person.

We're using the same color variation in tumbled 2x2 inch squares on mesh sheets for the shower floor. I'd like to do what I can given our selections to reduce extensive maintenance issues, but am okay with babying it somewhat.

Very nice! Our shower floor will be 3x3 dark gray marble that looks very much like the black Montauk slate that will be used for the bathroom floor.

The carrara was just grouted today with Custom Platinum, a light gray, and I expect it will lighten a bit as it dries. We used a grayish white grout for the crema marfil shower.

We used Miracle 511 Porous Plus to seal the marble in the guest bath and so far no issues after about 4 months of daily use. No water stains or anything. I think we got lucky with the stone though because the light granite in our other bathroom always gets water stains no matter how much I seal it. I have to be more careful with the granite than the marble!

Edited to add - we are good about wiping down the shower after each use, either with a squeegie or a towel.

Thanks for the info!

We used 511 and the version for matte ceramic tiles on our hall bath tile and it's worked beautifully for the past 7 months.

I'm thinking of sealing our kitchen and vanity countertops with meta-creme if we end up going that route. We have light quartzite and carrara that I'd like to have an extra measure of protection against water marks and stains.

"It's artistry and aesthetics - craftsmanship - not second guessing, Joseph."

Artistry and aesthetics are very subjective. Thanks for making my point.

Joseph Corlette, LLC--I'd like to invite you to start your own thread.

You've stated you're not in "a business to be second guessed so readily" and are derailing the constructive exchange I prefer with your negative tangents that have nothing to do with my project.

I'd recommend posting your first comment as it's own thread and perhaps you will receive the validation you are after.

I don't think the tiler did a bad job at all in the first pics, and also don't think the OP was "second guessing" his installation. He may have very well installed them in what he believed to be a nice, random-appearing pattern. Much better to ask him to move a few pieces before he grouts the whole thing! When I had tumbled marble installed in my bath, I pulled all the tiles from the boxes and the boxes were not separated by all dark and all light. But I mixed them all up anyway before the tiler started and still have an area or two that I would have "improved" if I were doing the setting. As it is, I know it's installed randomly and a "perfect" mix is an unrealistic expectation. With natural stone, I don't care how well you think you have them mixed, your view of what's a nice "random" mix might be completely different from another's view.

CA_03:

This is the thing about Houzz. You don't always get to pick and/or like the responses you get. I haven't been rude or off topic; I play by the rules here.

Good luck.

JC, I did not make your point at all. You always like to say that and it never makes sense! lol.

Sorry, but while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder - we all have different tastes and levels of sophistication - there is, indeed, such thing as artistry and skilled craftsmanship, an educated eye; an understanding of the nature of aesthetics and how to apply that to design. It's been studied through the ages.

Take it up with the Arts, please.

If it weren't important or anything to it (whatever goes, everything looks good), the TCNA would not discuss sorting and how to lay out tile that has variation in order to enhance its beauty and create a pleasing overall effect. They even recommend racking the tile first but I doubt there are many who bother to do that.

So, just because this tiler pulled straight from the box and thinks the blocks of color that resulted look great does not mean he didn't miss the mark. Even if there are people who like it that way.