I guess I'm kind-of a basketweave junkie now that I've seen some installed here online and at our local tile store. A previous poster just bought some beautiful white and black marble basketweave from an online dealer at an affordable price (don't remember what she said it was, though, but you could check it out). I attached the link. Also, my tile shop said that the Walker-Zanger SoHo line had everything you could ever want in black/white/marble/vintage-look. They called it "affordable," but everything is relative, I think!! Sarah from Albany, NY Here is a link that might be useful: previous thread with white/black basketweave

I don't think the color is a problem as your thinset should cover the color of what's under it. BUT ... metal mesh? It requires a thick (1.5" mud bed). Since you initially confused what he used with thin set, I'm guessing that you've got what's called a "scratch coat" with your lath. That's a big no-no..... If you're not doing the mud bed then the alternative is Ditra, not scratch and mesh. I'd try posting over on bathrooms and asking Bill V or Mongo to weigh in since they're the tile experts. I know just enough to be dangerous. :) Good luck!

I've never seen them appear the day after, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Although I can't say for sure, it's usually lower grade carrara that this happens to, but it DOES happen to carrara.

I do not like this white spot, either. I do not think you are being unreasonable to want to fix it. I think that we are just trying to help you think about other solutions. My first experience with stone was my 2003 kitchen remodel. tumbled marble. I remember looking at the finished backsplash and thinking why didn't my contractor set aside those dark ones that popped up every once in a while. After all, I had three boxes of tile left over. To me, it seemed a no-brainer. I also had no idea there was this much variation. But my contractor did. He knew what the tile looked like and how much variation was there. To him, the dark tiles were not something undesirable, or even something to ask me about. He had more experience, and I had not looked through the tiles to see what they were all like and pulled out the dark ones. Come to think of it, I helped him do tile on the second day. I put extra mastic on the back of the tiles that needed to be set forward a bit. On that day, I did pull out some tiles that were "too dark" for my taste. My expectations were different from Jim's. Now I am doing a second, different kitchen. I have an island that will be topped with 19" porcelain tiles that look like stone. I know from watching HGTV that some people lay tiles like this with no thought to the direction of the streaks of "grain" in the color. I hate that look. SO I am taking off a few hours on tiling day to give my input on the placement of the tiles and cuts. I would not know to do this if I had not seen other tile jobs I did not like, or see the dark tiles on my old backsplash. Since the sealer wears off in time, and since it is a liquid, I bet it has a solvent that will remove it. You may be able to do a "faux" finish on the white spot, then reseal it. It is possible that taking out that tile could hurt your wall and mean that the whole thing has to come down. Try something else first. After Bill Vincent jumps in and gives advice. There is a thread here somewhere about people hiring painters to faux finish outlet covers and other obstructions so that they cannot be recognized and ruin the flow of the backsplash. I would try that before taking out a tile and risking tearing the paper off the drywall underneath. Here is a link that might be useful: Painted outlets