Is this an acceptable tile job?
James M
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Our General Contractor hired someone to do our tiling for both bathrooms. We had issues in the basement with bad lippage that he blamed on the uneven basement floor (he still added self leveling material) but is trying to fix for us. But he also did our shower wall and we cannot tell if this is acceptable or not. Please help as we are feeling like we should tell him to do no more work for us. We have to meet the tile person tonight to discuss our feelings towards it. A lot of the spots where 4 tiles meet are not aligned perfectly square and there is lippage along with badly cut and uneven tiles along the corners. The contractor blamed it on bad tiles that aren't evenly sized and from different manufacturing Lot numbers. Granted be bought basic Lowes tiles that seemed enough for us. Also, cement board on stubs was used and our GC said the mortar would create the water resistance. I suggested we waterproof but cement board was up and he said not needed. Grout and mortar will fill the voids and lock it up tight. We have a new kitchen on the other side of the wall on the plumbing side. Sorry for the bad pictures, no lights yet in our bathroom so it was hard to capture well but this is all we have.
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Comments (8)
James M
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
tmcorkum
6 years agoRelated Discussions
New construction tile job: acceptable?
Comments (9)Quality? Its on par with builder grade lowest denominator sub contracted tile installation work. Theres also Custom professional master tile installation crews out there. "But builder said the other subs they use would grout and then cover with clear caulk. " As CTEC stated builder is wrong and you dont want his other sub either. What you want is a detailed scope in your next tile contract refrencing industry standards to be met and followed as well as details of layout expected only then will you have written documentation to debate upon....See MoreIs this an acceptable tile job?
Comments (6)Looks a lot better than most tile jobs seen on here. Bullnose tile is different sized than field tile. They didn’t “give up” on doing the staggered joint pattern. It is not physically possible to maintain a staggered joint with the bullnose sizing offered with your tile. The different sized tiles surrounding the niche are a function of niche size and again, bullnose size. Of course they had to cut tile to make it fit. No, the corner is not perfect. But the corner gaps are not at all “large”, and will be properly filled with silicone caulk. The tile cuts wrap the corner properly, and everything looks plumb. That’s pretty good. The tiny tiles above the bench are a function of the bench height. They will be hidden when the builder retroactively installs the stone top, which he should do without fuss. Chipped tile in a corner that will be covered by caulk is fine, unless it is excessively jagged. No cut tile should be an exposed edge. It should covered with bullnose, pencil, or Schluter trim. If it’s exposed, that should be popped off and changed If that shower is properly waterproofed, this is very much a passing grade. Especially so since this is a builder project. They are notorious cheapskates who won’t even pay the lowest going rate for a “tile guy”, much less paying a professional tiler. You are pretty off base with the majority of your concerns. There is certainly zero reason for a tearout and redo. Unless you just want to pay for that....See MoreIs this tile Job acceptable.
Comments (26)We charge about that much for the shower of this size alone and that's not a bragging point as to savings in this case as we cant see the mess below the tile. If ther'es one thing I know is how long it takes to build a shower "properly" to industry standards with professional materials and how that equates to time/labor/materials. Forget about permits and inspections i guess ! Based on the one redgard photo you've not got a MFG nor industry compliant build here, and thats usually an indicator of more debauchery below the tile almost always in the curb and pan area. Tile itself and the tile craftsman are a LUXURY item not a necessity, many people today are getting roped into tile and handyman rates when they should be looking at Prefab surrounds and luxury vinyl paired with a competant contractor in that field.. Hire and SHOP wisely America....See MoreIs this tile job acceptable for a "top of the line" remodeling company
Comments (12)Thank you @millworkman and @Kristin Petro, CKBD for your responses. Here are some photos. I tried to capture the issues but it's less obvious in photos than looking in person. This piece of cut tile is not the same width along the niche, and the cut itself is also not straight or smooth. The tiles are not flush. I know there is a bit of buckling on all tiles, but most of the pieces do not have this issue so I am pretty sure this could have been avoided The contractor said that he is not able to make the cuts so they are the same height across the top (he kept blaming the uneven ceiling and the shadow from the mud, etc., but I am just looking across the tile tops). Maybe the caulk will fix this, but I won't know till it's done. I am rather skeptical he is saying it's "impossible" to line up the tiles. It may be difficult or unnecessary, but to say it is not possible for someone who's done this for 10 years seems a bit unreal....See More
torreykm
6 years ago
PROCancork Floor Inc.
6 years ago
acm
6 years ago- PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
6 years ago 
thatsmuchbetter
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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