Post pictures of the build process and what it looks like now. Where did you find the GC? Did he do the tiling? What did the project cost and what was the whole scope?

I didn't take pictures of the build process and I don't think the pics now would show much. Basically the tiles were flat to the wall when job was completed and now several are being pushed out a bit on one side. It's not super visible especially via a pic right now although can easily be detected by feel. Found the GC through this site, and yes he did the tiling. He did the whole bathroom remodel, complete gut and rebuild, and whole project was 20+K (i live in a big metro area).

Does the wall give or have any bounce in the area?

Not sure what you mean by give or bounce. I will say that the shower wall was tiled to the ceiling and maybe that is causing part of the issue but not sure.

If you push on the area where the tile is coming loose, does the wall itself move?

No pictures and no guesses. You could be just now noticing some minor lippage. Or whole thing is rotten. There is zero way to tell anything with the lack of information provided.

Thanks and yeah didn't take pics along the way. I guess question is what might contractor have done incorrectly that would be causing this?

We don’t even have pictures or a good description of what you’re talking about to have a clue. Nothing could be wrong. It could be your wack perceptions fueled by buyer’s remorse. Everything could be wrong. He could have framed it improperly, waterproofed it improperly, and used mastic. Who knows without a ton more details and pictures? It looks good from here. Change my mind.

Have you actually talked to the contractor,

Ok thanks, i've tried to describe best i could. I could try taking a pic but it wouldn't capture anything that would be visible through the pic. Contractor is a hack and is gone.

Your statement has no evidence to support it. It's kind of slanderous at this point. We see plenty of terrible hack work around here. It's all highly visible. If anything was wrong enough for a wall to start moving, it would be very very photographable. So photograph it. The fact that you won't, or can't illustrate your complaints is curious. You didn't take a single picture during the process? Not one?

It seems that if some tiles are moving, the grout around them would crack or crumble a bit. There are reasons why this could happen to your tiles, but there is nothing anyone can really say until you show pictures. If you have trouble photographing it, try holding a light above or to the side of where you are feeling the "lip," and take a picture. See if it is more visible then. Even if you can't see this lippage in your photos, the pros can sometimes get clues from looking at the shower itself. So post some pictures and let them see what they can see. Show the whole shower, too.

To my mind? Moisture..........and ED can't see the nearly invisible fissure in the grout. Wait until they begin to fall off the wall. Then take a pic.

Tap on the tiles that are out with your fingers. Compare the sound and feel when doing the same on a flat area.

And take those pics. Because things may continue to change. You'll have something time dated for comparing. Use your phone.

Here's a possible scenario- The contractor used green board behind the tiles. Moisture is getting through the grout and swelling the board. Remove the tiles and replace the backer with an appropriate product and retile.

Here a a few pics and again not sure how clear these will be. First pic just shows layout of part of wall where some tiles are starting to move although not too visible in that pic. Second pic you can see different part of wall where the vertical line is not straight as tiles are beginning to move. 3rd pic is a close up one tile that is coming out that i think is visible in upper right corner.

Jeeeesh........you're sort of impossible to help, Ed. Which ones? No post it notes or masking tape in your junk drawer?

Wood absorbs water. The wood expands. Does this explain the problem?

Thanks for the detailed response, it's much appreciated. The one thing I'd point out which I think is kind of important is that there have been changes since the install. The tiles are gradually moving. The grout line in the second pic was done only a couple months ago and was straight and now it isn't.

I have not seen a grout line that moved and did not crack, maybe you have your description wrong?

What is RIGHT is that as with all Ed's other previous complaints , nobody here can reach through a phone and fix it. If the "hack" was fired, he must call an expert tile pro for a close up view on site. Have him Look for ANY signs of moisture near the shower walls as well.

"So I had a bathroom remodeled last year and the shower was finished about 8 months ago."

" The grout line in the second pic was done only a couple months ago "

Perhaps theres more to the saga and Ed is just warming up?

Do you think individual tiles are moving or the whole wall?

"So I had a bathroom remodeled last year and the shower was finished about 8 months ago."

" The grout line in the second pic was done only a couple months ago "

Perhaps theres more to the saga and Ed is just warming up?

The shower tile was done about 8 months ago. The contractor moved very slowly to finish. The vertical grout line on the other side of the shower showed a small crack going all the way down. He came back and did a thicker grout line on that side and I asked him to do the other side thicker to make it look even. The crack on the other side is beginning to reappear.

Do you think individual tiles are moving or the whole wall?

I don't know. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Tile 101. Corners at any change of plane shouldn’t be grouted. They should be caulked. If that is what you are describing as moving, that's normal. Walls move seasonally. That’s normal. Which is why changes of plane are caulked. Dig out the grout and fill with matching silicone caulk.

Movement of any kind damages tile and grout. You do not have tiles “popping out” without shards of grout and tile littering the shower. And something substantially wrong behind them. Like a major water leak.

So again thanks. Just so I'm clear you're saying to take out the grout and put in caulk in the vertical lines that connect each wall? It's troubling that my contractor did it the wrong way.

You're right the tiles are not 'popping out', but the movement has been noticeable in 8 months and if they continue to move at the same rate, in a couple years seems like this could start to happen.

"in a couple years seems like this could start to happen."

If the walls continue to move like this in a couple of years a few tiles "poppin" will be the least of your worries. Save up dollars starting now as at some point it sounds to me like it will need to be a complete gut again in the not soi distant future.

So I continue to notice some gradual movement, and have one more question that i didn't think to ask before. The contractor had put in the wrong color grout initially and then took it out to re-grout with the current grout. Could that have compromised the stability of the tiles (esp if maybe he took shortcuts in the process)?

More than likely a combination of every bit of hackery you have describled to this point. It will not get better on its own. Internet advice is worth what you pay for it, BUT when you have this many people who know the business all tell your vitually the same thing, it is beyond time to get a local pro in there to tell you its time to gut and start over. The question is not what did he do wrong but what did he do right, and that answer should be apparent to you by now.

Thanks for the comments, I am going to have some pros take a look. But I find additional opinions helpful.