#1 What waterproofing system was used, and do you have in progress pictures showing how the shower was built?

#2 It’s poor quality tile. Terrible, in fact,

#3 The tile guy matches the tile. He should have showed you why a 50/50 offset wouldn’t work with that field tile, and thrown that marble in the trash.

#4 Does the job price match the waterproofing used, tile quality, and skill level? What did you pay for the job?

Here are some in progress photos. Really just looking for knowledgeable opinions on the quality of the workmanship regarding the installation.

Complete do over. Incorrect screw pattern for the underlayment, no seams or corners taped, no thinset over seams and tape, no waterproofing. And no protection of the tub from chipping or scratching. Then terrible quality tile in an unsuitable pattern, probably with mastic if the in progress pictures are any indication.

You needed someone with a clue. And who would send you to their approved suppliers for your tile. That seconds marble is really bad.

What did you pay for the job? Sub 2K?

https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/homeowners-guide-to-hiring-qualified-tile-installer

@greendesigns I have a contractor. His tile guy did the installation. The price I am paying
Is for all of the work being done in the bathroom, so I don’t know how much of that is going towards the tile.

How do you know the tile is poor quality? What makes you say that the marble tile should have been thrown in the trash?

It looks to me like the tile on both of the short walls (wall with the plumbing and opposite wall with the niche) are bowing out in the middle. When I look at those walls, I would think that the tile would appear flat. Instead, some tiles are kind of jutting out, like the circled tile in the picture with the niche. The niche itself is fairly flat with the tile on the right side, but the left side sticks out from the tile. I’m sure I’m not using the correct technical terms for all of this, but I hope you understand what I mean.

For the floor tile photo, it is obvious to me there are spots where grout is missing, and the tile spacing seems wonky. The remainder of the floor looks ok (to me) with the exception of a darker spot in the corner. It looked to me like that area was wet. Contractor said it was variation in the tile, but it is a small area of tile, not like one sheet of tile.

So if this is all screwed up, what should I do?

The floor:

1. It looks like the tiler didn't use spacers between the sheets of hex, hence the too-close on the one side and too far space on the other. That's also why the grout lines are so uneven along the match lines in your photo. Chances are good that this problem is repeated throughout the bathroom.

2. The grout was mixed with a little too much water and that's what caused the pin holes. Those holes in the grout are going to be water conduits to the sub-floor.

The shower:

1. Did you notice if the tiler put up a plastic sheet or tar paper over the studs before he/she screwed up the Durock? Since there is no water proofing on the front side of the Durock, plastic sheeting or tar paper behind it is the minimum needed to water proof your shower walls. It's not optional, it's absolutely necessary.

2. The tile you circled has some major lippage, meaning that a tile sticks way above the one next to it. Is this a one-off? If this is the only tile that sticks out like this, then ask the tiler to fix it. If it is one of many, that is a different conversation.

The tile in this remodel is probably expected to be in place for another 40+ years, but that won't be the case if the job isn't done right. Potential lack of appropriate water proofing in the shower is a major, major problem that could cost you buckets down the road. Lippage is just going to annoy you every time you look at it. Same for uneven spacing on the floor. Holey grout can lead to a soggy sub-floor and a major fix in a few years. Do some research online to get an idea how to fix that. It would be totally reasonable to get the tiler to come and fix that.

The tile spacing of the mosaic is really off. As are the color distribution and quality of the stone. Its box store quality. Larger tiles all have bows in them because of how they are fired. The poorer quality ones are often banana shaped. Put two of them back to back and face to face. see how much gapping there is. You’ll see how poor quality they are then.

That isn’t a large enough tile to have that much bowing. bBut it is large enough to need a larger grout line and not to use a 50% offset. It should have been no more than 1/3 offset. That 50% and too narrow grout lines accented the poor quality, instead of masking it. A Pro would have talked to you about the tile quality, and if you were set on it, suggested spacing strategies to minimize the issues. And then charged more. A LOT more. Imagine hand correcting the poor spacing of all of those little hexes!

It’s a complete redo. No saving it. There is no waterproofing. It will leak. Your GC is being a cheap bastad as it’s referred to in the trades. Bastardo barando. He hired someone not skilled enough to do the job, in order to create better margin for his bottom line. He needs to be taught a lesson that going cheap costs more in the long term.

I am not a pro, but it does look as though the seams are not taped and sealed as they are supposed to be. The reason they are supposed to do that is so that as your house moves over time (which is normal) you don’t want the substrate (the Durock) seams to move or bow-out and crack your tile and grout.

Ask the tile pro or contractor what waterproofing materials and methods he used. Then post his answer on here. All we can see is the Durock with no waterproofing on top of it and untapped seems.

Read this for tips on how to conduct the talk with the contractor about waterproofing and some options on what you can do if it was not done correctly.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5725013/what-to-do-when-a-project-goes-completely-south#n=13

I don’t think the tiles are the issue. We just grabbed a couple out of the box and put them together front to front and front to back. Photos below. In looking at the short walls that seem bowed, it appears they are bowing out in the middle by about 1/2”. We will ask about the waterproofing. That is very concerning as the reason for our remodel is that our upstairs neighbor flooded this bathroom. We certainly don’t want any more water issues than we’ve already had.

The tile guy did not use spacers for the floor.

I’m struggling with this because on the one hand I’m trying to keep my powder dry and realize that every project will have issues, but on the other hand I’m spending a lot of money on this, and I want it to be right and look right. Once this bathroom is finished we will also be doing our entire master bathroom. Same upstairs neighbor also flooded that one, but it’s still useable. We had to do this guest bath first because that flood was category 3. That category 3 water also got in to our hardwood floor (which runs without breaks through our entire house except 2 bedrooms) and the carpet in a bedroom, so we also have to have some hardwood replaced but then the entire floor redone. My plan was to use this contractor for all of this work. So I’m trying to balance not being that person who complains about every little thing with getting what I’m paying for. I got this contractor through a recommendation from one of my neighbors who used him for her remodel and loved him.

I really appreciate all of the comments and suggestions. Will for sure post what contractor says once we talk.

A tile that small shouldn’t have any real gapping. It isn’t 36” long.

What does that mean, it shouldn’t have any real falling?

Just went in and took the following pix. First one you can see how much bowing there is on the wall with the plumbing. The box is flush against the center of the wall. You can see how far away it is from being flush with the wall where that wall meets the back wall.

Second pic you can see better how the niche is sticking out on the left side.

Third pic is the grout between the niche wall and the back wall. We showed this to the contractor already, and he said he was going to put silicone over it. Is that a legit fix?

Thank you dragonfly for taking the time to correct multiple statements of misinformation. I cringe every time I see someone state spacers are required. Have not used them in over 25years as many installers I know. Tiles can be inconsistent in size. So how can you have a consistent grout joint? Spacers can cause problems with some tile.

You hit the grout issue, bowed tiles with cheap and expensive handmade, offset, substrate prep.

Many thumbs up to you!!

Keep in mind there is a particular contractor above who comments on EVERY SINGLE POST that contains a picture of a shower by declaring it isn't waterproofed correctly and must be ripped out immediately or it will leak like a sieve. Check every other post containing a picture of a shower and you will see him there.

Dragonfly Tile wrote:

(those aren't pin holes and likely had nothing to do with how the grout was mixed)

What is the issue then? We have a few of these in our kitchen backspash (DIY, and we are meticulous), and that's what I thought it was. No?

Wow - thank you Dragonfly for an incredibly thorough response! We’re meeting with our contractor tomorrow at 9. I’ll be sure to post an update.

Is all of this just cosmetic or are there real issues here that I need to make sure get redone? I know the grout in the floor tile needs to be redone and that the silicone needs to go where all on the planes change, but what about the other stuff?

To the tile pros that posted.....I see zero waterproofing here (unless there is something under the durarock), and I see no mention of that in your posts. Also, another poster mentioned that tar paper can be used as a material for waterproofing....tar paper is NOT waterproof.

Niday - I believe multiple pros commented in the fact that there is no waterproofing.

Bleedcubbieblue.....more important than the warped tiles, poor grouting, and uneven grout joints is whether or not your installer did any waterproofing because there is no visible waterproofing in your photos. You need to have him explain to you how he he waterproofed everything.

Nidnay - Yes, I should have mentioned that we are also going to ask what waterproofing was utilized. If that was not done adequately, then it’s a deal breaker anyway for the tub surround tile as that would have to come out in order to correctly do waterproofing. I am HOPING (glass half full person here) that was done adequately, so was just focusing on if this tile had to be redone or if we could accept anything else.

Please understand that when commenting on a thread online, with photos and some descriptions, none of us can unequivocally determine the methods and materials used. This is why it is best that you have the discussions that you are planning to have. What is important is that you are expecting the work to conform to industry standards (we sited those above). Some of your concerns "may" go beyond the visual result. As for waterproofing, there are multiple methods of assuring the water tight integrity of an installation and the materials and methods can vary and still conform to standards. Unfortunately, the public often takes one approach that they hear of, and apply it across the board. You have a tub surround, which is different than a shower receptacle, as an example. You need much more information about the methods and materials used. Ask about a warranty. We won't comment on every little detail at this point. We just encourage you to have the conversation and ask the questions. If you are still unsure, you can do more research. Best of luck.

UPDATE: We had a great discussion with our contractor this morning. Waterproofing for the tub surround was done and thin set used over so I’m good with that. He’s going to replace the entire wall that’s bowing out, where the plumbing fixtures will be going. He is also going to replace the mosaic floor tiles and grout where the spacing isn’t even. For the back wall where the niche is, he’s going to fix the grey soapstone where it’s sticking out on that left side so it’s flush with the wall like the right side is.

I’m very happy with what we agreed to. I think it’s fair and I can live with what we are and are not having redone. I very much appreciate all of the comments and advice - thank you! We’re at the beginning of this project so I am sure I will have more things come up.

Did he say what method/type of waterproofing was used?

@Nidnay - yes. He explained that waterproofing for a tub surround is different than waterproofing for a stand alone shower. For the tub surround, they used the Durock and then taped the seams. They then used thin set over the seams. I should mention that I live in a condo building, so some products that I have seen others mention can’t be used in our building. I am satisfied with the waterproofing that was done.

I don’t see any waterproofing under the thinset as indicated. I doubt he would put it on so carefully as to not get any on the adjacent walls.

For your shower in particular, unless there is a plastic membrane behind the Durock, you do not have a shower that is waterproof. Durock is not a barrier to water infiltration....there needs to be plastic behind the Durock in order to keep water from penetrating into the framing, or a product such as Redguard must be applied to the inside surface. Durock is waterproof in the sense that it will not disintegrate when wet, but it will not stop water penetration. Durock themselves says in order to make an area waterproof, there needs to be a waterproof membrane installed behind their product. Additionally, thin set is not a barrier to water penetration either.

It's probably a good idea for you to get your contractor to tell you exactly what material is behind the Durock.

The way it works is there has to be a waterproofing layer either behind the Durock or in front of the Durock. It looks like you have neither. We can't see behind the Durock. Ask him what is behind the Durock. If there's nothing there except Durock attached to the wood studs of your wall, then you have no waterproofing.