Contractor Tiling Issues: What is accceptable?
I'm posting here in the hope that we can get some hive-mind help with deciding what to do moving forward on our kitchen renovation with a challenging relationship with the GC.
Our kitchen floor steps down to a mudroom and we originally contracted this guy to do the kitchen remodel and flooring in both rooms. Some red flags appeared, so we decided to tell him that we wanted to wait to do the mudroom and just get the kitchen done. But remember, he knows we want to tile both rooms continuously with the same tile.
Here are some pictures of the stair and some other areas that we think indicate poor craftsmanship. There are more issues, but this is representative. Are they as awful as we think? Should we try to salvage it? Has anyone been in a similar situation? We do not trust this guy's judgment.
It’s been long enough that we cannot return anything and they used 25% over on the kitchen tile and 12 of our 21 bullnose tiles when they should have used 6 or 7. He put 6 of the exact same tiles going in the same direction in the main part of the floor right next to or within one or two tiles of each other and several other Siamese-twin tiles were found. I sourced this tile after researching rectified porcelain tile for ease of installation, quality, and aesthetic variance—and advised him that this tile came with a huge variety of different patterns. The tile is now sold out and we don’t have enough left over to be sure of covering the mudroom without running out—especially if we use more to fix some of the apparent problems.
Any advice or experience that you can share could help us decide what to do. Thanks!
This was his solution to the stair to the mudroom that someone else would have to deal with to make work for both rooms. He did not plan on doing anything below the tile. He tiled on top of the trim and even some air. He knows we want to tile this whole stair.
Comments (13)
Kevin Doherty
2 years agoWe're also curious about the adhesion of the tiles. Here's one of the popped tiles.
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How would you handle these contractor issues?
Comments (8)Thanks everyone. We gave him a detailed list itemizing everything we feel should be corrected. He came this morning to meet with DH and said he agreed with the list and will fix all items (which I knew he would - he is a nice person). I guess I'm losing faith that it will ever really be done as well as I feel it should be given that I'm paying for it. We'll see. We were really hoping it worked out because we need the other bathroom done, as well as several other projects around the house....See More"Issues" With Bathroom Remodel (And Contractor)
Comments (21)Got the estimate from the professional design and remodel company--$1,500 plus materials. I have most of the materials ready to go. They will provide the mortar for setting the tub, thinset, wallboard, and "red guard" a waterproof mastic. He said it's a 2-day job max and he get started in about a week. Twenty percent deposit up front. The other guy, word processor printout dude, I spoke with yesterday and he was to call after getting off the other job but the call never came. Then I had to bite the bullet and let the folks know what was going on, that I had fired the original contractor. They went through the roof. "How could you do that? Why couldn't you be more patient? You must have spoken to him in a very negative tone. What are you going to do now?" I replied that I had been very patient, that he didn't keep his end of the bargain, and that I had treated him with "kid gloves", which was why felt he could take continual advantage of me/us. Keep in mind it has officially been 1 whole month since we began this project, and they just got back from their bi-yearly trip to Las Vegas. I would have told them before their trip but I didn't want to ruin it. So, after all the drama was over and the smoke had settled, I told them that I had a guy that could do it for $1,500, the going rate, not the 50% off rate like the other guy. They didn't mind the cost, but were more bothered by the "50% off" comment. They felt that the original price of $1,600 for the whole job was expensive enough, where the going rate, like an earlier poster mentioned, is $3,000 to $4,000. And that is probably what this last company would have charged to do the whole thing, but since it's halfway done they're only charging $1,500....See MoreIssues laying tile, My contractor can't get it right, is it me?
Comments (81)I just got an email from realstone systems, the tile manufacturer stating which adhesive to use for a warranty and the contractors lawyer just filed a mechanics lien on my property! This really pisses me off, he hasn’t even finished the other projects! He still has to wallpaper a wall, patch painting and redo a window glass install he didn’t match properly because I didn’t tell him which glass to use...my condo association isn’t happy about that! And just look at the discoloration!!...See MoreIssue with Tile - Contractors do not want to take responsibility
Comments (2)Do not make final payment. Your concerns are valid. The first thing I noticed was the jagged cut. Go to a professional tile shop and explain your situation. Have them come out and give you a quote for a proper installation in writing. Include waterproofing. Offer to pay them for the quote. You will need this to negotiate the way forward. Contact glass manufacturer for proper installation methods. As for the mosaics it's just poor workmanship....See MoreKevin Doherty
2 years agoKevin Doherty
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoWe had 3 National Tile Contractors Association-certified installers weigh in on this floor and they were unanimous in their "unfit" assessment. The first gentleman who came was crowned “Rockstar” installer at Coverings, the industry’s annual trade show a few years ago. Without prompting, he called out the underlayment as the main reason the floor will fail. The other two viewed the floor via video and still pics and said the same. One remarked that the contractor is doing everything “on the cheap,” and “nobody has used Durock for this purpose since 1979.”
We asked the first installer if he thought the floor could be salvaged and if he wanted the job and he suggested we go back to tongue-and-groove flooring—it would be more expensive and time-consuming to properly prepare the floor for tile. So that’s what we’re doing. We lucked out into an amazing wood floor company with a 5-star reputation and a slot we could squeeze into.
These first new pics are indicative of badly adhered ceramic tile. Ideally, you want 90% of the trowel ridges to flatten out. Most of the tiles did just pop right off. I’ll add more to this thread because it might help someone else identify problems before they become so expensive and stressful. [ https://youtu.be/roVqR--taAM ] [ https://youtu.be/2z5UbWawBAY ]
Kevin Doherty
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