skip to main content

Bathrooms Building a Home

New Build - Shower tile niche (Did they do a bad or good job?)

2 years ago

Hi! I have zero experience with construction, but was wondering if this is a decent tile job for the shower niche? To my untrained eye it looks like it’s uneven and the smaller cut tiles look off. Please let me know what you guys think! Thanks in advance!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

Jeff Meeks
2 years ago
Terrible layout
just_janni
2 years ago
My jury is out on this one.
- They used bullnose and not something like Schluter which limits the options on tile sizes and leads to the busyness you see around the sides.
- The middle tile on the left side looks crooked - is that a niche issue or a setting issue? can't tell
- The placement is wonky and not centered - but with that tiles size and that niche size, I am not sure what would look better (again - related to the partial tiles around the sides AND the partial tiles along the left side.)
- What color is your ground going to be? If the answer is dark - you'll hate this every day. If light - you will be okay
- Who picked the tiles and the niche size? This feels like it would have been a perfect place to use a different background tile to elimiate the weird placement / alignment issue
All in all - if this was all they had to work with (the field tile and the half size bullnose) they did a reasonable job - but it still looks unappealing. Don't make it worse with dark grout.
Related Discussions
Help: Bad Shower/Tub Tile Job?
Q
Comments (5)
I feel qualified to comment on this issue, as we had a similar problem occur in our build with respect to the finish carpentry. To make a long story shorter, the trim carpenter did a horrible job - placing way too many nails in the trimwork, many unnecessary holes in our closet walls, and putting on chair rails upside down, etc. The excuse was that since our trimwork was to be painted, all of the nail holes (sometimes over 30 in a 5' piece of trim) could be puttied and covered. But it was so bad, and our painter wasn't happy about having to do all that nail covering work. So we insisted that the trim be replaced where needed and attached properly to the walls. Painted trim is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship. We thought we would encounter some resistance with our builder, and initially, we did, but once they saw how bad it was, they ordered a new trim package and fixed all of the problems, including recutting all of our poorly cut window ledges. We asked that the original trim carpenters not come back to do this, and we are now very happy and very satisfied with the replacement work. If you don't ask, it won't happen. We are not "picky" people, and we do not wish to engage in unnecessary whining and complaining, but consider the fact that you have paid a lot of money for this and that it is not what you asked for. Your builder is responsible for the work of his subcontractors. I hope that you can get the issue resolved. When subcontractors are working with such expensive materials, they need to be careful and professional in carrying out their work. Jan
...See More
Bad tile job?
Q
Comments (40)
I had a wonderful contractor but had tiling issues galore. My contractor was willing to swallow the cost of a redo and hire another tiler to fix all issues but in my state the rule is to allow the orginal contractor a chance to fix mistakes before withholding payment. I know my contractor has kids in college, does not make obscene profits off of his clients and is a really great guy so I did not want him to lose money on my job if the orginal tile contractor could fix the issues so we worked with him and gave the tiler the opportunity to fix the big issues. If after the orginal guy redid the shower and lippage on floor it was still unacceptable than I would have let the contractor hire anew. Luckily the tiler did a good enough repair. There are two tiles of lippage less than a quarters depth on the shower wall but I can live with those when the shower drains and dries now properly. My tiler was a nice guy and has done great work before for other satisfied customers. I am not sure what happened in my shower the first time around but I know sometimes factors are out of people's control and mistakes can happen even to good professionals. I did use a tough pattern with LFT so it was part product and part my choice of pattern at fault to be honest. Sometimes giving a contractor a second chance works while other times some people do not learn from their mistakes but I do feel working with people towards a solution that benefits all parties is always the best first option.
...See More
Is this bad tile job going to cause me problems?
Q
Comments (35)
Yes, the wall tile is bad. Probably, based on the drywall next to it, because the wall is bad. I see zero evidence of durarock peaking out behind the tile, so I suspect you might just have sloppy drywall behind the wall tile which is why it looks so uneven. And which also means you likely do not have proper waterproofing. You didn't ask, but the shower pan is absolutely wrong and should be taken out. Even if the missing curb was not an issue, which it is, the size of the tile doesn’t allow for a proper pitch to the drain in such a small span. Your shower door will not be able to contain the water. Please fix this before you invest any further. Best of luck.
...See More
Did my hardwood flooring installer do a good job?
Q
Comments (4)
We would categorize most of these as minor installation issues. The BUCKLING on the end boards is not supposed to happen. Was the board fit UNDERNEATH the baseboards or did they REMOVE the base boards and install up to the drywall? The milling issue with the plank that has a poorly aligned end edge should not have been installed...but you mentioned the amount delivered to the house was VERY tight on square footage. Someone probably made the executive decision to put it in and hope for the best. The H joint - just the one - is not nice but nothing 'exciting'. If this happened throughout an entire room now you have cause to worry. The scratches should not be there. The pin hole isn't nice either. It was either there because someone nailed through it or it was there because it came from the factory that way. Hard to say but certainly annoying. The BUCKLING needs to be fixed. That can NOT be left in place. These get pulled and reinstalled. And if that means removing the baseboard again...then not your fault. As for the rest, I would ask for discounts. I know you want perfection but the building industry doesn't have that word in it's repertoire. Getting discounts is a nice bonus. Having money in your pocket at the end of a renovation is a HUGE advantage. Now for the tile, I would be careful with the subfloor structure. Tile on wood is allowed....so long as the subfloor has the appropriate deflection rating. That is when the joist measurements (on-centre measurement) is added to the TOTAL THICKNESS of the subfloor (two layers at least) to get a deflection rating. The tile you have ordered/purchased has a MINIMUM deflection rating. The subfloor will need to MEET or EXCEED the deflection rating. And THAT'S where 'underlayment' comes in. Plywood is regularly used to 'stiffen' a subfloor to achieve a deflection rating. Unfortunately they are doing the tile LAST....which means it is entirely possible the tile will sit HIGHER than the hardwood. I'm not sure if it will or if it won't. You will need to speak with the GC (flooring guy you hired...not his subs).
...See More
catbuilder
2 years ago
Who decided on the niche size and placement? It should have been made slightly narrower to line up with the left grout line (or slightly larger and moved over to the right to line up with the right grout line) and taller to line up with the top grout line.

Who decided how the niche would be trimmed out? Using the 2" bullnose pieces on the inside of the niche necessitated the skinny tiles on the sides. It wouldn't look as bad if they had located the niche to line up with the grout lines, since there wouldn't be those extra skinny pieces on the left side, bottom and back. It would have looked a lot better if a solid piece of stone or solid surfacing had been used for the bottom, and possibly to also line the sides inside of the niche instead of the tile there.
Abi Shelton
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for the feedback. We had no say on the plans since our builder is semi-custom (Taylor Morrison).
chisue
2 years ago
Not pretty. Why not a solid (no grout) bottom? Does the bottom tilt a bit (drain correctly) or will water sit on it? This shouldn't be a huge deal to break out and do properly.
kculbers
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
They should have used much smaller tiles in the niche area.
scout
2 years ago
The niche should have been the size of two tiles to eliminate the extra small piece, or a different tile all together.
Mrs Pete
2 years ago
Bad job. Looks like a toddler's been scribbling.
PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
"The grouting color looks faded in several areas."

Hmmm. Would it not need to be grouted first to determine that:)?

In response to a now edited / deleted comment above.
Jeff Meeks
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
@chisue Breaking the tile out from the niche could compromise the waterproofing. It's important to lay the tile out first so that issues can be addressed before any thinset enters the equation. The tile on the wall doesn't look terrible, but the niche was a step too far for whoever did the tiling. They were obviously not a profession tile contractor.
chisue
2 years ago
Jeff -- OK, wishful thinking on my part! Thanks for the correction.

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN How to Pick a Shower Niche That's Not Stuck in a Rut

By By Any Design Ltd.

Forget "standard." When you're designing a niche, the shelves and spacing have to work for your individual needs

BATHROOM DESIGN How to Build a Better Shower Curb

By By Any Design Ltd.

Work with your contractors and installers to ensure a safe, stylish curb that keeps the water where it belongs

SHOWERS Turn Your Shower Niche Into a Design Star

By Becky Harris

Clear glass surrounds have raised the design bar for details such as shampoo and soap shelves. Here are 4 standouts

BATHROOM DESIGN How to Choose Tile for a Steam Shower

By By Any Design Ltd.

In steamy quarters, tile needs to stand up to all that water and vapor in style. Here's how to get it right the first time

BATHROOM DESIGN Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — the Tiling and Grouting Phase

By By Any Design Ltd.

Step 3 in swapping your tub for a sleek new shower: Pick the right tile and test it out, then choose your grout color and type

REMODELING GUIDES Top 10 Tips for Choosing Shower Tile

By By Any Design Ltd.

Slip resistance, curves and even the mineral content of your water all affect which tile is best for your shower

Avoid Falling Bottles with a Shower Niche!

By Becky Harris

SHOWERS Shower Design: 13 Tricks With Tile and Other Materials

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Playing with stripes, angles, tones and more can add drama to your shower enclosure

BATHROOM DESIGN Designer Trick: Take Your Shower Tile to the Ceiling

By Jennifer Bishop Design

Tile the whole wall in your shower to give your bath a light and lofty feel

BATHROOM DESIGN Shower Curtain or Shower Door?

By Lara Sargent

Find out which option is the ideal partner for your shower-bath combo

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help me locate this tile manufacturer or where to find it please pleas

7

building costs in Seattle

12

Design Proportion Dilemma

12

Front Door Steps

8

Floor outlet placement - Living Room!! FURNITURE LAYOUT RECS!

0