skip to main content

Bathrooms Flooring Design Dilemma

Is this a bad shower tile job? PLEASE HELP

last year

last modified: last year

My wife and I are closing on our first house. It is brand new construction. From what i've seen everything in the house has been constructed with great attention to detail. The only issue I have is the master shower. The builder went with a wavy tile and the installer seemed to do a good job until he reached the corners. The grout lines are very wavy and look out of place when compared to the rest of the shower. I admit I am a little OCD but IMO it looks like an amateur job especially for what the house is costing us. Was there something different the installer should have done? Can this be fixed or does it need to be re done?

Featured Answer

Iri

last year

There is going to be a wavy line due to the face of the tile. There is no way to make it not wavy. You can replace the grout (or caulk) with one color matched to the tile to hide the waves, but that's about it. Looks like a pretty nice and NEAT job to me.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (18)

kculbers
last year
I agree with you; have those areas fixed.
Linda
last year
Changes in plane require caulk, not grout. Should be easy enough to remove and try again.
Related Discussions
Please help--bad tile job! What now?
Q
Comments (24)
I googled something else and found this thread. Lippageis poor craftsmanship. I was looking for a way to explain to my client why im taking so long. They keep complaining im slow at tiling I keep telling them im very detailed and every stone must fit perfect. Polishing lippage is wrong probably why it broke. A planatary floor sander should be used first to smooth out lippage. a full section should be done, like a room and stop on a grout line/seem. Then honing using honing powder to the desired finish this for natural stone. Polishing will not remove lippage. From WORK From WORK
...See More
Help with a bad slate tile job!!
Q
Comments (2)
It really doesn't bother me all that much. It almost looks like it's intended to be a doorway header. Who's to say where a "completely unacceptable" row of tile might have fallen had he started in the middle of the room and how that would have affected the areas you currently find "completely unacceptable". If it's really bothersome, could the tiles be cut back to the midpoint of the partition and add a piece of wood floor to meet halfway? Will the grout be light or dark?
...See More
Help! Is this a bad tile job or am I crazy?
Q
Comments (5)
No it is not a acceptable installation. When the boxes of tile were opened and found to be poorly mounted on the sheets I would bring it to your attention and give you the option to select another mosaic or pay me by the hour to make it look acceptable. It's one thing to adjust a couple of tiles per sheet but there is plenty of poor quality mosaics out there that can turn a 2 hour installation into a nightmare and the tile setter can not be expected to absorb that cost. Never the less it should have been discussed prior.
...See More
Bad TIle Job! Help Please!!
Q
Comments (10)
Not done to industry standards. Here are the industry standards. He’s probably never heard of the TCNA. Buy two copies. Give him one. If he cares, he’ll try to fix it correctly. If he’s a hack, he’ll puff up and do the “Ive been doing it that way for 30 years” even though he.’s barely 40. Read your contract in order to figure our how to fire him. https://www.tcnatile.com/products-and-services/publications/218-english-publications/188-handbook/968-2020-tcna-handbook-for-ceramic-glass-and-stone-tile-installation.html Here is for the next contractor interview after you fire that one. https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/homeowners-guide-to-hiring-qualified-tile-installer
...See More
Rehabit
last year
change the caulk to match the tiles there should be no grout at joints if its grout then I would question the tile job
E Richard
Original Author
last year
No caulk was used. It's all grout from what I can see. Would caulk give me straighter lines at the joints?
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
No, you have two wavy surfaces meeting so the line will be irregular. A less contrasting grout would have concealed it more but it is what it is.
Kate
last year
If you carefully tape it off and then caulk it might be marginally better, but agree with Hallett.
cpartist
last year
How are you proposing the tiler make the wavy tiles straight so you won't see it on the corners?
acm
last year
It looks like a well-laid tile installation.
thinkdesignlive
last year
Iri said it - it’s the face of the tile that is creating the wave. No way around it.
Linda Doyle
last year
It would drive me crazy too... I would put a straight edge against it to see if the grout was actually installed straight and if the lines are the problem... the wavy lines coming together in other areas isn't having the same effect so I am not sure that is the problem...
Iri
last year
You only get the wavy lines where tile is cut because the tile was made to have level edges top and bottom and the waves meet on the short edges. It's rather nice.
millworkman
last year
The grout needs to come out and be replaced with 100% silicone. You will still have the waviness as it is inherent in the tile choice but it will not crack like grout will.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
This is like complaining that your car tires are round. It's the nature of the beast. As long as the wavy tile meets any straight plane, it's going to look like this.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
It's a very good job. Leave it alone, or rip the tile to a different selection.

You are asking to tear a crusty bread loaf in half, and have the crust meeting appear smooth when joined. Not happening. You got a great tile install.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO whay was the builder choosing those tiles . You got IMO as good as it will get the tile is the issue and the high contrast grout just make sit all worse.
chispa
last year
The one thing that could have been done differently would have been to use a piece of solid surface material on the bench top (granite, quartz, corian). Easier to keep clean, specially with wavy lines going side to side and not in the direction that the bench should be sloped, which should be back to front.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
The only thing that SHOULD have been differently.........edit : )

Bench tops, curb tops, corner shelves all etc..... always solid surface! Why? Grout is not water proof. A better look as well.

Related Stories

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

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

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 Accent Tile Stands Out in the Shower

By Becky Harris

A Little of Your Favorite Tile Adds a Lot of Color and Fun

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Bathroom of the Week: Teal Tile and a Curbless Shower

By Becky Harris

A down-to-the-studs renovation creates an open and airy feel in under 70 square feet

BATHROOM DESIGN Shower Curtain or Shower Door?

By Lara Sargent

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

TILE Let’s Talk Tile: An Alphabetical Guide to Tile Terminology

Get set for a tile project with this handy glossary of shapes, materials, finishes and more

BATHROOM DESIGN New This Week: 9 Bathrooms With Sensational Shower-Tub Combos

By Mitchell Parker

See how graphic tile, hardware finishes and other elements help integrate a bathtub in an interesting way

Sponsored

Mary Shipley Interiors

32 Reviews

Columbus OH Premier Interior Designer 10x Best of Houzz

More Discussions

Coretec Conch Ash, need pictures & review of this flooring

7

Help! Dilemma With Red Oak Hardwood Flooring

16

flooring help please

1

Do I need to water pop hardwoods if I like the stain already without w

4

Need your help fining the right direction to install my vinyle planks

2