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Kitchens Remodeling Design Dilemma

Zellige Tile Install “Wavy”

last year

Hello. Would you ask your installer to redo these two “wavy” spots?

We had our clé Zellige tile in weathered white installed yesterday. I asked the installer to use 1/16” spacers per the website recommendation and he said butt joint is better in his experience given the size variations. I went with it. I then started to notice a “wavy” spot where the tiles started to shift. I asked him about it as he was installing and he said that it’s just the imperfections of the tile and that it will straighten back out.

Overall I think he did a fabulous job except for the now two wavy spots. The website says to use wedge spacers to help with unevenness.

Would you ask him to redo these two spots?

Featured Answer

millworkman

last year

Absolutely. Maybe just the tile but the whole install looks a little wonky in my opinion.

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Comments (8)

Katie K
Original Author
last year
Edit to add better photos
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Is this the beginning of your tile laying career? I had a seasoned tile professional install a backsplash with handmade tile just last week, and he had to resort to spacing tricks like using toothpicks as shims along with standard plastic spacers in order to make the grout lines straight. There's a lot of variation in handmade tile.
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Kendrah
last year
I’m sorry but the entire range backsplash looks horrible to me. And there are many area on the window wall that look messed up not just the area you pointed out. Can you show more close ups of areas to the left and right of the window?

I would absolutely have this redone, though likely not by him. He didn’t do a fabulous job and I think he is a BS’er saying they will even themselves out. He’s not skilled.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
"Zellige should not use a grout joint (should be butt jointed). Wedge spacers can be used to allow for variation in the butted tiles. Minimal maintenance is required on Zellige tiles. Mild soaps or neutral cleaners should be sufficient for most cleaning."

Gotta be honest. No it doesn't look great. HOWEVER.

You are not running a sauna. It's too much darn tile for ANY kitchen , it's overkill in any tile. It was beyond ambitious in this tile.

Re do the back splash, perhaps with a different installer, and btw.......we know not how plumb your walls.

The window wall? Drywall. Or bottom of cabinet height at most. Sorry.......but the entire concept of tile, protective and decorative - has gone beyond the pale. Yes, I well realize not what you asked : )
H202
last year
I get that the Zellege is supposed to be wavy and wonky, but why do i see whole diagonal lines that seem out of kilter? Like ten tiles in a step-down row make a very obvious staircase pattern jutting out of the wall, right? Which can't be the random ness of the tile, because the wonkiness i'm seeing isn't random. But i'm not a pro on tiles...
millworkman
last year
" That waviness and wonkiness is the whole entire POINT of zellege "

Big difference between that and what the op is showing. The entire wall is off, way off.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO wrong tile for the purpose and I agree way too much of it too.
Kendrah
last year
Back to the reality of what the OP has on her hands right now. Can you measure by how much the out of wack tiles are protruding from the wall? Yes, this kind of tile isn't supposed to be completely flush to the tile next to it. However, there is a difference between the natural wave and uneveness inherent in this tile and a poor installation job resulting in a huge protusion. I see a few places with a step down pattern, which is not good.

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