Tiling a bathroom. A basic question from an EXTREME novice!

daxearles · 15 Aug 2006

First of all, my name is Dax and I am a not even a DIY novice but, as the saying goes, if want a job done properly, do it yourself.
I am having a downstairs toilet tiled, as you would do a bathroom, and have uploaded some photos to show the work so far. As you can see, the vertical tiles (on the wall) do not line up with the horizontal tiles (on the floor). I assume that they should but is there a reason why they should not. I only had this stage of the work done today but everytime I go in there, the lines just jump out at me.
Am I being pedantic or has this tiler not done a proper job?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as the guy is coming back tomorrow morning for round 2!

Another question that springs to mind is how easy would it be for the tiler to lift the tiles on the floor and do it again? They have already been stuck down. Could the tiles be saved?

http://www.imagebucket.net/bucket/4108/Bumbo_007.jpg

http://www.imagebucket.net/bucket/4109/Bumbo_008.jpg

http://www.imagebucket.net/bucket/4110/Bumbo_009.jpg

Rangoon · 16 Aug 2006

They dont look right do they and looking at the pics I cant see why your tiler cant do a better job of lining them up with wall tiles, to be honest it doesn't look like he's even attempted to.

Tiles on floor can be lifted but he may break a few, but he should replace FOC.

daxearles · 16 Aug 2006

Thanks for your thoughts.

When I looked at the job I thought there might be a reason why you shouldn't line them up but I certainly can't think why (from a logical point of view).

It is costing in the region of £1400 for the work and the toilet, sink and tiles weighed in at over £600 so for over £2000, I do want a first class toilet but I want to make sure that I know what I am talking about tomorrow morning.

gcol · 16 Aug 2006

The wall with the window and toilet is fine (he's centred the tiles on the window). The radiator wall is also fine. But the wall opposite the door is wrong. He's not got the tiles centred on the wall. Is the anything further up that wall that would force him to tile like that?
As mentioned, there doesn't appear to be an obvious reason why he's not even attempted to get the joints to match on the floor. If he hadn't have used the full tile on the back wall near the radiator then he would have had enough tile available on the floor tiles to allow for any unsquare walls. Hope that last bit is clear.
Let us know what happens.

daxearles · 16 Aug 2006

Thanks for that. He came this morning, along with his boss, and I explained my concerns. The boss had actually told him to line up the grout lines but he had forgotten (he is supposed to be a tiler by trade!).
As for the war opposite the door, there is nothing above on the wall. The reason it is like it is was because he started with a whole tile in the far right and then tiled leftwards. This meant that he would only have to cut down one row of tiles. If he had centred the tile, he would have had to cut down two rows of tiles (if you know what I mean).
Anyway after a discussion with the boss, he said to get some more tiles which he would pay for. They are going to tile over the top of the ones that are already down and make sure that the grout lines line up this time.
To be honest, it's times like this when I don't know why I don't have a go at doing it myself. I'm sure that there are some difficult aspects to the job but everytime I go in there at the moment, I think back to a 'House of Horrors' programme the other day in which the workmen called themselves 'Botch it and scarper!'

Moz · 16 Aug 2006

daxearles
JESUS H CHRIST !!! OMFG !!!!!! ......*moz is so stunned !*

This is absolutely awful , Im shocked ,an for 2k ....truely terrible ....was the supposed tiler drunk or on crack ...??????

I have seen diyer jobs done by old ladies 100% better than that , I would have fired the guy if he had worked for my old firm ...
an I would of offered to do the job for materials for the sake of saving goodwill /being done by trading standards over that pathetic mess ...

Can I just reassure you not all Pro Tilers are cowboy merchants

Im genuinely really sorry for you I hope you get things sorted an get a very good discount off the price
moz

gcol · 16 Aug 2006

daxearles said:
As for the war opposite the door, there is nothing above on the wall. The reason it is like it is was because he started with a whole tile in the far right and then tiled leftwards. This meant that he would only have to cut down one row of tiles. If he had centred the tile, he would have had to cut down two rows of tiles (if you know what I mean).

Oh I understand you perfectly. He's done something that anyone with the first clue about tiling wouldn't do.
And as for tiling over the top. I take it you mean the floor and not the back wall? What would the difference in levels be to the flooring outside the bathroom if you have another layer of tiles down? Won't it be far too high? I think I'd be looking at getting them to take up the floor tiles and take off the back wall tiles too.

Moz · 16 Aug 2006

gcol=scrabby doo
2k for that money ,
I will pick you up in The Mystery Machine after shaggy has given me my scooby snacks , lol
we should have that sh*te ripped out , an a proper job sorted ,
daxearles will have a Top Class Boss Job ,

see ya later scooby doo

moz

Ps
any good nightlife in Worcester..lol...lol..lol..lol...lol...lol...lol...lol...lol..lol
btw since selling my firm is it unprofessional to still do a bit ?

daxearles · 16 Aug 2006

They have tiled over the floor tiles and this time the grout lines do line up. I thought there would be a lip between the toilet into the corridor but he said that he can use a carpet to tie strip so that the slight height difference is dealth with.

I did think about the tiles on the far wall but in the left hand corner of the room will be the toilet so, as you enter the toilet, you will see whole tiles straight ahead while the half tiles on the left end will be partially obscured by the toiletn which I think is his reasoning, although it could have been the easy option.

As for Worcester, the night life is supposed to be OK if you like hanging around with 13 year olds who should be at home doing their homework!

gcol · 16 Aug 2006

You've got to understand that Moz ain't all there. Moz it's "Scrappy Doo" but I don't see why you think that would be me (I'm 6'2"). You don't wanna be calling people names really do you?

Moz · 16 Aug 2006

gcol
massisive ........

Hey 6 '11 fella , Sorry ...

only as said I ...!

great joke here .........
sorry if I upset ...

far from it , SORRY !!......

gcol · 17 Aug 2006

I was mearly mentioning that I was tall. Scrappy Doo wasn't. That's what I was refering to. Obviously you took it as a threat.

What I meant by "you don't really want to be calling people names" was, that you're the last person that should be calling anyone names. There's so many names we could call you, but we don't.

Moz · 18 Aug 2006

that you're the last person that should be calling anyone names. There's so many names we could call you, but we don't.

lol..lol..lol..lol.....lol....lol...

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Tiling a bathroom. A basic question from an EXTREME novice!

Moz

Moz

Moz

Moz

Similar threads