Touching tiles

[geraldthehamster]

If I am totally honest, for me, the result is unacceptable, and again if it were me I would insist it was all redone. Sorry thats my opinion.

I agree with this. Some of those tiles are just completely on the p*ss. Honestly I think water ingress is a secondary issue. It will look far worse when it's grouted.

I would decline to pay him, and get someone in to do the job who has the experience to do it properly. Take lots of photos beforehand as evidence, in case he chooses to make a fuss about it.

To have any hope of cleaning off those tiles and re-using them, I wouldn't let him put grout anywhere near them. Cleaning hardened grout off is a nightmare.

Cheers
Richard

 

[greenlikeapples]

Bit over the top I think:

Marine ply, then we were told this was not good enough, so then Hardie Backer concrete board, then that tanked.

I think I am going to try to get the tiler to change the tiles that are touching, or if there are super wide gaps, and go with that.

I think he did his best, and unless you are going to pay hundreds for someone to sit there for days jigsawing tiles together, this is kind of what you get. As long as he doesn't give me grief for grumbling. We do like the unevenness, but not at the expense of being waterproof!

 

[greenlikeapples]

Hi Gerald

The problem is I have paid him some of the money already (stupidly). I am doing a whole house refurb and sometimes I just do things to get them done, you know, like paying someone for part of his job without fully checking I am happy with it. Maybe I will get him to change the p**sed ones too. I know what you mean. I am just a bit exhausted too and just want to get it done you know.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Hi Gerald

The problem is I have paid him some of the money already (stupidly). I am doing a whole house refurb and sometimes I just do things to get them done, you know, like paying someone for part of his job without fully checking I am happy with it. Maybe I will get him to change the p**sed ones too. I know what you mean. I am just a bit exhausted too and just want to get it done you know.

Yes I understand that.

A few years ago I had a supposed joiner make me some windows. I paid him half (£500) in advance. When the windows arrived they were of really poor quality (he clearly had no idea how to use a spindle moulder). He refused to refund my money unless I returned the windows and waited till he could find someone else to sell them to. I refused to return the windows without an immediate refund. We argued about it for a while, before I decided to write off the money I'd already paid, and move on (I still have the windows). At which point my blood pressure returned to normal

In your position I'd sack the tiler, write off what I'd paid him and get someone in to do it properly. Life's too short.

Cheers
Richard

 

[WabbitPoo]

That's the worst tiling job I have seen for a long time. That should all come off. All my opinion of course, but you know it, we know it. I bet even the tiler knows it.

 

[greenlikeapples]

Okay so

We have parted ways, my (ex) tiler and I. I did convince him to remove all the touching tiles, but every step was a battle of wills with no courtesy or service at all. I think he knew the basics, but was out of his depth, as several of you have said.

BUT we have decided not to remove all the tiles. We do kind of like the feel of it, and how it will work with the rest of the room/house. We now have another tiler removing the worst of this bad job (he wanted to take it all down and start again), and I think things will look okay, from our perspective, when it's all done. Yes I will post pictures!

I have ONE final question about grout and corners. Doe grout stick to tile glaze? I would have thought not, but both tilers I have now worked with say it is okay. In the corner, under the shower, one tile goes into the corner, and the other tile on the adjacent wall is tiled up to the glazed surface. The original tiler said he was going to silicone it, but there is no silicone to match the grout colour we have, so I am not sure what he was gong to do.

Anyone know the answer to this final little question?

 

[geraldthehamster]

Does grout stick to tile glaze?

Yes, it sticks like sh1t to anything.

Well done on losing the first tiler. Personally I'd let the new tiler remove everything and start again.

Cheers
Richard

 

[kbdiy]

I tiled my kitchen with some very similar irregular tiles, much the same as yours. I used spacers horizontally and vertically to achieve fairly consistent but intentionally not straight, grout lines and they looks fine. You tiler has gone the other way in trying to achieve straight grout lines which, in my opinion, are not the way these tiles should be laid.

The whole 'look' of these tiles is meant to be 'rustic', hence the irregular edges. He should have discussed this with you before going ahead, in my view.

 

[geraldthehamster]

The general principle with irregular tiles is that each should sit in the centre of its square in a real or imagined grid.

Cheers
Richard

 

[greenlikeapples]

Yeah I now see that he was out of his depth from the start, but didn't have the wherewithal to admit it or take positive steps.

The supplier of the tiles suggests keeping the lines good, i.e. the tile within the square approach, keeping the lines good. I guess it is whatever works for you. They are definitely a type of tile that you can use in different ways...

 

[EddieM]

Yeah I now see that he was out of his depth from the start, but didn't have the wherewithal to admit it or take positive steps.

The supplier of the tiles suggests keeping the lines good, i.e. the tile within the square approach, keeping the lines good. I guess it is whatever works for you. They are definitely a type of tile that you can use in different ways...

Hmm, "professional" tiler not being able to cope with hand cut tiles... not good!

 

[planenut]

Wasn't it the Romans who used to do mozaics?

 

[tilerman]

Pegs to small. I would use at least 4mm. Also, hard to keep level with irregular shapes tiles so when I use these I get every other course level using a spirit level. Also I use stiff adhesive and every now and again step back from the wall, look at it and adjust tiles to suit the eye.