Accept or reject job? - Tile Advice

[thomashenry]

Have a bathroom installation in process. Has become clear that the company is not good at tiling. First of all, they tiled at different levels on opposite walls, so when the adjoining wall was tiled, the tiles didn't line up.

They re-did it, but have left a gap between the ceiling and tiles of around 20-30mm (varies as ceiling is not totally level). At the bottom, there is a gap of 15mm from the tiles to the floor tiles, all the way round the room. They say this gap will be grouted.

To me this is poor - they should have layed the tiles out to avoid large gaps like this, with half tiles at the top and bottom.

Added to this, there are three outer corners, and they have tried 3 times to get these right, and keep messing it up. They are trying again..... but even if they are able to do this to a reasonable standard, the issue with the large grouted gaps at the top and bottom remain.

In order to get a perfect job, the whole thing will need re-tiling, which is obviously a huge waste of time, money and resources - just for what some people would consider a minor cosmetic thing. Because of this, part of me is thinking to just accept the flaws, ask for some money off the and get on with life - nobody is going to die.... on the other hand, it's a poor job.

 

[Boggs]

If I were you I would ask them to leave now!

 

[Boggs]

What you have described are certainly not minor cosmetic flaws.

 

[Waluigi]

The professionals in the industry strive for perfection, the description of the tiling in your room infuriates me and is the complete opposite of what we try to achieve in the Industry. Some of us get annoyed when we are a fraction of a millimtre out.

Don’t pay a penny for the tiling. Come to some sort of agreement to get it done properly. With a professional Tiler this time. If people can’t get the visual aspects of tiling right, you have no chance with the prep work. God only knows what other corners they have cut which you are unaware of which aren’t visual.

 

[One Day]

Photos? We love photos !

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Is it a Builder doing this job??
Pic's needed..

 

[Boggs]

As above, let’s see pictures!!!

 

[thomashenry]

If I were you I would ask them to leave now!

If it were just me living here, I might have done that. But my partner is here too, and as I'll be away for a a fortnight with work, I don't want to leave her with alone with no bathroom for another two weeks, plus however long it takes to find someone else to come in. I've been paying the job in installments; I could tell them to stop, not pay the remaining installments and also ask them to buy replacement tiles. However that worked out though, I would still be out of pocket to some degree, not to mention the disruption and stress of having no bathroom for a while.

I'm happy with the other work they've done - the plumbing was good, the plastering was good, they prepped the floor well (exterior plywood, Ditra mat + screed), so they are not completely hopeless....

 

[thomashenry]

Is it a Builder doing this job??
Pic's needed..

Camera on phone is broken so can't take any right now.... but imagine a 15 mm gap between wall tiles and floor tiles. The boss is now saying they can can cut 10mm strips to put there, rather than grouting the whole thing.

Job is being done by a builder/plumber - plenty of good reviews for bathrooms and tiling on mybuilder, I was pretty confident I'd get a good job. Perhaps he using someone different for the tiling this time.

 

[Spare Tool]

If you just let them get away with the **** ups with a small sweetner in price they'll just keep on thinking what there doing is acceptable and move on and mess up the next one and next one... Setting out is a basic tiling skill, you never stick your first tile on til you know where the last will land. A 30mm gap to ceiling could be sorted with lowering the ceiling, the floors a different matter if its already tiled. Do not pay untill your happy, its you that will have to lie in the bath or sit on the loo looking at the mess they've left behind..

 

[Dumbo]

Get them to return it to how it was prior to tiling and get independent tiler in .

 

[thomashenry]

If you just let them get away with the **** ups with a small sweetner in price they'll just keep on thinking what there doing is acceptable and move on and mess up the next one and next one... Setting out is a basic tiling skill, you never stick your first tile on til you know where the last will land. A 30mm gap to ceiling could be sorted with lowering the ceiling, the floors a different matter if its already tiled. Do not pay untill your happy, its you that will have to lie in the bath or sit on the loo looking at the mess they've left behind..

I'm just struggling a bit with the idea of ripping out and binning 20sqm of tiles because the gap at the bottom of the wall is 15mm rather than 3mm. It seems so wasteful. Not to mention that the immense disruption is then prolonged another month or so. Tiles are matt white, grout is white... perhaps after a few weeks I won't even notice it. Then again maybe I will.

I appreciate the advice I've been given on here, coming from professional tilers, and I do think the job is poor, but there are practical downsides to binning it now, and I have to ask myself how important that gap (or lack of it) is.....

 

[Flintstone]

Did they come recommended? How was there quote compared to others?

 

[Spare Tool]

I'm just struggling a bit with the idea of ripping out and binning 20sqm of tiles because the gap at the bottom of the wall is 15mm rather than 3mm. It seems so wasteful. Not to mention that the immense disruption is then prolonged another month or so. Tiles are matt white, grout is white... perhaps after a few weeks I won't even notice it. Then again maybe I will.

I appreciate the advice I've been given on here, coming from professional tilers, and I do think the job is poor, but there are practical downsides to binning it now, and I have to ask myself how important that gap (or lack of it) is.....

Only you know what you can live with, its your call...think in your heart of hearts you 'know' its a bad job or you wouldn't be on here, question is will you be able to live with it for the next ten years?

 

[Dumbo]

As above. You wouldn't be on here if it was acceptable .