Floor adhesive not dry after a week

[chadwickthecat]

Hello,
We had a tiler come round to tile our bathroom before a plumber comes to fit a new suite.
The tiler retiled the floor a week ago and some of the floor tiles are clearly moving and still stuck down. The tiler says it’s normal and we should leave it a few weeks to dry - but I think he might be fobbing us off. One if the tiles is not only moving, but is not flat and rocks from side to side if you walk on it. We’ve got a heater in the bathroom and it’s pretty warm in there.

He’s also left a gap of about 50mm at the top where the wall tiles meet the ceiling which he’s filled in with grout. I think it looks pretty awful, but was wondering if this is normal?

 

[Old Mod]

Would you be able to upload a few photos please?
The areas that concern you and also from
Distance so that they may be put in to context with the rest of the room,
Thank you.

 

[J Sid]

Yes fobbing you off
Hope you haven't paid him.
He has probably used tubed adhesive only suitable for small wall tiles.

 

[Dumbo]

Yes fobbing you off
Hope you haven't paid him.
He has probably used tubed adhesive only suitable for small wall tiles.

My first thoughts

 

[chadwickthecat]

Thanks everyone. I've got a picture of the area - plus the edging (he didn't put an edging strip in when he did the tiling so the plumber tried to squeeze one in after the tiling was finished). This also shows how he's left the top of the tiles and how he's finished some of tbe plastering. His view is that the job is finished.

 

[Never ending]

The 50 mm gap at the top should have a cut tile put in .
Floor tiles should be sound in 24 hours with a standard set floor tile adhesive .
Sorry but a poor DIY JOB is my opinion .

 

[chadwickthecat]

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Does anyone have any ideas for what could be done with the edging, where he didn’t bother to put any trim in? (2nd and 3rd pictures). It’s really noticeable and the trim the plumber glued in looks like a bodge.

 

[Dumbo]

Get a tile trim the right size from a tile shop . Use a multi tool between wall and tile and then slide in trim sticking in place with adhesive .

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

As stated above a trim could be inserted. But to be honest why should you have to do it? The original tiler should be held to account, I'd never expect a customer or plumber to tidy up or rectify my mistakes. And no real excuse for the gap by the ceiling a 50mm cut could still be scored and snapped from split face porcelain. Sorry if I'm not sounding festive.

 

[Dumbo]

To be honest your plumber needs to have his wrists slapped for even thinking that was a good idea and why didn't he put the feed pipes for the shower mixer in the wall

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

Just wondering what was the original floor? Timber, concrete? If timber was there any over boarding done? No cement based adhesive would take a week to set, unless slow set in extreme cold. If timber then move likely due to movement, poor prep.

 

[chadwickthecat]

Thanks everyone. The original floor was concrete.
I've just had another look and ALL of the floor tiles lift up really easily, you can just lift them up with your fingers. The plumber is back on the 27th to fit the toilet - but I imagine he won't be able to do that onto a floor that isn't stuck down. Also, the grout is all cracked and there also isn't any sort of seal between the floor tiles and the wall.

I've checked the tile adhesive he used and it was MAPEI Ultimate Shower - but it says on the pot that it is suitable for wall tiles. I guess not floor tiles.... The tiler had asked me to supply the adhesive and grout and obviously he saw it before he started the job - but I wonder if some of this is now my fault. Basically, he fitted the wall tiles but ran out of adhesive at the end so asked me to supply some more before he came back and I bought the same stuff. He had said it was really good adhesive and what he would have bought, but still...
I don't mind too much about the feeder taps coming down from the ceiling. That's where they were before and I had told the plumber I was okay with it.

 

[Dumbo]

All your floor has to come up and be relaid using a cement based adhesive .
Your tiler is a chancer to of done that. Either he didn't know or couldn't be bothered, and to honest those wall tiles are probably to big for readymix adhesive

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

Definitely not your fault if he had asked you to supply the adhesive and grout he should have specified the correct type, as said will have to come up. But should be able to salvage all the tiles. Shame when this happens but completely avoidable.

 

[Dan]

This is another case of the person fixing tiles not knowing a thing about what they're doing.

You needed to get a few quotes and not go for the cheapest. Not always fool proof mind.

So sorry to hear about this. Sounds like the floor has to come up and he fixed with cement adhesive and the walls could be questionable.

Dont pay them anything else. I wouldn't even have them back to repair it. Not worth the hassle.

Now the tiles are cut, get yourself some cement based adhesive and refix them yourself perhaps? Half the job is done perhaps.

 

[chadwickthecat]

Thanks. Unfortunately, he absolutely wasn’t the cheapest quotation we had. He was the most expensive. We employed a plumber to do the job, but when he arrived he said he’d subcontracted the plastering and tiling to a colleague of his who would be better at it. Then when the plasterer arrived, he told us he’d also subcontracted the tiling to a colleague of his who would be better at it..So right now, they’re all blaming the other one. They’re all on the main websites and have good reviews. I don’t know what went wrong this time. Miscommunication between them and no one taking full responsibility, I think.

 

[Dumbo]

Thanks. Unfortunately, he absolutely wasn’t the cheapest quotation we had. He was the most expensive. We employed a plumber to do the job, but when he arrived he said he’d subcontracted the plastering and tiling to a colleague of his who would be better at it. Then when the plasterer arrived, he told us he’d also subcontracted the tiling to a colleague of his who would be better at it..So right now, they’re all blaming the other one. They’re all on the main websites and have good reviews. I don’t know what went wrong this time. Miscommunication between them and no one taking full responsibility, I think.
Did you get the plumber through the website

 

[chadwickthecat]

Yes, I got him through checkatrade, but he's also on trustedtraders.which.co.uk as is the plasterer/tiler.

 

[Tony_C]

Absolutely not a tiler in any shape or form, seems none of the trades you have had in for that job have any knowledge, pride or shame. The sad things is even if you left them bad feedback it would likely be removed and they would continue on as these sights live in fear of folk not wanting to pay subscription fees and cancelling their membership

 

[Dan]

Yes, I got him through checkatrade, but he's also on trustedtraders.which.co.uk as is the plasterer/tiler.

CheckaTrade | MyBuilder | RatedPeople | TrustaTrader etc - Who's with what and why? - in - UK Electrical Forum

, CheckaTrade | MyBuilder | RatedPeople | TrustaTrader etc - Who's with what and why?, UK Electrical Forum, ElectriciansForums.net Est.2006 | Free Electrical Advice Forum and page_number.

www.electriciansforums.net

Avoid those sites like the plague.

The odd person on there is good. Most are bad. Feedback is questionably false. Very troublesome websites.

 

[Tony_C]

When i say that , it comes from knowing of someone that was left bad feedback and it was removed from the threat of them cancelling their membership

 

[CJ]

Sorry Chadwick...........you’ve had your trousers pulled down. ☹️

 

[Joshjupp]

Oh dear that’s not good I take it he used tubbed adhesive on the wall tiles as well probably the only thing holding them up is grout and gravity

 

[chadwickthecat]

Ah crap. This all sounds worse than I’d feared. Just had a shower and discovered that’s leaking too.
We’ve paid the plumber just over half of his estimate already but that includes what he quoted us for the materials (although he’s clearly made a bit of profit out of that) and about £185 for labour. We haven’t actually paid the plasterer and tiler anything yet. I’ve just emailed the plumber with a list of things that need doing but I’m really not sure we want to get the original plasterer and tiler back to try and fix this given what you’re all saying.
Are the wall tiles really that dodgy? There doesn’t seem to be any movement in them yet, but the adhesive is supposed to be for tiles up to 300x300mm and the ones he’s fitted are 300x600mm.

 

[Joshjupp]

Such a shame and personally I very rarely use tubbed adhesive and if I do it would only be for metro tile splashbacks and never used it on porcelain tiles i just noticed your based in Kent where abouts I'm in maidstone and could take a look if you wanted

 

[chadwickthecat]

Such a shame and personally I very rarely use tubbed adhesive and if I do it would only be for metro tile splashbacks and never used it on porcelain tiles i just noticed your based in Kent where abouts I'm in maidstone and could take a look if you wanted

Thanks, I’m in Canterbury.
[automerge]1577054157[/automerge]

Such a shame and personally I very rarely use tubbed adhesive and if I do it would only be for metro tile splashbacks and never used it on porcelain tiles i just noticed your based in Kent where abouts I'm in maidstone and could take a look if you wanted

I’ve had a chat with by partner, and yes, we’d love you to take a look if it’s not too far out for you.

 

[CJ]

I do think you should take up the offer of a second look. By the sound/looks of it, a complete rip out and start Again is the only real option. Obviously what you don’t want to hear.......but I think you need to cut your losses, and don’t pay for any of the other clowns work.

 

[Joshjupp]

Thanks, I’m in Canterbury.
[automerge]1577054157[/automerge]

I’ve had a chat with by partner, and yes, we’d love you to take a look if it’s not too far out for you.

Of course that’s fine give me a call tomorrow and we’ll sort something out if I don’t answer leave a voicemail and I’ll get back to you as I’m working tomorrow my number is 07874069426 thanks

 

[Boggs]

Bloody disgrace!

I think there should be a website naming and shaming all the bodging chancers that seem to be lurking in every town across the country.

 

[J Sid]

It seems if you have to pay for work most are chancers

 

[acaciaguy]

Was the shower area tanked before tiling?