Uneven Tiled Floor - Is this bad workmanship? - Tile Advice

[Zoggy]

Hi
I have just posted a thread looking for an experienced tiler to come round and give me advice/quote me for a job to fix or re-tile a badly tiled floor
But just after reading and looking pictures of a thread about an uneven floor I really think my tiler has completely bodged my floor.
the area was 45 sq metres and most of the tiles are different heights, I have done the test with a ruler and coin and some are around 2mm difference and quite a few are around 3- 3.5 mm difference.
The kitchen/diner was an extension and my builder was first class in every area, the plastering, screeding etc is to a very high standard so I believe the floor was even.
the tiler was independent to the builder and was recommended to me by a friend so I really think its the result of the tiler and not an uneven floor.
We are hitting our toes on the uneven tiles and there are different height gaps along the skirting and there isn't alot of grout between the tiles, mostly it just looks a mess and its really upset me.
As I said the area was 45 sq metres and took the guy 5 days, he also had an older man that he bought round and helped him for the 5 days. I paid £900 for the labour. Bought and paid for the tiles and grout separately and also he gave me separate bill for £100 for other materials he purchased (he came round a few days before and put some wet material on the concrete floor)

Any advice would be great

I'm trying to upload more but this example goes on every 8 tiles

 

[Gazzer]

Not looking good and that grout looks very low ??
£20 m2 and 2 people on the job. Quite a slow fixing rate ?
Regardless of the condition of the floor the tiles should not be like that. It would be up to the fixer to say if the floor needed and further prep work including SLC.

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

if the rest of the floor is like this then it needs to be ripped up and relayed. did the tiler stagger alot and slurr his words(hic):8:the bad news is that it will cost you more to rip up and refit than the original fitting. you should call the tiler if you haven't already and tell him you need this fixing. 45 sqm on a new flat floor with nothing in i would kill for that.
chris

 

[doug boardley]

if that's an example of the whole floor then you do have reason to be miffed, not good, the wet material he put on the floor? was it levelling compound,ie grey cementy slurry looking stuff?

 

[Ajax123]

There is presumably a "reasonable expectation of levelness" with tiles as there is with Substrates. I assume that if the substrate is SR1 the tiles will generally follow it. I would have thought it difficult to get this wrong unless the substrate prep needed improving wherein as Sir Ramic says the tiler shoudl have informed you.

Get him back to sort it says I

 

[Daz]

I can see why you are dissapointed - it don't look good :yikes:.

You need to get the tiler back, in the first instance, to discuss matters. His comments will detrmine your next course of action.

Did you supply the adhesive?
You need to know what prep work was carried out and what materials were used.

It looks as though the floor needs to come up and be totally redone so you may have a fight on your hands - why should you pay???

 

[CJ]

Dog rough I'm afraid

 

[Zoggy]

I'm not sure what he put down before as we went living in the the house, but was told I couldn't walk on it for a few days
here are some more pictures


what would have been the going rate for a 45 sq metre job (just labour) I know its hard to say as tilers charge different depending on their location, north-south of england
but he assured me a first class job. I'm not a tiler so I didn't ask certain questions at the beginning like will the tiles be even etc I just expected it to be a well laid floor like I see around other people's houses and in shops, resturants and its clearly not, its only when the kitchen and skirting was fitted and we moved back in I saw how bad it was, as I said we catch our toes and the foot of the hoover is always banging over the edges

 

[Zoggy]

sorry here are the extra pictures

 

[Fred]

How many quotes did you get for the job? What was this tilers price compared to the other quotes? And, why did you end up chosing this tiler...work of mouth, good communication on quoting etc?

 

[Ajax123]

Looks like you got the trainee...... You gotta get him back to sort it out.

 

[Zoggy]

This was the only quote we had, I know that doesn't sound too good however I was trying to renovate the whole house, extension, new kitchen, tiled floor, wooden floor, new downstairs toilet, carpets, curtains, rewiring. So my decorator who was also someone who could do most things, he painted, redid the downstairs plumbing/tiled the toilet, wallpapered, some small electrics, he did most of the finishing and I trusted him and his work was exceptional, he recommended the tiler. he said he knew someone who was an experienced tiler and would do a lovely job for me. My decorator worked to a very high standard and never bodged anything so I trusted his word on this guy. He came back with the price after telling him the area.

 

[kilty55]

not a great looking job,to be honest i doubt very much your floor was even as you 1st thought.

however thats the tilers job to sort it out 1st before he starts

 

[Ajax123]

I'm not sure what he put down before as we went living in the the house, but was told I couldn't walk on it for a few days
here are some more pictures


what would have been the going rate for a 45 sq metre job (just labour) I know its hard to say as tilers charge different depending on their location, north-south of england
but he assured me a first class job. I'm not a tiler so I didn't ask certain questions at the beginning like will the tiles be even etc I just expected it to be a well laid floor like I see around other people's houses and in shops, resturants and its clearly not, its only when the kitchen and skirting was fitted and we moved back in I saw how bad it was, as I said we catch our toes and the foot of the hoover is always banging over the edges

The going rate is irrelevent. You agreed to pay a price for a job. Whther that was the going rate or not does not matter. What does matter is that you had a right to expect a reasonable job and it appears that you did not receive one. If this is the case he is in breach of the implied terms of his contract with you. These terms do not need to be in a written contract as they form what the provision of goods and services act calls "reasonable expectation" If he could not do it for said price he should have said before tiling. You should not need to ask if the tiles would be even and level as there would be a reasonable expectation of levelness. I am also not a tiler so I cannot say what the BS says about reasonable expectation. I do know it exists with screeds and concrete bases and I am certain it will be prescribed somewhere - presumably BS 5385 of which I do not have a copy (yet) for tiled floors as well. My best guess would be maximum deviation from a 2m edge of 3mm as this is the general tolerance required for the substrate prior to installation of the tiles. I suspect this installation does not satisfy that requirement.

Get him back ot sort it

 

[Zoggy]

Thanks for all replies, I take on board that the floor might not have been that even, however my builder also completely built a 40 sq metre patio, and laid the paving slabs, I've just looked at them they are even. Also my builder also concreted the hall and another company laid amtico, they have laid it lovely and never mentioned that the crecreted floor was very uneven
What I'm trying to say is there are 3 areas my builder prepared and 2 out of 3 areas look lovely, the only area is the tiled kitchen/diner which indicates its the tilers wrong doing. I have looked at the tiles more closely and where the edges stick up, the opposite end of the tile is in line with the next tile.

But what are my rights, I didn't sign any contract and bought the tiles myself, so if the tiler agreed there was a problem would I only get the offer of relaying them and me buying the tiles again (at £35 Sq metre for the tiles)
Also would I want him to relay him if this is best attempt?

I'm so upset with the tiling, we have spent so much money on the extension, new windows, bi-folding doors, fitted kitchen, i bought very good quality materials and the first thing that hits me everytime I walk into the kitchen/diner is the messy looking tiled floor (plus blobs of food sits in the dips of the grout making it a nightmare to clean and whole tiled floor never looks clean from a distance.