Tile job- should I ask for it to be re-done?

completely confused

hi all, looking for some advice.

we are in the middle of a full renovation. Our utility floor has been tiled and I’m really not happy with the layout.

This is how I wanted the pattern and showed both the tiler and builder before tile was laid:

This is what we’ve ended up with:

to me, this looks like a really lazy job,especially the row of white tiles in the toilet area. I know this would be a big job to replace the tiles so I’ve held my tongue and tried to get over it but every time I see it, I’m really unhappy. The tiles were very expensive and the floor was meant to be a real feature. Tiler has also used almost black grout which he didn’t check with me and just looks dirty.

I raised it half heartedly with the builder who acknowledged that it isn’t what we discussed but suggested the tiler thought I wanted a ‘random’ pattern. To me, the pattern I laid out is clearly checkered and not random at all. To make matters worse, the tiler did the completely wrong pattern in our main bathroom. He did a basket weave rather than stacked. Luckily, we actually quite like it so have said nothing but that’s another error that’s been made with the tiles so I feel inclined to stand my ground and ask for the utility to be fixed

What do I do in this instance, how likely is it that the builder would ask the tiler to redo the job? Would we have to pay for replacement tiles? I don’t want to fall out with anyone but I’m really unhappy with the job

enricoh

Tell the builder he messed up both jobs, u can live with the bathroom but not the other. Builder pays for tiles, specify white grout or whatever

Hontou

Very nicely ask for it to be redone. That is not a professional job.

Nigzcurran

Thats a brutal job. It's neither random nor a pattern

completely confused

thanks all, this has really reassured me as anyone I ask seems to think I’m just being fussy and that I’ll just get used to it. The tiler was finishing up for holidays the day he laid the utility so I expect he just rushed it in the end

rock22

If the builder is acknowledging that the tiles were laid incorrectly , and your contract is with him, then I would just asked to have it done correctly. I assume you did not pay or hire the tiler directly?

completely confused

no the tiler was provided through the builder but we sourced and paid for the tiles ourselves. They were the most expensive ones we chose so gutted to have them messed up

Rows Grower

That's an awful looking finish, it's up to the builder to sort it out. I'd also ask him were the tiles laid directly onto the OSB board as that's not recommended.

who what when

It seems these days that the stars have to align in a very particular way for a tradesman to come and do a good job or even just an acceptable job. I've had a number of tradesmen do jobs for me in the last couple of years and almost without exception the work is really poor and really expensive!

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122261752#Comment_122261752

No competent tiler would ever doa random pattern with those tiles. They're always patterned.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058355982/tile-job-should-i-ask-for-it-to-be-re-done

Feel for you.

You mentioned they were expensive tiles but they have managed to make it look like a random use ofa pile of left over tiles that were sold off cheap.

Hope you can get some success with them fixing it.

Did you give them a screenshot of the pattern you wanted to achieve ?

Slightly Kwackers

Well to be honest, if I were dealing with site contractors and provided nothing written and eight tiles as an example, I would consider myself extremely lucky if they got them all the right way up and on the floor.

While I have no sympathy for the tiler, I would find no problem justifying the poor instructions as a means to limiting my liability were I in his position.

I suppose hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it would be pretty simple to provide a detailed pattern with every single tile colour depicted using a basic drawing package on most PC's.

Time to look at the job critically and decide whether to keep it, try to agree a solution or assess the overall job quality with a view to getting a professional in

loyatemu

if the "instructions" were the photo in the first post, then they're perfectly clear. IDK how anyone would come up with the version in the finished photos unless they were deliberately trying to do a bad job. Presumably the tiles cames in different boxes for each colour, how as a professional would you think "well here I'll just do a load of white"?

Ezeoul

That's very disappointing. It would drive me nuts too, every time I had to look at it.

If you explained what you wanted to the builder and he didn't pass that information on to the tiler, it's on him to fix it.

Him passing the buck onto the tiler by claiming "he thought you wanted a random pattern" is the builder trying to avoid responsibility.

Absolutely insist he fixes HIS mistake.

Sleeper12

If you are not happy then ask for it to be redone. If it bothers you that much every time you sit on the bog you will looking & silently fuming.

There is no such thing as inexpensive renovations so I know you are paying a lot of money. There is a big mark up on these jobs in today's climate. It won't cost the builder or tiler much to put right

Odelay

The only reasonable explanation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYsTmIzjkw&t=92s&ab_channel=AfromanVEVO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122262381#Comment_122262381

If you cannot work out the pattern from that 8 tile photo you really need to get your head examined. Its extremely clear.

beardo81

The builders and contractors are charging high rates for work done, feel no guilt in asking them to re-do the job, including paying for materials.

That was a basic, clear instruction and they messed up, onus is on them to fix it.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122262381#Comment_122262381

I would disagree.

A competent tradesman should advise and instruct the client. I've had plenty of tradesmen give me advice on how to improve my own ideas.

o1s1n

Wow, that looks like all the tiles were in the same box and he just reached in and laid whatever one came out without looking at it. Shocking stuff.

There's absolutely no way you can look at your example and not see a pattern. I mean surely a tiler who does that for a living can see patterns.

Lumen

This is peak "you had one job".

Any half decent tiler would be ashamed of that.

chooseusername

Wouldabeen nice as well,

Deregos.

Shoddy, lazy bit of tiling. The builder didn't accurately communicate your preferred layout to the tiler so he's at fault and should carry the cost for redoing the work (including all materials) the way you had specified and paid for it to be done. Otherwise it'll forever annoy you everytime you're using that space.

Similar thing happened to us regarding the floor levels when we were building our house . . thirty years on and those mistakes still irritate me nearly every day.

ted1

the best way to deal with tradesmen is yo ask them would their wife accept that.

It looks awful , get them to redo it

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122263558#Comment_122263558

It's extremely clear that a floor should be flat and a grid placed to catch any water.

As my job with presses and thickners involved quite a bit of hosing off of machinery, the floors were anything but flat and the grid at the highest point it seemed.

People doing a job professionally don't always get it right and WTW's all over the UK were a testimony to the fact. Odd when the professionals were exclusively employed by water companies was it not?

As regards the tiling I would have made it clear were I doing the job, but I wouldn't always expect others to.

Sometimes a lack of clarification can be of benefit to contractors. They have a job in hand and certain payment, with the possibility of further hours on the job doing snagging if there is nothing to move on to.

You wouldn't believe some of the problems that could occur if a contract electrician thought he could while away some hours at others expense, misunderstandings were the norm if the paperwork was not fully detailed. I'm sure tilers are no different.

Anyway, I cannot fault the "chooseusername" approach. Obviously Both I and the tilers head needs an examination, but I would have made it clear what the client wanted prior to starting and got a signature on the drawings.

Work instructions, quality control and documentation were all introduced to eliminate the mistakes that stemmed from the mutual understanding a fag packet drawing provided :-)

SVI40

You paid for a job to be done. It was not done. Get them to sort it. You will never be happy accepting that poor quality work.

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122263615#Comment_122263615

Disagree by all means.

There is no indication to say if the tradesman was or wasn't competent.

There seems to be overwhelming evidence that he wasn't.

I am merely pointing out that when things do go wrong, then the blame game can be switched on by any party.

It's fairly obvious that communications as to the optimum methods and achievements should be two way, it still does not exclude the need of a rigid contract though.

My most recent job was done a few months back on a verbal basis. I trusted the builder totally, he has done a lot of work here and his father before him too.

It would not happen this way with a new contractor.

Odelay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122264921#Comment_122264921

Ah now. First question for any tiler is where do you want the tiles, second is where are the tiles, third is what pattern. Hodge podge fecked in any oul pattern is rarely the answer. the customer will always have a pattern. Very little direction needed in that.

astrofool

I feel lucky, any time we've been tiling, we've gone through where to start (to prevent very small offcuts wherever possible), what to do with the edges (strips, tiles, bevels, mitres), which grout to use where, and with big tiles, where the alignment should be (e.g. where the room has multiple levels, which wall has the full "starting" tile).

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122267505#Comment_122267505

Yes, exactly, and to be fair, some people may not have these details, so its up to the tiler to educate and advise.