Bad tiling job, what now?

[CarolInPerth]

So we just had 45 sqm of kitchen/dining/passage floor tiled. I guess we got what we paid for, his was the lowest quote that we got from the list given us by the tile retailer but he also seemed like a very nice bloke. I don't suppose he meant to do a bad job *sigh* but if I had to live with uneven lines between my tiles it would drive me nuts.

I went to inspect the job before making the final payment, There were obviously not spacers used as there are uneven gaps between tiles. There is also also grout that runs a little up the wall above tile level in some places, which a) looks untidy if we don't install skirting and b) will need to be chiseled off if we do add skirting.

My first thought was to get him back to fix it but if he is incompetent he may just botch it even more trying to fix it.

I can tidy up the skirting myself but not replace tiles and grout.

It's a rental and I don't suppose a tenant that likes everything else about the place will turn it down because a few tiles are out of line.

Would you:

1. Get him back
2. Deduct the cost of getting somebody else to fix it from his payment (the problem is finding somebody that will bother with a small job and it will delay tenant moving in)
3. Don't worry, it was a cheap quote and tenants probably won't notice (first tenant is going to be my sister)
4. Don't worry now, when we decide to sell (approx 10 years) we may have to do a reno anyway.
5. Something else?

Yes, I will get references next time

 

[pinkboy]

Got any photos how bad it is?

pinkboy

 

[CarolInPerth]

I didn't take photos.

The tiles are off white with a darker grout colour called Chamois.

This is very similar to how our situation looks.

and this

and this

I have emailed him and asked to meet on the weekend to discuss it. If he does any more work I will be there to watch over it.

I'll take photos then.

 

[pinkboy]

Putting in a chipped tile is pretty poor form. Looks like it would be a fun job to get that out (insert poor taste sarcasm).

Second photo hasnt turned out.

Third photo just shows some excessive grout. You could try getting a sponge with some vinegar and slowly work to rub it out, or you could just chip it off and regrout evenly.


As for uneven grout lines, what type, cost and where did you purchase the tiles from? Tile shop? Personally we dont use spacers because they can cause problems especially with tiles that are 1-3mm size difference.

We flick lines throughout the whole area into 'bays' of 4 tiles each so that you can work out the most effective use of tiles as in cuts to walls etc. This method also allows the best use to play with the tiles if they are uneven, which you cant do with spacers as they are a fixed gap.

So if he didnt use spacers and he didnt use our method, then he might have used the 'long straight edge' method, which will pitch lines on 1 side of the tiles correct, and any uneven tiles will show up by being out of line with the other tiles around it.

I would discuss your concerns and give him the chance to rectify before anything else.

pinkboy

 

[scottandjoy]

In answer to your original question I vote for 3. Don't worry, it was a cheap quote and tenants probably won't notice (first tenant is going to be my sister)

I doubt very much any prospective tenant is going to notice the quality of the tiling job in the 5 minutes that they spend looking through your place prior to putting in an application.

 

[Melbournian]

yeah give him a chance to rectify the issue first. there is not much you can do with uneven tiles except to rip them out and relay them which is again costly and is something the tiler would not want to do.

 

[CarolInPerth]

Thanks for the replies, I'll take some pics on the weekend and ask him to replace the worst, most obvious tiles (like in places where furniture of rugs won't cover).

Pinkboy, I noticed he didn't have spacers in when I called by to see him early in the job, I figured an experienced tiler may not need them so didn't say anything. From what you say it seems not all tilers would use them but I can't believe that the uneven spacing on my job is acceptable, I've never seen anything like it.

 

[arms]

Thanks for the replies, I'll take some pics on the weekend and ask him to replace the worst, most obvious tiles (like in places where furniture of rugs won't cover).

Pinkboy, I noticed he didn't have spacers in when I called by to see him early in the job, I figured an experienced tiler may not need them so didn't say anything. From what you say it seems not all tilers would use them but I can't believe that the uneven spacing on my job is acceptable, I've never seen anything like it.

spacers are only really effective when using rectified tiles (recut tile perfectly square and uniform in size) most professional and many experienced tilers dont use spacers .this is so they can wiggle tiles around to make the best look with the irregularities of the tiles ,but different tile spacings shouldnt be obvious

 

[CarolInPerth]

Here are some photos (sorry if they are too big)
Yes I chose a darker grout but it shouldn't matter.
I can only do 5 in a message so left out the cracked tile in the doorway which was also badly cut to shape.

 

[pinkboy]

Ok, they are good shots.

Yeah, you can see the cuts are pretty average. Poor form with the jointing, and glue squeezing out, plus the grouting is pretty bad too.

I would get him back and ask him how he proposes to rectify, and if you are unhappy with that I would esculate higher.

Was he a fully qualified Tiler? Did you check his licences etc?

pinkboy

 

[CarolInPerth]

*blushes and gulps* Licenses?

Any hooo....

I have sent him the pics and asked how it will be fixed. We paid half up front but we'll wait to see how he responds before we pay any more.

He did question the darker grout but more from a personal taste POV. If it was because of being more difficult to work with I would have been ok with paying a bit more or changing to a lighter colour.

Now I am thinking that we could aim for getting it cleaned up and having a lighter grout colour/sealer applied to lessen the visual impact.

Thanks
Carolyn

 

[wylie]

My poodle could do a better job tiling that that .

If you have paid him half, I would seriously consider using the other half to have it fixed.

What did you pay? Per sqm metre?

 

[Melbournian]

i wouldn't have paid him anything in advance and only on completion of the job.

If it is not done right - he should really come back to fix it.

normally - ask to see previous jobs tilers have done to get a understanding of what they are used to deliver.

 

[CarolInPerth]

He has offered to come back and fix.

Lesson learned on our end. But it wasn't so much the cheapness of the quote as the fact that he actually got back to us and was available in the time frame we needed (plus he is a nice bloke).

Wiley, what does your poodle charge psqm?

 

[wylie]

Wiley, what does your poodle charge psqm?

He's booked up for a while. Thanks for the laugh though. I just had a good chuckle .

We've accepted a quote from a tiler for a downstairs living area. We met him, but have not checked any of his jobs. He came highly recommended by a tiling shop. We hope that doesn't turn to custard, but we just really were impressed when he quoted. We had two other quotes and all of them seem to be around the same price... really expensive.

What bothers me is that here on SS I read something about people getting tiling done for $25 psqm. The tile we originally chose was an expensive stone tile (rectified). The tile shop told us not to pay more than $100 psqm to have them laid .

The tiles were $75 psqm and if we add another $100 psqm - well... I thought we could buy a new car for the money we were spending on tiles and tiling .

The tiles we have chosen are not the stone ones, but they are rectified and it appears from everybody we have spoken to that these need more care and perhaps more talent to lay than "normal" tiles. They must be laid very flat due to having no rounded corners or edges. So, we figure that if three tilers all are quoting about the same, we probably should choose the one we are most impressed with.

The tiler will mechanically grind our slab (or use acid) and then lay concrete to get it level. We have removed the skirting boards and he will waterproof the edges of the room where water got in earlier this year and lay the tiles. His quote is -

Preparation before tiling (cleaning and top up concrete) $500 + gst
Tiling aprox. 50 m2 floor using 600x600mm rectified tiles $3500 + gst

I've worked this out to be $88 psqm. I don't know what sort of job we would get if we kept getting quotes trying to get it done for $25 psqm.

Had we got a big variation in the quotes, I would look for more to satisfy myself, but all three quotes were roughly the same.

I really hope I'm not posting a "we have a bad tiling job" thread in six weeks.

 

[Kristine..]

He has offered to come back and fix.

Lesson learned on our end. But it wasn't so much the cheapness of the quote as the fact that he actually got back to us and was available in the time frame we needed (plus he is a nice bloke).

Wiley, what does your poodle charge psqm?

Hey Carol

While he is there, get him to bring the job up to Building Code of Australia compliance. It has been at least 10 years that the joins where the vertical tiles meet the horizontal tiles must not be grouted, but must be sealed with a flexible silicon product

If you were to sell the house, the purchaser's building inspector would list all this work as defective because the moisture sensitive joints have not been waterproofed

Regards
Kristine