Unhappy with my tile job

Question

I am unhappy with the job my tiler did recently. It's for a kitchen backsplash using mosaic tile.

He mentioned that it's the tile which was uneven on the mesh, however I would argue that if you are a professional tiler, you would either know enough to flag the issue before finishing it, or know enough how to adjust the tiles so they are even.

He's fixed some of the issues so I think it's looking better (was really bad before), but just wondering opinions if I shouldn't worry about the odd uneven tile here and there. To be honest the edges look sloppy, it just doesn't feel very professional. But I don't want to be melodramatic, if this is what I am to expect then fine. But I don't think it's great. It's the first time I've had tile work done so I don't know what to expect. The tile company said of course some will be uneven a professional tiler will know what they're doing and won't let that show.

Any opinions is appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

The photos clearly show a terrible tile job. Tiles that are set crooked, tiles that are missing on the edge near the wall, grout lines of all different widths.

If the tiles were that uneven on the mesh then i would not have purchased them. If i were the tile setter and they were that crooked i would have brought it to the attention of the home owner prior to setting and made it clear that extra time would be needed to deal with an inferior product.

If i had to set tile that were manufactured with such lack of uniformity and sloppiness ( and i am not sure i would even agree to ) I would have cut out the crooked ones and used spacers to insure straight tiles with even grout lines. If care and time were taken then they could have been set to look good but the installation cost would need to reflect the extra effort.

IF the tile was that poorly set on the mesh then It sounds like you got a sub par product and tile setter who did not care to make it right.

Answer 2

That is unacceptable by all industry standards. I’d refer to the Tile Council of America’s website:

http://www.tcnatile.com/tcna-handbook-committee.html

TCA can review your installation, give guidelines, recommend installers, provide industry specifications, etc. Just click on the red band near the top of the page.

I see what you see: 1) uneven grout lines, 2) out of square tile, 3) missing tile, etc., all of which is unacceptable.

I’d also verify with your local Builders Board that they are licensed contractors. If not, you do not need to pay them and would notify the Building Codes Department.