My UN-professional opinion is the contractor should step up to the plate and admit his errors, AND fix it, no matter what it takes.

Obviously not a happy situation to find yourself in.
a) it's pretty tough to suggest the tile store is in any way responsible here. They can't be held responsible for what is clearly a bad installation job. If they were the ones who arranged and oversaw the project then sure..but not the case here.
b) who was responsible for prepping the floor for the tile? Did someone check the size and span of the floor joists to see if they are within an allowable tolerance of deflection for your larger format tiles? This is important to avoid cracked tiles.
One layer of plywood and cement board "may" meet the absolute minimum allowable for a tile like yours but I doubt that professional tilers would be happy unless you had two layers of properly installed layers of ply under your cement board.

I would highly suggest that you confirm your joist requirements and subfloor assembly before you start redoing your tile job. As suggested already...I agree that you may need a more experienced tile person.

The floor should be level and flat before the tiles go down.

S. Thomas, what is a wet bed setting method? Thanks.

The same thing happened to our kitchen floor tiles which were 12 x 24—at least 4 of them are cracked. We were on vacation when the floor was being installed and our contractor assured us that it was going to be okay, even though earlier he had some concerns. And to make matters worse, we had in-floor radiant heating installed underneath, so if the tiles have to be removed (to fix it), I'm worried that the heated floor will be damaged or unsalvageable.

I do think our contractor was not experienced enough (he made other errors too) and that he should have owned up to it and done whatever it took to fix it.

Did you sign a contract? Perhaps if the contractor won't fix it you can put in a claim against him.

I agree with STKucher...as a designer and having just attended 2 tile seminars in a week where I learned much more than I knew about 'large format' tiles. Meaning any tile where on side is 15" or more. The large format tiles 'cup' in the center when baked unless they are 'pressed' or cut from a tile double their size.

Three things to ensure a successful install-
1. Level to within 1/8" in 10'.
2. Thinset applied in linear pattern parallel to tile-no fan trowel pattern.
3. No more than 33% offset or be happy with lippage.

Your contractor should be licensed, bonded and insured. Tough lesson to learn.

Hi amy513, Marie here.
I am also a designer that deals with sub-trades, tiles, cabinetry, lighting and all other sorts of renovation ugliness.

Regarding your tile install. there's a couple issues you need to understand:

1. You should have hired the right general contractor to properly prepare the floor BEFORE
the tiler came in to do his/her work. It is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that all sub-trades are made aware of their duties, estimates and work to be done clearly outlined before agreed to, and then project manager holds each sub-trade accountable. Much easier to remove the tile before grouting has been put in, so IF you haven't grouted - DON'T.
2. IF the the tiler negotiated to prepare the sub-floor before tiling, then it IS his issue and you can proceed with actions to have him replace.

IF you did NOT negotiate the tiler doing the sub-floor, then you are on your own.

3. Each tile type has a specification for installation. Some porcelain tiles can be installed on the 50/50 brick split. Some can not. I ALWAYS check with the manufacturer of the tile, read the installation specifications and I have had to compromise the tile design because the manufacturer WILL NOT guarantee a 50/50 brick split installation. And, in this case, the installation should have been installed on the 60/40 or even 70/30 brick split.

4.Your local tile store, if they are not a wholesaler or distributor WILL NOT guide you in these questions and/or decisions. YOU have to be proactive and research this information, unless you hired a General Contractor, Project Manager or Interior Designer to help with your renovation.

Unfortunately, any way you look at it - because pre-prepping was not carefully considered, you now have an awful mess on your hands. You need to gently persuade your tiler and general contractor to help you rectify the problem.

The only thing I can think of that the tiler would be responsible for would be that he did NOT read the instruction manuals on your specific tile to be sure it could be installed on the 50/50 brick application - that would be all...hope this helped, if you need more questions answered, don't hesitate to contact me.

J & D Interiors, what does all this mean to the lay person?
1. Level to within 1/8" in 10'.
2. Thinset applied in linear pattern parallel to tile-no fan trowel pattern.
3. No more than 33% offset or be happy with lippage.

We've had problem after problem with this flipped house we bought last year. Two problems were electrical and presented a fire hazard and another was a burn/fire hazard. I tried to get the flipper to fix the problems for 18 months with no result, UNTIL I gathered his contractor's information and promised to file a complaint with the CSLB. The problems were fixed within a week. The CSLB is a wonderful thing.

Deborah, thank you! I was wondering what that wet bed setting method was, too!

>Deborah a wet bed setting is also known more specifically as a mud bed or mortar bed setting. My statement about designers knowledge wasn't intended as a put down, rather more an observation. Our designs are completed more often than not with budget in mind and appearance desired. Sometimes we neglect that some materials require special considerations for installations and lean on manufacturing standards which are also concerned with budgets. Mud beds are old school and they are more expensive than thin-setting.......but they work. I personally feel that had the original poster's kitchen floor been recessed in the sub-flooring (be it framed or concrete) and a mud bed installation been used by an experienced tile layer, her finished product would have been more acceptable. The inherent properties of large tile are known, they tend to cup. This is problematic for a level installation. The designer should have known this and accounted for it in their design. A knowledgeable tile man (craftsman) would have pointed out to the owner the pit falls of a pure 50/50 split in the pattern and the distinct possibilities of lippage leaving an uneven surface. I suspect that there were a number of contributing factors in this installation...........first off a designer who didn't fully comprehend the installation issues of large tile. Secondly a less than knowledgeable installer who was winging it and still winging it with his solution. Thirdly, a timing issue........all combined, they became the perfect storm so to say resulting in an unsatisfactory finish.

>Marie, while I can agree with some of your assertions........the minute the tile contractor started laying the tile, he, in essence has accepted the sub-strait. While it is the role of the GC or Project Manager to coordinate the trades in all phases and to enhance the communication between them, I wouldn't expect the concrete contractor or framing contractor, who supplied the sub-strait, to know that the tile contractor really needed a floor levelness of 1/8"/10'. Nor would I expect the GC to know that. If that's what the tile contractor needed to make a 50/50 split work, it's his responsibility to convey that information. Granted the GC might have done a better job coordinating communication, but we don't know that he didn't either. No, I'm sorry to say this all falls back to the tile contractor. Either his lack of knowledge involving large tile or his rush to complete a job in pinch (the cabinets were being delivered and scheduled for installation "within days") caused this problem. I would say the circumstances were combined to produce a failure. It was rushed plain and simple. He needed 24 hours at least just to get the thin set to set up enough for him to work on the grouting. Most tile contractors that I have worked with have asked that there be no foot traffic on an installation using thin-set until the grouting is done and then only light foot traffic for the next couple of days.........certainly no cabinet installation work.

@Amy,
You've received some really helpful, detailed analyses from a variety of professionals here. Most of them are assuming you had a designer who helped you to choose the tile, a GC overseeing the project and preparing the floor for the tile installation, and a tiler actually setting the tile. But from the language of your post I am wondering whether the "contractor" you describe as doing the tile job was actually your GC (and this is why you describe him as "not as skilled as he believed himself to be" if he was laying the tile himself). I also suspect that no designer was involved in the choice and layout design of the tile. Is this correct? (I apologize if I am making false assumptions). Either way, the fault seems to lie with whoever prepared the floor and laid the tile, but I suspect for your job this was the same inexperienced person.

It is the tile installer's fault but it is the General Contractor's responsibility. Your GC needs to make it right and then fight it out with whomever he deems to be the culprit. Things do happen sometimes and the best GC's simply correct the problem. It is always an increased labor charge to lay large format tiles and that usually goes hand in hand with a slightly greater materials charge also - hmmmmm - there is a reason for that. That tid bit alone should have told him something. He has to know he pays more for large format tile installations.

If you used a designer then I certainly agree that the pros and cons of various flooring materials and sizes of same - none of them absolutely perfect - should have been discussed.

I would have the GC stand behind his work. He was hired to manage the job.

Simpkins & Associates is correct. If you have a GC it is his job to resolve this issue with the appropriate trades. If you are acting as your own GC in this project..........well, welcome to the world of the GC via Project Management 101.

Here's a good reference page for the 1/8" in 10'
http://www.laticrete.com/portals/0/tds/TDS233.pdf

This is what I would do-determine where you obtained your contractor-was it from the store you bought the tile or the cabinets? If yes, speak with the salesperson first for resolution and ultimately the manager. Be calm, forthwright and direct-stick to just facts, dates, etc. Do not be put-off and do not leave until a full resolution is met.

If the contractor is someone out of the yellow pages-call another trusted general contractor who deals mainly in residential, is referred by an associate and get an alternate review of the situation. You may have to pay a couple of hundred dollars for this. Could be foundation, could be sub-floor, could be faulty tile install or could be something totally unrelated.

The initial contractor has the main responsibility to make it right in a court of law. Ask for his license, bond and insurance if you have not done so-these should be in your records. Tell him you are getting an alternate opinion.

Do not proceed with repairs until you know beyond a shadow of a doubt what is wrong.

This is an opportunity to have a win-win situation as well as a learning experience of what your homeowner rights are. An attorney and/or small claims court should be your very last option.

Our contractor install shower wall tiles by placing a glob of thin set in center of tile and placing the tile on the wall. Result is a void (empty space) all around the perimeter of the 12x 24 in tiles.
Should I insist he remove the tiles and properly install with 3/8 in troweled thin set applied to tile before installation?
Thanks.

Large format tiles will always have some degree of warping. Many reputable manufactures will print on the box the maximum amount of overlap when laying a brick style pattern. This is often no more than 1/3 rd of the length. Even here there will be some lippage but it will be considered within acceptable tile setting standards. Added to this is the fact that large format tiles require a very skilled and patient tile setter as they are very difficult to set properly, even when the base has been meticulously prepared.

Graham

hballsr, what sort of waterproofing system did he use? And yes they should be removed and installed properly, pictures?