hex tiles not flat after install

14 years ago

My unglazed rectified porcelain hex tiles were just installed and they're not flat. some are raised, some are lower than the rest of the field and some are lifted at the corners. I was hoping somebody with tile installation experience could give me a clue what went wrong here. My first tile setter claimed it was impossible to install these and quit. The second tile setters claimed to have experience, and all looked good until the light came streaming in revealing the problems.

I don't know that there's anything that can be done short of tearing out and starting over, but this has been the most frustrating process! Is it just not possible to lay these things correctly?

{{gwi:1388121}}

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Comments (3)

MongoCT
14 years ago
It doesn't appear that it's an uneven substrate, it just looks like they didn't tamp them level at the sheet edges after installation. As you wrote, some indeed look higher than they should be, some look lower. While neither is desired, the higher ones (toe stubbers) are more of an issue than the lower (debris collectors).

That is indeed a low raking light. Is the lippage apparent to the bare foot, a toe-stubber?

I have ground down marble hex to level using successive grits, but never an unglazed porcelain.

Easiest would be to pop out the offending ones and replace them, one-by-one. Not fun, but not a huge deal either.
nutherokie_gw
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks so much mongoct. I talked with the tile guys today. In most light the issue really isn't obvious, though you can feel the unevenness by running your hand across or walking on it in sock feet. I too was afraid there might be "toe stubbers!" Ha! I don't think they're actually tall enough to cause you to stub your toe or trip.

Anyway, I pointed out the problem and then showed the tile setters the pics. They agreed it was an issue and said they just were never there when the light was at that angle. I'm supposed to go out this afternoon when the light is right and mark the worst offenders. They'll try replacing them.

They think what happened is that they tried to move the tiles around on the sheets once the backing softened in order to make the grout lines more regular. Evidently, in the process they caused some of the tiles (or tile edges) to sink into the thin set more than others.

Thanks again for the advice.
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MongoCT
14 years ago
That could certainly be it. If they pushed the sheets too closely together, and if the mesh backing on the sheets was sticking out past the edges of the tile, they could have compressed the excessive mesh.

Then when they walked away, it rebounded a bit, causing some of the perimeter tiles to lift.

Often times I'll trim the excess backer mesh off of mosaic sheets or it can do just that...the edge tiles can creep out of alignment before the thinset sufficiently cures.

If they're going to fix some of them, have them fix all of them, not just the worst ones. Those shadows aren't something you want to look at everyday.