This is the sink backsplash and edges:

I'm not sure why it needed to be changed. what went wrong? Did the installer put the mosaic where the subway tile was supposed to be? How was it installed backwards?

The first time around he literally installed it backside-out rather than frontside-out. It's paper-mounted and he put the paper on the inside against the mortar rather than facing out. That is gone and what you see is the second attempt at installation after we bought a new stock of tile. The glass mosaic is now right-side-out but the edges/cuts look terrible.

I would get everyone together for a sit down conversation to see if the problems are correctly identified and discussed as to what the solution for the problem is and that it can be executed properly. You may need a mediator involved with the conversation

Thanks. Believe me, we have been talking all along and have been in very close communication. I don't think my architect has good ideas on how to solve this issue -- you can see the results of his work. He personally was involved in the install so he is fully aware of the issues.

The reason I'm posting is that I'm hoping someone has a suggestion about whether Schluter edging or some other solution I'm not aware of will work to solve this problem.

1. i survived a plastic-fronted mosaic installation of a kitchen backsplash. my contractor was almost in tears over it. they should be banned! i have crooked tiles that i'm sure i would have complained about if i hadnt realized how terrible the whole thing went.

2. i cant imagine clipping all of those herringbone glass tiles. if i was the installer i seriously would have quit before i began.

3. i'm not saying you dont have reason to complain but holy tomoly i'm glad i wasnt the one to clip all of those tiles.

The tiles never should have been nipped. I can't imagine they couldn't have been secured and cut with a wet saw. But that ship has already sailed.

Now I wonder if there is some kind of trim tile, that could be set over the edges all the way around.

Also - in my lunada, some of the glass naturally separates from the paper as you grout / install and then they placed those back by hand - tried to get them straight, etc. Yes, if you look closely at my wall elevations there are some little spots . . .but I want to assure you that 99% of people will not see what you see. They will see a beautiful tile mosaic - that's all. It is important to have a high standard, yes, but it is also okay to accept the best they can do and look at the part you love - the lunada color blends are gorgeous.

I feel for you, having built a home less than 2 years ago. Just from the pictures, the appearance is not alarmingly bad. I do agree with the suggestion to use gray colorant on the grout. I think that would help to visually conceal the flaws. Also, it is just difficult to keep white grout in a shower spotlessly white. Even if it is frequently scrubbed and sprayed with Tilex grout cleaner, over time the white will gray down. We had a great contractor, but there was one issue where a subcontractor failed to supply and install what we had ordered and we refused to pay for the mistake. Stand your ground. Don't pay full quoted price for less than perfection.

This would drive me nuts!!!!!!!!!!

I would go to a large tile store in town and have one of the owners come look at the work and give you some suggestions for fixing it properly. I would hire him to fix it properly and then tell your architect if he cannot fix it then so and so can and the bill will be sent to the architect. It is his responsibility that his ideas are done to your satisfaction.

Not sure if you are familiar with Candice Olson or Sarah Richardson design tv shows but if there is a mistake and someone made it they tell them it will have to re done at the contractors expense. One of Sarah,s shows was doing a bathroom. The shower was installed with doors, etc. the whole nine yards and someone while installing had chipped an 1/8 inch divot out of the tile that you step over to get into the shower. Out it came and was completely redone. You pay for it being done right, not Oh my gosh this is dificult can you live with my mistake? not.

If you cannot do that for what ever reason, then have your architect find a slim stainless fillet-look tile, just wide enough to be placed over where the tile and the Lunado meet and 'frame'over the mistakes. Also as mentioned above consider the grout color to get the best blend. You have stainless faucets and trim in the bath so this would work. So sorry for your mess. This is why you have to be a beast and visit the site every day.

architects are not responsible for the contractors quality of work . .

In this case, our architect who owns a design-build firm is in fact the GC as well so he is 100% responsible. Sorry if that wasn't clear from my original post.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I guess -- we are actually living in the house under renovation and we have been saying to our architect/GC practically on a daily basis that we're not happy with the way the tile is shaping up. We told him from the very beginning that we wanted the tile to be installed to a high degree of professionalism because we'd put so much money into it. We expressed concerns about the subway tile installation all the way through. Pretty much his answer was, wait until it's grouted, that will cover a lot of sins. He also blamed the tile -- pretty much did everything except take responsibility for not having a great tile guy and not supervising the work adequately. When the original debacle of the backwards-installation happened we expressed even more clearly that this wasn't acceptable. He assured us that he would personally be on the job doing and supervising the work -- which he was. We told him that the abutting edges with all the uneven cuts weren't acceptable, and he assured us he'd go back through and clean those up -- and then before we knew it it was grouted, done and dusted.

Part of the problem has been that we are not yet at close-in inspection yet (this is part of a two-story addition) and there is so much to be done on the rest of the project that we felt we couldn't fire him -- and yet we should not have trusted him as he told us we should. Our mistake. But even with telling him day before yesterday to stop all work on the tile, the crew here yesterday did the final grouting and installation of the metal frame. Short of camping out in the bathroom to watch them like hawks I don't know what I could have done to stop that -- they were here to finish painting, etc. and I don't think our architect/contractor told them to stop on the tile.

So here we are -- and I am now desperately in search of a post-hoc fix that will cover up the terrible edges. I think the frame is the best idea, I just haven't been able to find that yet. If anyone has any links or product names as suggestions I would be super grateful!

Schluter has to go under the edge of the cut tile, so that's really not going to work without pulling out a whole tile at the edge, so you would need to do a very very persnickety piecemeal redo. Not within their skill level most likely. It also may compromise the waterproofing under the tile, depending on what system was used. Was a topical waterproofing membrane used, or what waterproofing system was used?

I would suggest very carefully setting the depth of a multi tool to cut a clean edge all the way around the glass tile, then removing the chipped cut portions VERY carefully so as not to damage the waterproofing. Then insert some type of liner into the gap. Maybe a solid glass liner, or some type of metallic pencil liner. Those usually range in size from 1/2" to 1", depending on the line and profile that you pick. Something like the Emser Lucente Pewter Liner. Look at your local tile store for similar options.

Thank you! We are definitely contacting a tile store to get a pro over here and give us a diagnosis/treatment plan. I am really not sure on the waterproofing under the wall -- I will have to find that out. I think the liner/surgery option is probably our best bet unless I can get the Schluter Reno T to work out as that is meant for a retrofit application. The other Schluter systems I looked at have to get installed initially.

Sorry, but I have a different view on this. Unless you've tried to do it, most people don't understand that these small mosaic tiles move all over the place and cannot be secured in order to be cut - no matter how sharp the saw is they are on a backing that allows them to move and it is virtually impossible to cut a straight line. It is not like cutting an individual larger tile that can be held while cutting. You can't secure these in place to keep them still while trying to cut. Tile designs are supposed to be set up to where full sheets of the material are used and the sizing of the products around the mosaics altered to fit rather than the other way around. Or the tile designer should have specified a schluter strip up front. An experienced tile designer would have (or should have) known not to spec the design this way. If someone insists on having them cut, be prepared to pay for having all of the tile around the edges removed and cut one at a time and then replaced into the pattern. Our tile guy would charge per cut - which would result in an outrageous price - but that's what it takes to do it right. I don't know any homeowner that would pay what it would take to do it right. I'm sure that's not what someone wants to hear, but it is poor design planning/advice upfront that causes such an issue. I have not tried the Reno T, hopefully that will be a good answer for the issue. I also agree that using a grout stain in this area to darken the grout would help considerably. If you go that route, try it on a sample first before jumping in and putting it somewhere obvious.

@Deborah Butler, it's my understanding these tiles were secured by paper on the front held on, I assume, by a water soluble adhesive. Obviously, a wet saw would immediately dissolve the adhesive make cutting impossible. However (and I admit I haven't tried it), I suspect you could tape the tiles on the back, probably with plain old masking tape, and run it through the wet saw that way.

I have cut hex mosaic tile that was secured to a mesh backing and, while it was not as easy as cutting whole tile, it was totally doable with a bit of extra attention to see that the tiles didn't shift.

These look like they were cut with nippers which, IMO, is unacceptable for any area that shows.

Sophie Wheelers suggestion is basically the only thing you can do here(short of removing the installation). This will be serious tile surgery and will probably take as long as the initial installation. As for cutting the mosaics, I usually set up a simple jig to hold tiles manually in place for cutting. Be sure to carefully select the tile you will use as a border, before you do anything else or you may end up with a perfect repair job and not happy with the result. Good luck

I would suggest that you find a piece of capital trim, whether it's natural stone or ceramic, that would match or coordinate with the style and use epoxy to install it over the transition between the two tiles in the shower. You will need to scuff up the surface of the two tiles for it to adhere properly. This will cap the transition of the two styles of tile and hide the bad edges in the shower also saves you from the risk of cutting into your water proofing.

Here is a photo example of trim tile installed on top of the tile.

Something like this?

https://www.houzz.com/products/calacatta-gold-2-x-12-chair-rail-bullnose-trim-molding-polished-prvw-vr~2127403

@Seaside Construction - yes, those are great and there are a variety of materials (natural stone, ceramic, etc) and colors to choose from. Then just epoxy them directly over the tile.

We are currently experiencing the same issues with the same paper-backed tile. Our first contractor (who did an excellent job on the floor tile) showed up and was ready to glue the paper to the wall before we stopped him. Once we explained that would not work and showed him the instructions, he said he would need to go and research how to install this. So on to contractor 2. The owner came by and knew what he was doing. The next day his employee showed up and and proceeded to cut 2 boxes of tile the wrong way (herringbone vertical not horizontal)... So today contractor 3 showed up, figured out what was happening and then left to get different tools. This tile has caused us significant grief. I sure hope one day we will laugh at what it took to complete our backsplash.

I am so sorry for you. I feel your pain and disappointment. I truly hope you find a resolution to this. I had a contractor who wanted to do our tile work in our bath Reno. He had done a neighbor's and it looked great. I decided to have the tile company provide the labor. I did not want to take chances with over $4000. worth of tile. Then I watched him like a hawk... Both for my education and to be sure I liked how it was going.
Fortunately all my tiles were bigger and it turned out well.
Surely there must be pros here who have worked with herringbone patterns and can offer solutions.

I would be more concerned with what is under those tiles then what is showing. What kind of grout is that used on the subway tile?

Tile setters should educate a homeowner to what the finished job will look like especially with certain materials. Glass tile are difficult to cut and on a mosaic are even more difficult. That said a good blade is the key and most installers won't anti up for a $45 blade before they start the job.

They should have laid the mosaic first limiting the amount of cuts. There are also tricks to capture a mosaic in a jig when cutting or even use a hand held wet saw. Yes, each piece should be edged with a stone after to finish the edge. Labor intensive work.

Setting tile requires an educated installer who is capable of reading english written instructions. Hiring someone who installed tiles in their third world homeland without learning new materials is a recipe for disaster. Materials have changed drastically and anyone who starts with the phrase "I have been doing this for 25 years" should be asked how have you been doing it for 25 years. Skilled labor costs money and takes time. Unfortunately we live in a world of instant gratification where nobody understands that they can't afford something and just do it half assed rather then have skilled labor install a lesser product to a better quality.

Your grout color is compounding the issues. Bite the bullet and have it torn out and reinstalled properly maybe using a different product. I say it all the time. glass tile is a disaster I don't care how good it looks. The money spent trying to fix it will never correct the look and in the end you will have probably spent 1/2 the money just replacing it correctly. I feel horrible you are in this situation.

My words are not meant to attack you I just get pissed when i see so called contractors for work like this and expect to get paid. Have a real licensed tile pro come in and access the job. Document everything and take them to court. Your pictures say everything. Fire them and move on.

My opinion is that the cuts on the edge are completely unacceptable. Granted, these can't be cut quickly on a tile saw due to the paper adhesive, but time should have been taken to remove individual pieces from the paper and cut nice straight lines for the edge, to fill in all the holes. Glass will almost always have rough edges where it was cut, but what you have there is extraordinarily sloppy. Besides that, it looks like your glass is all scratched up and chipped from being installed and removed already. I would request it be replaced, at no charge to you.

over all looks perty good but the edges are bad , there is a special blade to cut that tile and to me it looks like they just snapped them off. my advice is that the edges nead to be removed and redone.

This post is from April. Probably resolved by now.

I'm New here and I just saw this

Houzz digs up old threads and puts them on the bottom right when users are looking at posts. They supposedly have the same subject matter as what someone may be searching for or has like subject matter to a thread that is current. Then folks resurrect them by mistake not looking at the date at the top of the page to see how old it is. Happens all the time.

IMO there's a bit of a benefit to some of these old threads though. I'm seeing things I've never seen and often getting new ideas or realizing that I don't really care for something I thought I would. Even though the "dilemma" has been resolved, knowing what caused it can be helpful to people who might be about to make the same error.

Yup, old threads are still incredibly useful threads. Thanks!

Yes, they can be useful. But posting to them automatically puts them on the front page and bumps new posts off the page before they may be answered. Rude.

It's 2016, everyone should know about this by now and the universal Internet rule: Never resurrect dead threads.

Really don't mind reading old threads when a solution/or whatever is posted so we can all learn from it.

Has anyone encountered this bizarre tile problem. We had honed white dolomite herringbone mosaic tile installed in 2 shower floors. One is fine. the other was fine for about one week. Suddenly we noticed that the 2nd shower floor had a large circle around the drain where the tile is darker. Also, along one side. I questioned the installer and he said it was because when the tile gets wet, water toward the drain takes longer to dry. One week later the dark circle was still there. His explanation was it could take a week or more. The thing is, we hadn't yet used the shower. We thought maybe the cleaning woman may have done something, but it turned out she hadn't even cleaned that room because there was still some construction odds and ends there.

The biggest problem is that even if we have the tile taken up and replaced, there is a danger of damaging the vinyl liner underneath. That will take a plumber to replace , and on and on.

It's been 3 weeks and that dark circle isn't fading or going away. Has anyone ever seen this? Any thoughts or suggestions?

elsiena, you need to start your own post. And yes, we have a pretty good idea what your problem is. Will respond if you start a post.

@elsiena you will get more responses by starting your own dilemma instead of adding on to 2015 thread.

I'm throwing my 2¢ at this dead thread because it sent me in a rage. This tile sucks, I've worked with this glass in small square style and it's terrible, but herringbone? I would've walked away. Short of what Brickwood Builders said about individually cutting each tile after you mark it and pull it off that stupid paper backing, there is no way to make it look perfect. Even the schluter metal edge cannot hide the ugly chips that happen when cutting even on a wet saw. And no one, I repeat NO ONE will pay the price for that, just not happening.

You need a diamond blade to cut any tile, so although there are ones specifically labeled as "glass" it's no difference. Really it's just a diamond blade without the air hole things.

You can see in the picture the chips, cracks and lines from when they molded the glass. Not at the edge, I'm talking about in the field. The back side actually looks better then the side they tell you is the front. So if anyone see this thread and thinks they want this tile, just don't.

Edit to add; they did screw up the backspash though, missing tiles and didn't even fill the edges with grout. That could've been done a lot better!

2015 posting

the way to cut mosaics without them moving is to put the on top of scrap foam board like kerdi board or go board etc then adjust your blade height to cut theough tile and barely into foam. also if you have a chop on your wet saw that can be very helpful as they dont move nearly as much when you cut directly downward