I used a similar tile for my shower and learned the hard way that LFT set in many patterns, like the 50% brick stack you have is very prone to lippage. Many large tiles specifically advise not to use that pattern due to lippage issues. A 1/3 stack is often better with larger tiles. Certain amounts( less than the width of a quarter) are acceptable by standards but yours almost looks like it was layed like that on purpose to look wavy.

I have a few areas on my shower wall that are maybe 1/16 deep of lippage but because I chose the pattern I accepted the few areas that were not perfect. On my floor however there were too many areas to count that were deeper than a quarter and I had him redo the floor before payment.

good luck!

That's a lot of lippage but usually it is recommended that long thin tiles like this be set with no greater than a 1/3 offset instead of a full brick pattern, because the lippage otherwise can be significant, like this.

Somebody will ask so it may as well be me. If they think that looks acceptable for a finished tile, I would hate to see what the waterproofing system under that looks like. #2, thise tile I do believe are supposed to be set max 1/3 offset, not 50% like you have for the exact reason you have there. It telegraphs the lippage. Did they use a spacing system? What is uner that tile? What's up with the floor and why does it look funky (maybe just the picture)?

my shower is again fifty percent but the tile is wider but it was still recommended to offset 1/3 but my tiler said he could do it... He said a lot of things in retrospect. Like I said, I accepted the shower walls' few spots of lippage and all areas that had lippage were laid ontop of a 90 year old exterior existing wall. The new built walls have no visable lippage. Here is what I willingly signed off on. The second row of tile on long wall has areas of lippage on top and bottom by stump.

This was my floor long thin tile set in herringbone that I refused to accept. Again he told me my desired pattern would be an up charge but no issue in laying.

He fixed it Within the week with no damage to my heat mat

"Am I being too critical?"

No.

Whoever spec'd that tile with that layout has a lot of 'splainin to do.

Can't quite tell (might be the light), but it looks like the installer "shingled" the tiles a bit; pushing the top edge in some while letting the bottom edge float out.

It does look like a stitched textured wall panel...

Even if this were given the grace of a DIY job I would say no way is that acceptable. Sorry.

Thank you all so much for your feedback. I should have done more research into layout before going forward with this pattern. Anyway- they ripped out the lipped tiles and will replace. The other walls look flat and perfect, so not sure why this one wall ended up this way. The contractor just left and we inspected the floors to find more lippage as well! And this is with a 1/3 offset. Again, I'm still unsure if I'm being too critical. I've attached pictures of the wall I feel was done nicely, the ripped out tile, a close up of the floor lippage, and a section of the floor which I feel just looks uneven.

Also- to address the shower floor- they aren't done with grouting, we ran out.

Where is the waterproofing on that wall?

There is wonderboard under the shower walls. One of the owners just came out and said he would address all of our concerns. So, fingers crossed!

Glad you are getting it fixed, best of luck!

KM,

For added info, "Wonderboard" is cement board. It can go through wetting and drying cycles without being damaged by water exposure...but it is not waterproof.

Water can pass through Wonderboard without causing damage to the Wonderboard, just like water can pass through a sponge without damaging the sponge.

What will typically be done when tiling directly on a cement backer board is that a drainage plane of some sort (typically 6-mil thick plastic sheeting) will be stapled to the studs first. Then the cement backer board will be placed over the plastic sheeting and fastened to the framing.

Any liquid moisture or moisture vapor that is driven from the shower through the backer board will be stopped from entering the wood stud framing bays by the plastic. During a drying cycle, the excess moisture usually migrates back out through the same path that it got in. Typically "evaporating" back into the shower through the grout.

Back in yonder days when houses were airy and breezy, when a gust of wind outside the house would cause doors to shake and windows to rattle, that moisture would easily be carried away into the outside environment simply due to houses being so leaky. These days with tighter house construction and fewer air exchanges, it is a better building practice to control that moisture at the source and not let it get where it does not belong.

Rip it all out period. There is no bond to cement board and the tiles. You can still see the letters on the cement board. Trust nothing that has been done. Sorry

Do over.

Houzz should have some sort of tile horror porn warning that you have to click on to see. That tile is like an animal cruelty video.

I agree with a complete do-over. What I see in your photo is close to the worst bowing I have seen in quite a while, and what is more problematic is that it looks like some of the tiles are bowed and some are flat. Also, find a tile that does not have warpage, which is what causes lippage; it can be done. I have 24" X 24" and 18" X 18" tiles in my bathroom and I checked them for flatness before allowing them to be installed. They were dead flat, with no warpage at all, so that allowed me to lay them in any pattern I wanted.

There's no waterproofing under the tile. That's a future leakage problem!

To state the is no waterproofing is not a known fact as we can't tell if there is poly behind the backerboard overlapping a liner. Judging by the complete lack of tile setting knowledge shown in KM's photos it is most likely there is none. By having clean backer board visible after removal of set tile shows the tile was never bonded at all. KM you need to put a stop to this. It may cost you $'s now but it will cost much more if you let this continue. Show this thread to your contractor. If he agrees with the statements proceed from there. If you get a line of BS that also will tell you where you stand. Hope all works out.

Thank you all for the feedback, I agree will put a stop and move forward with this knowledge and make sure everything is done as it should be. I agree more money now will save me in the future.

Thank you all.

OMG that's awful and I'm usually on the easy side when it comes to criticizing. But that is awful.

I have a little lippage on my bathroom floor but nothing noticeable like that.

KM-

I had a beautiful shower done years ago when I didn't know much about proper tiling; it wasn't waterproofed properly and several years later it failed...what a headache. So sorry this happened to you, but glad you have chosen to do something about it now.

The guy who laid that tile is single, because if he were married, his wife would have killed him. Mine would. Prolly after I fixed the tile though.

in certain circles that could be sold as "custom" or a hybrid basketweave brick bond and cost extra to grout it

Tundra you know better. A brick pattern or running bond makes it a subway tile nowadays:) Sorry KM just trying to bring some humor. Please keep the thread updated as you proceed. There are some good folks here happy to help.

I'm going to make a couple of unpopular statements here, so let me first start that no matter what, this is unacceptable and should be done over.... WITH A DIFFERENT TILE, or using a leveling system.

First, you're shining a light right down the face of the tile, and even an acceptable tile job will look horrendous doing that. It's what's called "washed lighting" and there are very specific recommendations out from the TCNA concerning permanent installation of washed lighting with tile installations.

Second-- I don't care WHOSE tile you use. narrow elongated tiles like these will be bowed, and if installed without a leveling system, will give the "basket weave" appearance that you see in the pics above. Sometimes, especially with porcelain tiles, you can take that bow out. Other times, especially with wall tiles that won't flex much, you can't, and then the only way to install them is with a 25% broken joint or even better, soldier coursing (normal grid pattern).

One way or the other, the bottom line is the installer AND the person who sold you this tile, should have informed you before the tile was installed that this would happen, and recommend either less of an offset, or going with a different tile.

Bill, you bring up a good fact about acceptable vs unacceptable lippage and lighting highlighting both. I know my contractor used a formula to calculate whether or not we were in the right to ask for my floor to be redone. I do not know the specifics of the calculations but my floor lippage was beyond standards and the tiler fixed it free of charge using a leveling system. My shower was not considered out of line with regards to the lippage and thus we accepted it as it is. I do not see the lippage without the shower light shining on it it turns out...

On the floor they should have used a Medium Bed Mortar and leveling system so there is no lippage. For the Subway tiles on the wall there are 2 possible issues. One the tiles themselves are not flat and cup in the middle so using a 50% offset has the greatest lippage. And 2nd the walls where not straight. You cannot tile larger tiles properly unless you get the walls straight from the get go. The studs need to be level and flat.