How is that edge of the tile going to be finished?

Hardie backer board. & Thumbtack.

Pictures of the process? Because backer board is not waterproof. Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. Waterproofing is a separate, added, step. ThumbHack isn’t a great place to find a tile contractor.

The tile edges should be straight and they need either a schluter edge or bullnose along the edge.

Also, it looks like they tried to make the herringbone wrap around the corner, but that doesn’t line up either.

Could you take more pictures from further back too?

Did you specify the orientation of the herringbone tile?

@indigoheaven yes - I wanted the herringbone that way

@richfield the wrap doesn't bother me to be honest - i am quite happy with how it looks aesthetically, i am more concerned about that gap and if that is supposed to be there or not. i just mentioned it to the contractor and he said we could either finish with grout or bull nose. i think bullnose might look best there.

...So the gap is normal?

Evidently Mouzz doesn’t allow links to the CTEF’s Homeowner’s Guide To Finding a Qualified Tile Installer. Google it. Follow it.

@Sophie the whole wall was red with water proofing. That is not the concern, I feel confident they did that correctly. My concern is the gap. Are you able to weigh in on if that is normal or not?

Not normal. Not well designed, not well executed, and not well waterproofed, or or well tiled, correctly. The waterproofing and the tile should extend beyond the tub, with the backerboard meeting the drywall with no big ugly gaps. The waterproofing and the tile should extend down to the floor. Bullnose is most often used for that. And unless they spent an entire day putting on 3 coats of waterproofing, what’s under that will be mush as well as the tile drywall interface.

Right now you have a job that will be a mushy leaky moldy mess in very short order. And it’s ugly now.

You hired a hack. Hire better. Go to the CTEF website mentioned above.

You're happy with those jagged curvy swervy tile cuts? Really??

Aside from the gap you’re concerned about, the entire left seam really looks awful too. It’s not straight and will look terrible when grouted.

Looks like a drunk third-grader did it.

Is the tile flush with the drywall? If so, that's wrong and evidence of amateur work. The HardieBacker should have been flush with the drywall and the bullnose tile should lap over it slightly.

No the gap is not ok it should have been tapped, mudded, and painted with red guard before tile installation

you're happy w/that design? it's horrible. herringbone is the hardest pattern to lay. takes 4X as long for competent pros to lay, let alone these Helen Keller apprentices. I can tell you right now, they did no planning, no laying out of the tiles to get proper measurements, or proper cuts from side to back. nothing. they prob started in the corner and worked their way out. Look at the spacing and lack of they did on each tile. each tile should have the same spacing all around. some tiles have almost no spacing, and some have a little spacing. did they use spacers or just 'eyeball' it?

if you want to educate yourself, look up the proper way on how to do a herringbone pattern and lay out. look up how to properly waterproof cement board. look up how to use a wet saw or how to score a ceramic tile and make a cut. I can assure you that your tile guys don't know how it's done. I would not pay $10 for this tile work. I would be suing your contractor or getting back my money.

How much were you charged just for tiling (not the cost of tile) ? We'll tell you if you're paying too much.

Sorry, but the right side gap is unacceptable. the left seam where they don't meet up properly, is also horrible. And caulk, not grout, should go in all of those joints. (between the tub/tile, and the vertical corners) I'm sure they'll grout it. and i'm sure within a year or so it will crack, mold and crumble.

as for the right side, you have drywall right next to the wet portion of the shower, the tile should have extended out into a metal edging strip. What are they using to cut tiles, their teeth? horrible cuts. are they using a wet saw? a large circular saw hooked up w/water?

here is my herringbone. I made up this design w/my tile guys. took us hours to get the measurements just right so we would have complete symmetry all the way around the design, and on the entire wall.

at the very least, if you want to continue on w/this debacle, have them remove all of those edge pieces, install a Schluter Jolly edge piece (measure your tile so you know what size to get) and have them run the tile into the edge piece. will look something like this (this was a spare one they used while keeping up w/correctly cut pieces. enlarge this pic so you can see how well they made these cuts.

and this when finished,,

You may want to set aside some budget for fixing this mess, either now or later. I would think it would be cheaper to pay now than later though.

If that is the kind of workmanship your tile person was comfortable showing you- imagine what on Earth is not visible to you?

I know you said the waterproofing looked good to you- you say the way the tile is laid looks good to you too- I am thinking you are not a tile expert and you are in for some unpleasant, wet and moldy surprises in the near future unless you get some expert help.

@Kaitlin Maud Did you tell them you wanted the tile to end right at the edge of the tub like that? Like, was that your personal decision not to have the tile extend past the outside edge of the tub, or did they just install it that way themselves?

I'm just trying to understand why they made that decision.

Hi Kaitlin!

I'm so sorry but it's horrible and you have every right to feel anxious and stressed. Take a really good look at your picture and the one I've posted, it will explain a lot.

Do not pay, do not continue, nothing until this is fixed.

https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/homeowners-guide-to-hiring-qualified-tile-installer

They used 1/4" Hardiboard to get the tile flush with the sheetrock. Those walls are not thick enough.

This is a redo no matter how you look at it. I like to run the last run vertical and the seam gets hidden by the shower door.

By the way you extend out of the wet area as in a tub the part that stays the wettest is the corner ledge on the tub. Tubs should be designed with a more aggressive slope to prevent this but as usual people keep buying and mfg's don't care about evolving their products. Otherwise there would be a lip all around the tub at the door as this again is such a common place of water intrusion and caulk failure.

Stop them and hire someone else you have to understand THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SKILLS needed to do the job end of story. This is what happens when we hire illegal uneducated workers or people who watch one season on HGTV and say hey I'm going to insult every tradesmen out there and now be a contractor without ANY education in that field.

Thanks God they don't have Dr programs on HGTV!

Another thing I just noticed that's wrong here is why wasn't new plumbing installed? Should at least have been a new valve, supply, and riser. You don't have the opportunity to change it out except when you're doing something like this.

Aside from all the other issues, they should have extended the surround out past the edge of the tub and all the way down to the floor. That's the only way to ensure against water issues with the adjacent wall.

When water gets on the rim of the tub and flows off, it should have a straight shot down a tile surface. On yours, it's going to run down the wallboard--the not-at-all-waterproof wallboard. You have water damage repair issues facing you in months and years to come. That's not how a pro would have laid out that wall.

This is how the surround should end (random photo from the web, with ugly tiles, but shows clearly)…

Janie: Cool tile job, but I get motion sick looking at it. It would be like showering in an M.C. Escher print!

Oh dear, when those cracks and chips get filled it will not look good. Sorry for the bad news from everyone, but this tile setter clearly looks incompetent. The corner line up is terrible.

Tatts,

HA! Right? Not a herringbone fan myself, but do appreciate good craftsmanship when I see it.

You've gotten lots of good advice here. Please take a moment to step back and consider everything that was said.

Off topic, Beth, I've always admired the wood shelves in your amazing shower! I have an awful ceramic soap dish cemented into my tile in the shower (you would never guess by looking at it that my house was built in 2003!) and I want to have a wood box built to cover it so I can add a plant. What did you use to waterproof your shelves?

thanks kate. the wood is solid teak, so it really doesn't need waterproofing. But since the skylight floods it w/sunlight, I didn't want it to turn gray either. I used a sample of the Penofin, marine grade finish. Had a box of these little sample tubes. I've used them for all sorts of wood projects. Used the one in ebony for my black stained oak trim and doors.

a good varnish meant for exterior will be fine. Varnish (as opposed to poly) lets the wood move. if you get a marine grade varnish, that's where you'll get the good waterproofing.

Thanks Beth. In your opinion, is teak the only option or is there another wood I could use?

oh no, you could do ipe, iroku, african teak, etc. any of the other heavy oil woods. they naturally repel water. I have iroku as a plant wall outside and it's done well. why don't you see if the teak shops online have a shelf already made? or go to the lumberyard and tell them you want a teak alternative. teak is expensive,,,about 30 bucks or so a board foot. Those two shelves you see in my shower cost about 140 or so for that piece of wood!