When posting images, you must wait for them to be "full color" and not "grayed out" before hitting submit. Then you must wait for the comment to post before leaving the page or the whole thing will be lost.

For some reason my pics did not upload. Here they are!

Got more issues there than grout. It looks like the tile edge is all torn to hell.

Millworkman - are you referring to the brownish/gold area along edges of tile? If so, that is part of the natural design of the tile. However, please clarify if you are referring to something else.

Well, people get cataracts. It's very possible that he doesn't see what you see. So, he's offering to pay for someone else to fix it. Lucky you. You should probably thank him.

Sorry but I don't feel lucky. If he can't see, he has no business doing this kind of detailed, focused work. My modest kitchen update has been dragging on since end of June. When I finally thought my kitchen was done, I discover it's not and have to contend with more mess and disruption. I hope he's good for his word to pay for a fix. I have it in writing in a text exchange.

I know you're upset, but it's grout.

Kitchen remodeling jobs don't always run on time, and the outcome isn't always perfect. So he's old - you hired him because he's good.

Remodeling is stressful, and stress management is incredibly important to good health. Smoking cessation can add 5 years to your life. Stress management (meditation, walking, whatever) can make your last 30 years healthy years. You don't have to let it go - get it fixed, just let go of the anger if you can. The effects on your long-term health of being angry are not good.

Listen to music, watch a cat video, do whatever it takes to make you laugh. Then look for a tile guy who's willing to finish the job. Good luck!

I hired because I THOUGHT he was good. He’s NOT GOOD.

It sucks that it happened - but if he is willing to pay for it to be fixed - well, that's the best you can hope for! Maybe he's been able to do this work in the past and this is the first time? Or maybe he just accidently mixed the grout wrong and doesn't know how to fix it - because he never made that mistake before? Either way - it's a pain in the butt, but he is hopefully doing the right thing and getting it fixed for you.

Hopefully there's a resolution if I can find someone willing to repair or re-do someone else's bad work. It's interesting that so many of the comments have been on my reaction. What about comments on his workmanship? Would you accept this? Would you hire him?

I’m no spring chicken either at 63. My guy has complained about health issues like sciatica pain and appts for testing on his heart during my project. Those are concerns that are statistically more typical the older we get. I just can’t help but wonder if those issues have affected his stamina and ability to focus on tedious detailed work like tiling and grouting. If your health is impairing your ability to do good work, it’s time to hang it up rather than subject your customers to your sloppy work.

Also thank you for at least acknowledging that my stress and anger are appropriate reaction.

If this is his only bad review and he paid to have it fixed - yes, I would hire him. Now, if this is a consistent problem across several clients - that's a different story.

An elderly electrician friend of his he had lined up to wire and install my island pendants ended up falling and breaking his hip and I had to find someone else. Again, I think working with older contractors comes with unique risks due to their physical health challenges.

I’m sorry but I will be reluctant to ever hire someone that old again.

I also completely understand you being upset - my electrician recently backed his truck into the side of our house and ruined out brand new gutters. He is paying for their repair but it still causes me additional work - so, yeah, definitely annoying.

Oh and speaking of older contractors, how could I forget to mention the painter I hired in 2010 to repaint entire condo. He’d barely started and had a stroke in his eye! Yes, sadly it’s a type of stroke. Hired a new and, yes, younger painter who didn’t do the greatest job but at least he finished in one piece and still in good health.

This is not a nightmare. It's a blip on your reno. If you want to see a nightmare, maybe sit down with that glass of tequila or wine that others suggested and go read my saga. Yes it needs to be regrouted. No it's not a major job to do it and get it done right. Find someone with TCNA credentials.

@cpartist - thank goodness for your post! If you hang out on this forum, you see true “nightmare” stories—like scarey, life-changing, contractor nightmares. And those people post with less outrage and hysteria than this thread’s OP. This is about a backsplash for goodness sakes. The guy is probably on a limited fixed income - I doubt he pictured himself still installing tile at 75. And he offered the OP reimbursement. Enough @Michelle Smith. Give your outrage a rest. You’ve made your point.

Shannon, I've been hanging out here for almost 5 years now. If you haven't read my build threads, it's worth reading because my build was a disaster from the start and nowhere in my threads did I express such outrage. LOL.

@cpartist - I’ve been on this forum for many years, and did read what you went through. Gorgeous results though!

Actually, this thread is one of the more repellent I’ve read in my many years on this forum. The repeated skewering of this 75-year-old man is awful. This thread should have wrapped up after @Michelle Smith’s 4th post. Let’s see how you are doing when you are 75.

OP, it's understandable that you are upset. But I hope that you can back up a moment and acknowledge that your contractor IMMEDIATELY replied to your email, obviously agreeing with you, asking you to find someone to take it over, and to send the bill to him.

I can't tell you how rare this attitude is in ANYTHING, not just in remodeling.

We're all human. No one wants to acknowledge to himself/herself that s/he's no longer able to do the job they loved all their life. It may well happen to you one day.

I'd thank him for the quick reply and find a certified Tile Guy (or Gal) and move on.

At least your guy has some class and character, unlike the many other dodgeball artists out there.

Michelle Smith

Oh and speaking of older contractors, how could I forget to mention the painter I hired in 2010 to repaint entire condo. He’d barely started and had a stroke in his eye! Yes, sadly it’s a type of stroke. Hired a new and, yes, younger painter who didn’t do the greatest job but at least he finished in one piece and still in good health.

All I can say is, congratulations on your apparent good health at 63, and best wishes for escaping the fate of many if not most human beings.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” - Plato

Well... I had an episode of SVT (supraventricular tachycardia -- aka super-fast heart beat) yesterday and it totally threw off my tennis match, which was especially unfortunate for my doubles partner. Of course, I'm the ripe old age of 43, and should probably retire so my health issues don't inconvenience anyone anymore.

For the love.

I think I've been very kind, accommodating and extremely patient with my contractor. This project began in June and there have been other issues along the way that I won't belabor here. The bottom line is I paid him to do a job and, on my backsplash, he totally failed. I don't think he deserves to be excused for that because of his age or possible health issues. My point about the painter who had a stroke is that he was also elderly and I just don't seem to be having very good luck with elderly contractors. Again, although younger people can have health challenges as well, the older we get the odds increase we will have physical ailments and home remodeling is a very physically demanding job.

I'm sure your doubles partner did not pay you to play with him/her. A business relationship is in a completely different league.

“It's interesting that so many of the comments have been on my reaction.”

Yet, you take no ownership of it. As has been said, it’s just a backsplash. You appear to have lost perspective. You say ”nightmare” repeatedly. You’re disrespectful, contemptuous, and dismissive of 3 people who have suffered from age and illness. I wish we could hear the tiler’s side of the story. I bet there is much more to it.

Why don’t you just take the money the old man has offered you and be done. Why are you on the warpath? What is your objective of writing this post - more money from this old man? Just take the money and go.

Had you come here with photos of the backsplash and not mentioned the guy's age, people would've told you it's unacceptable. But, you already knew that. You knew it, and you insisted on repair, and your contractor admitted fault and has offered to make it right.

Why do you mention his age? It is a little weird and, the more I read your defensiveness, the weirder it seems. What is it you want from him? He's giving you the best outcome possible, and he's giving you what you want... so what is it?

Guess I'd never recommend our home's exterior painter to you. The young man's assistant was his 75-year old uncle, who did fantastic workmanship. They were up on ladders, replacing fascia board, replaced fenceposts for us by hand-mixing concrete and then painting the whole fence after they finished the house. I recommended them to many neighbors, and I believe they are quite busy.

Interestingly, the project they did right before mine was an elderly neighbor of theirs, who lived on a fixed income and whose house desperately needed painting. They did it for free. I wonder what people are going to say about you? You think when you're old someone's going to come give you a freebie like that? Where's your understanding?

I suggest you hire only young workers. However, my experience in construction includes more than 30%, thirty percent, fail a drug test they consented to take as a job requirement. But you go right on insisting old guys are health risks....Go ahead and hire young workers and don’t ask if they have a valid driver’s license (nobody can make me obey rules) or have a felony conviction on their record (that was my buddy’s fault, I didn’t plan to rob anybody). Oh, yeah, pick a workman based on age....

One of my best employees was a felon. If you didn't want him in your home, you could kiss my ass. I'd give you your money back.

Would never hire someone based solely on age. You’re arguing against hiring all younger workers. Why is my attitude narrow minded and yours is not?

My point was... middle age doesn't equal optimal heart health ("My guy has complained about health issues like sciatica pain and appts for testing on his heart during my project) -- or eye health, or back health, for that matter. Your speculations about your contractor's health impacting his work are just that. You don't know. It's not your business. All you need to do is ask, "Is this a good job?" And you'd hear, "No; they need to fix that." And then you'd say, "He offered to pay someone else to fix it." And then you'd hear, "Why are you asking about this, then?" Which is pretty much what just happened. I'd be writing about how my contractor is honest and takes responsibility for his mistakes.

@cpartist - I’ve been on this forum for many years, and did read what you went through. Gorgeous results though!

Thank you!

This has been an unexpected, interesting digression into ageism in the home improvement business. I obviously struck a raw nerve by mentioning my guy’s age. Thank you everyone for your honest and emotional comments. I am reflecting on all of it as I relax with my 2nd glass of excellent Chardonnay. I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist which is a blessing and a curse.

I’m also a perfectionist, which is one reason why I tend to hire older guys (more experience, often stronger work ethic, etc.)

And of course, then at some point we all hit the rocks of reality when the specifics of an individual completely negate our preconceived notions.

“Man proposes, God disposes” = aka, life is what happens when you’re making plans.