You're not going to be able to replace the ones you are concerned about:

1) You will destroy the waterproofing on that wall.

2) And, if you try to do it anyway, there will probably be slight differences in the tile positioning and the grout that will stand out more than those minor scratches.

You might put a coat of sealer on, which will deal with the dullness of the scratches, but otherwise I suggest you just learn to ignore it.

I had two bathrooms (floors and walls) done in Susan Jablon's glass mosaic tile. She recommended sanded grout. Don't know about your tiles, but I agree don't try to replace them, seal them and move on.

Appreciate the comments. My contractor replaced one successfully already, but that one had a different issue. How/why would replacing individual tiles ruin the water proofing if we re-grout and seal the bee ones? I saw when he took it off he did not damage the wall behind it. You can’t tell tell he removed and replaced it at all.

Also, some you can sorta see without “looking for them,“ and I’d just wanna replace or improve those. Is there anything I can do to maybe buff out the scratches? I’m just really upset because the bathroom is new and I paid a good amount to have this done. The grout was specifically recommended to me by several people at the the store (who seemed like they knew what they were talking about), and the company’s website does say you can use this grout on glass tiles.

Just wish there was something I could do without having to gut the whole thing, as that’s not really an option right now...I was real diligent about researching everything and just feel so dumb right now.

He got lucky and the more you try and pop off the greater the chances of messing up the waterproofing. What was the waterproofing system used?

Ok sorry if I'm being dense, but not entirely sure what you mean by "waterproofing system." I'm new to home ownership having lived in apartments my whole life, so all these terms are new to me. I know he used cement board (with Edge Guard, USG Durock brand), and then I think the thinset for the tiles went on that. And the insulation was the water resistant pink foam boards kind (although I do have cellulose on the other side of that). I saw that, when he popped that one diamond tile off, all you saw was mortar and you dint even see the cement board.

Is there a way that I can have the scratches buffed out maybe be a glass repair company?

If the contractor Installed the tiles directly onto the backer board without applying a liquid waterproofing membrane first, you don’t have a waterproofing system and that is an entirely different problem. Such membranes are brightly colored — typically bright red or pink — and would have been impossible not to notice.

I asked someone who knows a lot of this (he's done many bathrooms over the years), and he said waterproofing is really only necessary with horizontal surfaces like niches (I bought pre-made shower niche cutouts for those), shower floors (I have a bath tub on a concrete slab, no issues there), and shower seats (I dont have those). I know he used silicone all around the edge of the walls and around the bath tub. But no, I dont think he used any membranes before applying the tiles. I know many people do this, but based on what I've seen, it doesn't seem to be 100% necessary.

Ha, starting to feel awful about this bathroom now...oh well.

"I asked someone who knows a lot of this (he's done many bathrooms over the years), and he said waterproofing is really only necessary with horizontal surfaces like niches (I bought pre-made shower niche cutouts for those), shower floors (I have a bath tub on a concrete slab, no issues there), and shower seats (I dont have those)."

" I know many people do this, but based on what I've seen, it doesn't seem to be 100% necessary."

He and you are 100% incorrect. The reason the tile was easily replaced is there was no waterproofing to compromise. Cement board is not waterproof.

Neither of us said the cement board was waterproof. He said that for vertical walls it’s not entirely necessary because water isn’t really on it a sustained amount of time like it would be a horizontal area (or if you have a steam shower, which I don’t).

Anyway, at this point, it is what it is. I do know they sealed the tiles and grout. Hopefully that will help. I don’t believe tie old bathroom had water proofing and there was no mold or anything like what when we looked behind the walls.

I was unaware of the need for such waterproofing years ago when I remodeled my first house and added a master bath suite. I became more aware of the need several years later when my beautiful tile started to come off the walls and threshold in several spots due to water that had migrated through the grout. I’m not saying that you will have a similar problem in your shower, but your contractor gave you bad information and did not do the job he should have.

I appreciate all the responses, and I'm sure everyone on here knows more than I do about this stuff simply because it's all brand new to me. That being said, I've made some calls and have asked around to several people who know a lot about home renovations (family members and contractors alike - all contractors I have not worked with, so they aren't under any kind of pressure to justify their work), and everyone agreed that while it's certainly nice to have, it's not entirely necessary in my specific case. They all said they doubt I'll have any issues. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still a tad worried about it, but I'm going to just move on and hope for the best. I mentioned it to my contractor (who I do trust), and he said if I ever have any issues, he will take care of it.

At least one nice thing about this is that I can remove/replace some of those glass tiles because there's no waterproofing system to worry about - haha!

I'd try some Cerium Oxide.

you can try using a dremel with a small polishing wheel attachment, along with the polishing compound Joseph recommends. practice on a sample tile first (scratch it and see how long it takes to polish them out). once you start in on the shower walls, keep the wheel away from the grout.

Thanks guys! I'm going to contact a local glass repair company near me that has some fantastic reviews. The seller of this house also left me a really nice glass table which I have in my sunroom. It's got some scratches on that as well, maybe I can use the opportunity to spruce that up too.

Just spoke to another contractor who is VERY highly regarded in my neighborhood (to the point where he's booked for months, purely from word of mouth referrals), and he too just told me that waterproofing wasn't necessary in my case, and that he highly doubts I'll have any issues. I feel better, but I will definitely make sure they do waterproofing moving forward. Someday I want to expand my house and build a master bed/bath suite, so I'll definitely do the waterproofing in there. This same contractor also said I likely didn't make a mistake with the grout I chose (as far as the scratches) and that there's a good chance those glass tiles either already had them or got scratched during the process of being put up. He said the grout I used generally isn't the culprit, although it could still have been. But only a few have scratches, so perhaps it wasn't the grout.

"If the contractor Installed the tiles directly onto the backer board without applying a liquid waterproofing membrane first, you don’t have a waterproofing system"

That is absolutely NOT true. First, a surface applied membrane isn't necessarily liquid. Second, it is entirely possible that the waterproofing layer is behind the cement board and not on top of it. That is a perfectly acceptable way to waterproof the tub surround.

Do you know if the tub has a flange, and how that junction with the cement board was treated? A bead of silicone on top is not sufficient.

catbuilder- As far as I'm concerned, having a waterproofing membrane behind the cement board is less than ideal as it allows water to get trapped between the backer and the membrane, which can then migrate down and possibly get into the wall at the bottom or through any penetration and affect framing. I want an applied membrane I can see with the only thing on top of it being tile and thinset. In any case, it's not clear that the OP even got the benefit of a membrane behind the backer board.

It sounds like you’ve received some good advice re: polishing your tiles. I’m just posting a comment to let you know how beautiful your glass tile looks! I actually have this tile saved as one of my options for the wall over my vanity behind my mirrors. Q - is there any natural light in your bathroom? If so, would you mind taking a photo during the day so I can see how the tile looks with natural light? I would really appreciate it.

Also - and I apologize if this seems like a strange question - did you pick out the tile or did a female? I’m asking this question in order to prove a point with my significant other. I own my house (no mortgage) - so, when we decided to live together, I didn’t want to sell it and buy something else with a mortgage. However, I originally built this house with my ex-husband - so, I’m remodeling MANY rooms in order to make it “new” (even though my ex didn’t really give much input into the house when we built it - and I only shared this house with my ex for about 4 years - quite awhile ago). I am trying to be considerate by not making anything “too feminine” - this tile seems like a good choice for that. My significant other didn’t say that the tile is too feminine - but I‘m not exactly sure whether he believes that or not! I definitely don’t think it’s feminine - I think it’s an attractive option for my accent wall. His suggestions have been simply TOO BORING! I don’t want a sterile looking all gray/white/black bathroom. I do want to be considerate - but it still is my house so . . . LOL!

One other Q - what did you choose for your vanity/wall paint/flooring? Thanks!

My home was built in 1978 and when the bathroom was demolished to remove the tub and put in a wheelchair-accessible shower, my walls were not wet or rotted, and I think drywall may have been used behind the tile. BUT, I was lucky. In some areas the local builders do not adhere to industry standards and still do not waterproof their shower walls. Well, that is one reason I have a solid surface (similar to Corian) shower instead of tile. So, you may be fine with the shower walls that you have. Be aware, though, that if problems ever develop, that the proper way to build a shower these days is to waterproof the walls. We added a drain to my bathroom floor just in case my shower overflows, and so my whole bathroom floor is waterproofed, including 5 inches up the walls. I like feeling confident in knowing that it is done right.

Thanks for the additional comments and feedback. More friends, family members and people who do this kind of work got back to me (none of them with a horse in this race), and they've all reassured me that they've never waterproofed their bathtub shower walls and never had an issue. I'm still a bit annoyed that this option wasn't brought up to me, but now I know better for the future. My contractor also reassured me that I won't have any issues, and that if I ever did, to just give him a call and he'll take care of it.

Someone asked about the bath tub having a flange, and it does. The cement board I believe was placed over it, and then sealed with silicone after that all around and up the corners of that wall.

About how I picked the decor - this was all me. I'm a single guy in my mid 30s and this is my first time owning a house having been a city boy my whole life. I'm trying to design it such that it's not too trendy and has neutral colors that will appeal to a lot of people (as well as myself and my personal tastes, of course). I think I'm pulling it off. Learning a lot as I go (this is an example).

Here's the bathroom fully. Floor tiles are porcelain blue-is grey and vanity is a bit of a darker blueish grey, vanity top is quartz. All else is brushed nickel and I left the walls white so artwork and plants will pop some more.

Toying with the idea of doing the ceramic white tiles on the front of the tub...shower glass door coming soon.

don't tile the front of the tub. that room doesn't need any more tile, and that tub doesn't need it. it's a nice classic bathtub design.

It's a lovely bathroom. enjoy it!

Agree, no tile on the tub. Looks very good - you did a great job esp for your first time! Enjoy!

John - you really did a nice job selecting your materials. I have seen where people will add a wood front facade on the front side of a bathtub like yours in order to make the tub look like a built-in tub. Looked very nice. There is a simple diy blog (maybe ”Bless this House” or something similar) with instructions and photos if you’re doing this part yourself. I’m having my GC do mine - but it looked fairly easy