something is off it was just as much as a licensed contractor but you went without a license. was it in order to pay cash and avoid taxes. what was the reason not hire the licensed contractor. if the grout is way off 2 things tile was installed incorrectly but you say it fine tile work. then the grout needs to be cleaned more evenly

inside corners or any change of plain should be caulked not grouted

I didn’t even know licensed contractor charged taxes? My husband just liked this guy more as far as persona: he showed us pictures and his worked seemed good too! We didn’t really think into the license vs no license thing.

So these should have been caulked not grouted? That’s the area I’m having a hard time ... the lines of grout are SO thick

yes and against the tub and ceiling

Do you think I need to have the whole thing redone?

Feels like against the tub it is caulked but the ceiling and where the walls meet are all grout...

no it can be repaired cut grout out and redo these areas

Sorry I just wanna make sure we ask correctly. The lines I highlighted have to be caulked right? What a mess

more importantly is how he waterproofed the shower. Do you have in progress pics?

I do..

I’m sorry but that’s not waterproofed from what I can tell. That looks like regular concrete board. I don’t see any waterproof membrane applied over the concrete board, which should be there on a properly done job.

Great. I don’t think there’s much we can do considering he isn’t licensed.

Did you have any sort of written agreement? I think the licensing issue matters less than what was agreed between you. Licensed or not, he represented himself as a skilled tradesperson and is responsible for whatever commitments he made to you about the quality of his work.

This was all that was written out. I’ll have to talk to him tomorrow even if he can just give us half the money back or redo it. This is so bad.

There is no mention of waterproofing anything about on that. This is a do over and not by him.

Not sure about the hangup on licensing, there are different kinds. Tile setters do not need licensed like roofer, plumbers, or electricians (life safety and state regulated). In some states Handymen require licensing. G.C.'s need a license (usually city/county issued). There is the "license" and bonding Cities require a contractor to do work in their jurisdiction. There is a business license (state/federal), meaning you can establish a business, and then qualify for business insurance. YMMV. For tile, none of these supercede a contract during a dispute anyway.

It is a total do-over. Floor is unacceptable. I see the tile wave pattern was not matched on the side and in the corners (will require lots of waste to match the corners). Grouted corners. No finished edge (I think, can't tell from pic) like a 'bullnose', pencil, or trim e.g. Schluter. Next time specify the size of grout width, and your tiler will verify with the TCNA based on product. In fact, write that on the contract "tile to be installed per TCNA guidelines."

This is total mess and honestly on you why would not think a license was not important. This thing will leak like a sieve in no time . I am sorry but this is a rip it out and start over and with someone who actually knows what they are doing.

If he’s a tile setter the license / not licensed thing is probably a red herring. At least in Georgia there is no professional licensing for a tile setter like there is for some other trades (they should have a business license but I wouldn’t think to check that...). However the complete lack of waterproofing is a huge problem. While I’m being picky it doesn’t look like he taped the seams and he used premixed thinset? Ugh.

total redo without waterproofing. should have hired a licensed contractor. if your state doesn't require they at the very least need a business license. at the very least if thye had a license you would have some recourse

I live in Arizona, so idk how it works, but we’ll be talking to him tomorrow.

Pardon my intrusion... The photo that Samantha posted with the highlighted lines - should each of those be caulked instead of grouted?

If it were properly waterproofed and not a total do-over, then, yes the lines she drew would normally be caulk and not grout - including where the tile meets the tub.

that must come out.

A complete redo. This time find someone who knows what they're doing.

If the tilesetter would have used Schluter-Kerdi waterproofing and installed it perfectly, would he still had to have caulk along those lines? Asking because we had the Schluter waterproofing and there's just grout along those lines in our shower.

"If the tilesetter would have used Schluter-Kerdi waterproofing and installed it perfectly, would he still had to have caulk along those lines?"

100% he would need to use silicone caulk at ALL changes of plane and at intersections of different materials.. The different planes will move at different rates and different times and the grout will eventually crack. It has nothing to do with the waterproofing.

OK, thank you, millworkman. Since there is already grout there. Can I just put silicone over it?

Nope, it all needs to be scraped out / removed.

OK, thank you

I've torn out dozens of old shower/tubs, most over 25 years old. Not one was properly waterproofed, so take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt.

Though your job wasn't done to todays standards, it's not the end of the world. Ask for a discount and use the shower....

Get some color matched caulk and if/when the grout cracks simply caulk the cracks.

OK, that sounds good. Thanks, ksc36

@ksc36, how many of those old showers you removed had leaks and mold issues?

”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The few showers that had leaks were from failed copper pans. Tub leaks were usually caused due to old cast iron tubs with no flange. I can't remember a fiberglass tub with a flange ever leaking. Mold is far more likely if you don't have proper ventilation in the bathroom. I would guess well over 90% of baths/showers functioning today have "improper" waterproofing.

If you use it, take short showers.

@Samantha Fellenz - I hope that you will look at this post again.

This post has caused me to decide that I need to make a general post about people providing legal advice who are not qualified to do so.

Please look my new post up if you’d like some actual guidance re: what occurred with your shower install. Unlike what you’ve been told - you do have recourse (still do now four months later). FYI - it appears that in AZ there is a 6 year statute of limitations for breach of contract actions and a 2 year statute for negligence.