Bad Penny tile job - help

5 years ago

I just had a contractor install white penny tile / warm gray grout. There are multiple
patches that are discolored or look darker- it looks like these areas may have more grout. I am posting pictures. It is very noticeable as you walk in bathroom. Can and if so how can this be corrected?

Featured Answer

SJ McCarthy

5 years ago

I can't IMAGINE the amount of time it would take to grind out ALL the grout (thousands of grout lines to grind out = dozens and dozens of hours).

The cost of the 'fix' is the tile setter's responsibility to 'eat'. Right now, s/he is trying NOT to purchase more tile and more grout, etc. That is money DIRECTLY OUT of his/her pocket. If s/he can get away with getting all that grout out (...wow...just...wow...?) it will only 'cost him/her' a few days worth of TIME (and a couple of packs of grout).

BUT...if the tile is removed (which is STILL a possibility...ahem...if the new grout job does not 'fix' the look of the tiles, it will become the REAL fix) then the setter is going to have to purchase all the product s/he mangled installing this.

The reason why you want to push for the right fix is this: the tiler must LEARN this lesson. The lesson is, "Don't bid 'low' on penny tile. Don't RUSH penny tile. Don't mess around with penny tile." Those are the lessons the setter MUST LEARN.

It sounds harsh, but it is the way of learning the business of renovations. I would push heavily for the full removal and reinstallation of the tile. Sit down with him/her and talk this out. You need to ask what really NEEDS to be done to get this to work 'better'. Things like, how much MORE PREPARATION will you need to do to get the SUBFLOOR ready for this type of tile?

If the tiler looks back at you with a blank stare, then you know you are in for more of a wild ride. The 'bid' should have included a PRICE RANGE for the subfloor prep. It should look like:

- Subfloor prep: Conditional on tiles chosen and subfloor quality = $2-$5/sf. To Be Determined at time of install.

And you would have had to add a signature to that range...beside the numbers...to show that you understood this to be a floating number that will solidify AFTER the job is completed.

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Comments (15)

User
5 years ago
Redo it all.
december14
Original Author
5 years ago
I am trying to get the tile setter back. Why does it all have to be redone? Can those particular areas not be fixed?
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PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
the fix is a better substrate and a better setter ....possibly bttr tile (TBD). Only thing you could do now is use blend of grout renew colorants and try to match the tile better.

very time consuming $$$ to install these in prep and setting , I may spend a few days on a small bath floor just setting the sheets.
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
Penny tile is very difficult to set. One has to have a lot of experience and a good eye to space the sheets so that you cannot see the individual squares. You made the whole thing even harder by choosing a grout color that contrasts with your tile, which emphasizes the distances between tiles that are too far apart or too close together. I see that in the wider grout lines in front of and beside the toilet, for instance. That is one reason you are being told to redo it.

Colored grout will have slightly different tones to it if it is mixed with more or less water than the other batches. That may be some of what you are seeing. Is it possible that the blotchy are is wet, for some reason? That is what it looks like to me. Wet colored grout is darker than dry colored grout. WHY those areas are wet is a question for your tiler if you are certain no water has been spilled in that room.

Mint Tile, what do you think happened here to make it blotchy?

This does not look like an absolute terrible job to me and it may be that changing to a grout color that matches the tile will solve some things.
december14
Original Author
5 years ago
It is definitely dry it has been 6 days now. I don’t think I can go lighter on grout color only darker. I am so bummed. The spots are very noticeable to me. The tile setter’s solution is to regrout??
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
Why not lighter? Take the regrout!
millworkman
5 years ago
"The tile setter’s solution is to regrout??"

As long as he carefully removes all of the current grout. And of course the sooner the better as the grout gets harder as it cures over the days.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
5 years ago
Sure I see the grout is discolored, but the overall sloppy alignment is a bigger problem to my eye. It is a tear out and redo. Yes penny tile is a pain, but as long as the sheets were properly made (some aren't) the install just takes someone who gives a darn. If the sheets of mosaic were not properly manufactured you should have been alerted.
december14
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you for your comments! What is the right fix? Is it to tear out and redo? I spoke with contractor today and he said they would regrout at the areas of discoloration- is that even possible? And there are many uneven areas/malaligned areas. The more I look at it the more I realize how many areas there are. Thank you again for any advice.
SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
Nope...not an option to just do the 'discoloured' grout areas. Go ahead and use 'blue' painters tape to 'tag' each and every spot that bothers you...and then take a room photo of it. Then send it to them via email/text and ASK THEM what the plan is to CORRECT both the SHEET ALIGNMENT and the discolouration. You want this in writing and you want a response to your email/text.

Many 'contractors' will say they are going to do something (cheap and easy) only to receive a room shot with HUNDREDS of blue tape tags....and that's when they realize the job is much worse then they thought.

Who installed the tiles? A tile installer or a General Contractor? What other 'tile work' did this company/person do? Is there any concern with water proofing in, say, a bath or a shower?
december14
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you for your help and used the tape and sent pictures.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
5 years ago
Do you have photos of the shower after waterproofing but before tile was installed?
december14
Original Author
5 years ago
No, what would that show? We have not used the bathroom other than I did wash out the tub. Should I be concerned about leaking?
User
5 years ago
You should be concerned about anything that hack has touched. But especially the wet area build. That’s where the invisible leaks will cause behind the scenes rot that’s way more expensive than you paid this guy. Is he even actually licensed?