Uneven grout depths on floor tiles

2 years ago

Would appreciate everyone’s input here, especially from pros and people familiar with the issue described here.

On a recent walk-through of our apartment renovation, I noticed that the grout depths on our porcelain tile floor are uneven at multiple spots (in living areas, bedrooms, and perhaps bathrooms too).

I am including 4 photos here. First set of 3 are the original photos. And 1 photo, where I mark off what I consider to be okay grout depth (blue) and the problematic one (red). The tiles have been laid for about 6 months already.

So my questions are:

Is this a problem or am I being too picky?
If this is an issue, is this something that needs fixing?
How easy is it to fix? What’s the right way of fixing?
Given this wasn’t “done right the first time,” will the fix be as good as it were done right originally?
Is this a problem that should have been spotted by my interior decorator much earlier or the tilers themselves?

The photos were taken about a foot away from the tiles. The variations in grout depths are probably around 1-3 MM, enough to show up in the photos.

Thank you!

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Comments (7)

HU-910663146
2 years ago
Are the tiles themselves uneven or is it just the grout that is not the same height?
HU-244890105
Original Author
2 years ago
Just grout is vertically uneven, some parts deep between tiles, some parts more to the surface as shown.

But the grid orientation of the tiles themselves are very straight, near perfect.
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HU-910663146
2 years ago
I'd just add more grout then
millworkman
2 years ago
I'd leave it. Grout in joints that thin and that shallow will never stay. The work to put the grout in place and then clean the grout haze will be moot when the grout comes out 10 minutes later.
HU-244890105
Original Author
2 years ago
In response to the last comment. So is this installation with the vertically uneven grout good, normal, or defective?

Should the interior decorator and tilers spotted this as an issue earlier and addressed it?

Would it have been more easily fixed earlier?

I just want to know if I am dealing with competent people if I have more projects to be done with them. Thanks!
millworkman
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
If the tile is flat (no lippage and we cannot tell from the pics) and with really thin grout joint it is not the easiest to get grout in. Could it have had a touch more grout, yes, is it an issue that it does not, not really.
PRO
Minardi
2 years ago
Not a functionally impactful issue at all.