Wait, this looks like a shower? What is the boundary shown in the first picture -- does the tile overhang the wall? Is that an outer corner?

I mean, that second photo looks like bad install! Have you laid the tile on a flat surface to be sure it isnt bowed at all? If not, I can't understand why there would be lippage. Did you ask for it to be stacked rather than brick arrangement?

Hi acm, thanks. So the first photo is on a window sill and that is the end of the wall.
The second photo is the back wall of a stove (you can see the pot filler). The tile was not bowed. Yes, it was stacked since that is supposed to look like the below:
Thanks for weighing in.

• supposed to look like the inspo photo minus the color (darker and darker grout)

I realize the grout in the inspo photo is darker than yours but the grout width looks bigger in the inspo photo - what spacing is recommended by the manufacturer?

Hello. Lala. It is 1/8th which my contractor supposedly followed.

Yeah, they just didn't lay the field flat. It seems like it has to be the installer. but it's not cool they're sticking you in the middle -- do you have a general contractor to take responsibility, or is that you?

Acm- thanks. No, I’m working with a builder who did the install but sourced the tile myself. The builder is insisting this is the “design” and tile company is saying this is a bad install. Truly such a frustrating experience on something I invested in both from a materials and labor standpoint.

Maybe it's the pictures, but I'm not seeing anything terrible.

I would use this mess to rethink what tile you have behind your stove and pick something different. That tile, with all its itty-bitty ridges & valleys, is going to be a b**** to keep clean. Can we see the rest of the kitchen and where else the tile is (not as close-up as you've provided).

Go stand back and take pics of the whole kitchen. These up close phone pics are TOO close and do not at all represent the way a room is SEEN.

IMO a really poor choice for backsplash .

It's the selection that is the main issue. Wrong type of irregular tile choice to expect perfect alignment. Then, it's the too small grout spacing to fudge the selection.

If you were to start at the top of a stack, is the grout line straight up and down? I feel like the design of the tile with a matching grout might be what's making it seem off. In the picture with the darker grout, you can see that the vertical ridges aren't always lining up with each other since they are different spacings on each tile.

Could it just be a weird optical illusion?

Hi Debbie, at the top of the stack the grout line is not straight. The vertical ridges are not expected to line up but the edges/grout line should. Thanks for the input b

Your 2nd photo really shows the installation problem. Looks like a lot of precision is needed to install it correctly. I would be disappointed too. If there was a problem with tiles matching up, I would hope your installer would have called you in to look at it before going any further.

Needed wider grout joints to fake the tile lining up.

These are amateur mistakes made on expensive tile with irregular ribbing. Your installer didn’t use spacers and you can’t eyeball this kind of tile. In fairness, it’s a tricky tile to set because the info you get from the ribs in the tile fights the info you get from the tile as a whole. That’s why you hired a pro. Turns out your pro is not a great tile setter. A great one would have done a dry layout for you first to show you what 1/8” grout lines look like (they are huge), he would have used spacers on the installation, and he would have let you know if he couldn’t work with the tile.

Thanks all! The problem here is that I supposedly hired a pro and paid a premium for it too 😩

Rebunky- thank you for being so detailed and helpful! I really appreciate the thought you put into your response along with many others on this thread!

Hi all, I am being told that the excess grout here is also avoidable. Can someone pls step in? Thanks.

Oh that looks terrible!

So he says smearing grout on your cabinets, the ceiling, and whatever that grout disaster going on in the upper corner is UNavoidable?

Wow, this guy is a real piece of work! He basically just peed on your leg and told you it‘s raining.

Can you please post photos of the whole kitchen, showing all the backsplash areas, standing from further back?

Sorry, but this is looking more and more like a tear out to me. This is probably going to get ugly, so prepare yourself.

I would calmly tell him,

“I am sorry, but this backsplash work is completely unacceptable to me. I showed photos of it to the tile manufacturer and they said it is a bad install.”

”Here, look at these photos I found online of the exact same tile installed in a stacked pattern. Notice how the tile is all stacked up in a nice straight row and the grout line is straight vertically and horizontally? That is what mine should look like… not all wonky with the tiles not even stacked up straight. I want this t be redone properly.”

”If you cannot provide someone who is experienced with installing slightly irregular tile in a stacked pattern, then I would like to be compensated for the cost of the tile I purchased which will now be ripped out.”

If he gets really nasty and threatens to put a lean on your house, calmly say,

”Well, then you are fired and you will be hearing from my lawyer very soon. I will also be posting reviews naming your company with photos of your shotty work on Yelp and other websites. Please take all your stuff when you leave. Have a nice day.”

I feel so bad for you! I hope that your contractor will be reasonable and admit his or his tile subs mistake. Hopefully you can come to some kind of an agreement. Sadly, it usually does not go to well. Please do keep us updated.

ETA some more photos you could show him.

Hi all, despite multiple other experts confirming the work is unacceptable, the contractor is refusing to take ownership. I have found someone else more capable. I do think it’s fair for them to pay for new tile and teardown but so far he has only offered redoing the work “at a discount”. I do not want to redo with them given the precision is lacking. What is the standard process to get them to pay for the material and teardown? Thanks.

Dang, I was afraid this would happen. 😡

So have you already paid in full?

If not, how much do you still own them?

Is you Contractor licensed and insured?

How much did the tile that you paid for cost?

There are Pros, Contractors and Lawyers on here who might be able to help out, but I am sure they will need answers to those questions at least.

My husband is a G.C. I usually don’t bug him about Houzz stuff, but I will ask him for his opinion.

So sorry you have to deal with this!

Try to get him to share some of the loss, but ultimately if you don't love it and want to do it over, then you will be covering the whole loss.

We have all done this at least once over the years!

Your other option is to get a discount and live with it as it is ... you might realize after a couple of years that this is a difficult tile to maintain and keep clean in a kitchen, and choose to re-tile everything with a different tile.