Who is even going to notice this? When they're not standing directly over it, looking at it close up and trying to find something wrong.

If by sharp you mean able to cut your foot rather than cut at a sharp angle (as I interpreted it) then yes it needs to be fixed. Otherwise, leave things alone and move on.

To clarify, for anyone with helpful comments, the edges are sharp, as in cut your foot sharp.

"...the edges are sharp, as in cut your foot sharp."

^^ Then, as I said, it needs to be fixed. Talk to your tiler. They might be able to simply sand down the sharp edges.

Get the tile guy back.................^^

To fix sharp edges on tile around a shower drain, use a diamond hand sanding pad or rubing stone to grind down the sharp, exposed cuts until they are smooth and safe.How to Smooth Sharp Tile Edges

• Clean the area: Wipe away any soap scum, grime, or loose debris around the drain so you can clearly see the sharp tile cuts.
• Start with coarse grit: Use a coarse diamond hand pad (around 60 to 120 grit) or a diamond sanding block designed for porcelain and ceramic. Rub it gently back and forth along the sharp edge at a slight angle until the sharp point or razor edge is flattened and rounded off. [1]
• Refine and polish: Switch to a finer grit pad (around 200 to 400 grit) to buff out any scratches left by the coarse pad, creating a smooth, safe finish. [1]
• Seal or caulk if needed: If there is a wide gap between the tile edge and the drain flange, fill it with a matching waterproof silicone caulk to create a smooth, comfortable transition that protects bare feet.

See how a diamond sanding pad...............even You tube : ) has answers if you want a DIY /ASAP

I will never understand why folks are so afraid to ask the person whom they paid to do the w.o.r.k.

Why is everyone being so unkind? You are not required to comment. If you don’t want to offer advice, just don’t. The project is still ongoing and the tiler is coming at some point to address the problem. I have no interest in DIYing, thus why I didn’t post in the DIY section. I merely came on to a home improvement and remodeling forum to ask for advice on how it might be improved. Who knew that would garner such criticism?!

Maybe obvious solutions avoid asking us?: )

"The project is still ongoing and the tiler is coming at some point to address the problem"

Ongoing, means work not yet fully paid.and you don't fully pay until the issue is resolved to your satisfaction, at whatever point that may be.

My original question clearly states, “any ideas on how to ask the tiler to improve the look of the tiles around the drain?”

As far as I know, you aren’t required to comment.

When tiler comes, he can maybe grind in such a way that it simulates an (oval) rounded or half-round pebble? Did you have something in mind, or picture, of what you thought it would look like when finished?

If you don't have the conversational skills to have a discussion with the tiler to point out the issue and request feedback on how to solve it, you've got bigger problems. You say, "this doesn't look right, seems like the edges are sharp and I'm afraid of cutting my foot, what can you do to fix it?". Not difficult.

As usual Jan isn't being mean, just honest.

Thanks Andee. I appreciate your feedback. It sounds like more precision grinding is needed rather than just a cut. As my post stated, I was asking for advice before discussing with the tiler, should they either not have ideas or say there’s nothing that can be done. It certainly does happen and has happened. I was hoping to have some guidance and information ready should there be pushback on fixing the issue. So thank you for offering that. Here is an image of how I was thinking it would turn out.

In the picture, it looks like the drain is raised above the pebbles so any cut doesn’t show.

"My original question clearly states, “any ideas on how to ask the tiler to improve the look of the tiles around the drain?” "

Which is why I responded the way I did. Looks? No one is going to see the sharp-angled cuts but you, it's a non-issue IMO. Sharp edges? Different story -- THAT needs to be remedied.


"As my post stated, I was asking for advice before discussing with the tiler, should they either not have ideas or say there’s nothing that can be done."

And Jan and I told you -- sanding. Tilers know this, it should be an easy fix.

If you want a re-do to get it like the pic you posted, thats a different conversation with the tiler. What is your end goal here? Looks vs safety vs both? Decide what you want out of this situation and go from there.

I agree with you robbie, the guy was just asking for a little help.

Thank you, Robbie and doods! I appreciate it. What’s the point of having an advice forum if people try make you feel bad or stupid for asking for advice.

Have you thought about asking another tiler to come and have a look at the floor, to see if its done right. The picture of the tile that you wanted it to look like, is a much nicer tile job than what you actually have. I would worry about whether it was even done correctly. A good tiler would not have left it like that. If you decide to have another tiler look at it, make sure its a good experienced tiler that has a good reputation for good quality tile laying.

Are the "blotchy" tiles a crackle glaze? If they are, the crackle glaze is not recommended for wet areas.

Penny tile, or any mosaic, are difficult to install and require a very good tiler.

My fear is that grinding down the sharp edges is going to expose the un-glazed body of the tiles, which long term will bring a different set of problems.

Thanks cat_ky. That’s what I was wondering. It didn’t look quite right to me…not clean. Unfortunately, I didn’t choose the installer, he was part of the remodeling team that I hired to do the whole bathroom. To be fair, the rest of the tile work (shower wall and main floor) looks great. This just fell short of expectation for me. And also, not safe given the sharp edge.

Just for curiosity, do you have any pictures of your bathroom, being done. etc. With the workmanship on that floor, I am wondering, if you even got any water proofing, and if it was done correctly under the wall tile.

Thanks Chispa. It does have that appearance, but I don’t think it’s crackle glaze. I did purchase these at a reputable tile supplier and specifically told the designer that these were meant for shower floor. Neither she nor the tiler mentioned it would be an issue. Fingers crossed this isn’t a problem. There are only a few scattered throughout the design.

@cat_ky I don’t have photos, but I do know that he put up the green backerboard and put in the pan underneath the shower floor. The other tile work is nice…the wall and bathroom floor, it’s only this area the shower floor that seems to be an issue. Thanks so much for the feedback.

Anything more than green backerboard? Taping of seams? Red paint over it (redgard)?

Example of Redgard waterproofing before tiling. I'm no expert, but this is the easy method for the average contractor.

chispa is right, something like the redguard in the picture above should have been put over that green backerboard, and all the seams in it should have been taped too. Thats all part of water proofing.

" but I do know that he put up the green backerboard "

Do you know what the "green backer board" actually is? Hopefully not greenboard, aka mositure resistant drywall, which is not for showers according to the drywall manufacturers.

Well, now, I’m a little worried. I honestly don’t know. I hired a remodeling company with a good reputation in our neighborhood. I didn’t think I needed to check to see if they were doing all things correctly. I assumed the tiler would know to properly waterproof a shower. Perhaps I was naive.

Should I ask what type of waterproofing was used for the shower? What are the acceptable forms of waterproofing for a fully tiled shower?

Thanks so much for the insight. Lessons learned.

" Should I ask what type of waterproofing was used for the shower? "

I certainly would but you may not get an accurate answer at this point if they did not do it correctly. And you may have zero chance of getting them to redo it if it was poorly or incorrectly done.

" What are the acceptable forms of waterproofing for a fully tiled shower? "

Typically a system and most go with Go Board, Kerdi Board or similar in this day and age. The pan is usually Kerdi or the like. You typically want one complete system so you have a product warranty.

As far as the tile, they should never have left it like that and they need to sand or grind the tile. The rest of the work looks sloppy but shy of ripping it all out (pan and waterproofing as well) the fix very well could be worse than what you have now.

Could the drain be raised or a different taller drain cover so the tile butts up against it like in your inspo pic?

Update: the tiler did use Redguard for waterproofing. He fixed the sharp tiles. It looks better but definitely not as clean as I would have liked. From afar, it’s fine.

Perhaps once I clean it and remove all the residue from the drain it will look better.

" the tiler did use Redguard for waterproofing "

What was the substrate the applied the Redguard to? What about the pan?

It is unfortunate, but homeowners need to be knowledgeable in today's world re: renovations. Luckily, I had just started reading Houzz posts about six months prior to my first bathroom renovation. Due to all of the comments asking about waterproofing (on posts that had nothing to do with waterproofing), I realized that it had become a big issue.

I also learned the steps required for a traditional water in - water out custom made shower pan + how many contractors would skip the required pre-slope UNDER the vinyl waterproof liner in addition to the slope made on the liner (the liner would be installed flat on the subfloor). I was able to immediately spot an issue when my contractor failed to install a pre-slope under the vinyl liner. I also took MANY photos along the way to document the construction of the shower.

I would ask how the shower was waterproofed. You could do it in a way that is not accusatory - maybe tell him/her that you are asking for a friend who is going to DIY his/her shower renovation. You could simply say that your friend asked you how your shower was constructed - and that you said that you would ask your contractor because you weren't sure.

If you simply ask about your shower - your contractor may assume that you believe that it was done incorrectly = you may not receive an honest answer. You still may not receive an honest answer, but at least if you pose the question similar to how I have suggested, he/she won't be defensive and there is a chance that he/she will provide the steps that were used.

There are many contractors who believe that the way they are constructing showers is a perfectly acceptable option - even though it isn't. There are "how-to" videos on YouTube that show unacceptable shower construction methods. Obviously, the creators of those videos honestly believed that he/she was providing helpful information for DIYers.

Thank you so much Handyman Prince George! This is exactly the advice I was hoping for. What a thoughtful response! I really appreciate it and I’m sure anyone following along also appreciates it!