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Design Dilemma
lmoore7156

I should have used a designer...

12 years ago
Screwed up tile layout. Any suggestions?
Featured Answer
  • 12 years ago
    Story Time: When I was very pregnant with my son. We lived in a house with a large walk-in shower. The tile was coming loose. It was a funky green on green mosaic, I never liked green anyway. I've always been mostly a DIY in my own house. (Although I work with an architectural firm and have skads of advice and professionals at my disposal) The tile needed to come up.

    So, being quite unable to see my feet at the time I enlisted the DH to demolish it. Night after night he chiseled off each little tile. Tick tick tick tick tick, sweep sweep and plunk in the trash barrel repeated over and over and over, for hours. By day 5 I had about lost my mind. I went to see the work he was doing. He had very neatly, and carefully removed a 3 x 3 portion.

    Looking at the floor the area than needed removal was 9 x 4. I quickly calculated I would have to live with that noise for at least 2 more weeks. So I went to the shed and got a sledge hammer. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. Done.

    Now as I was cleaning the mess I realized that I had 1. Solved the issue 2. Saved myself from the torture of hearing the tick tick tick. 3. Emasculated my husband. Where I should have been an encouraging and supportive wife enthusiastically commending him on his work I, in 4 short blows demoralized him.

    If I could have put the tile back I would have. I learned a huge lesson that day, sometimes in a marriage you have to let things be. Most times you can compromise. This was not one of them. I now have a husband that is less then enthusiastic helping with projects.

    Comments (164)

    • 12 years ago
      Ok everyone. Nothing to see here anymore. I actually DID try to delete the thread because I got a lot of good advice from everyone and it was shut down and this thread did just make me sad and frantic. My feelings weren't hurt by anyone and I enjoyed the snippy comments. BUT--this was useful as I am moving forward with the floor in a diagonal pattern.

      It's nice that everyone concurs that there is no fixing the back wall and what needs to be done is rip it out. Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!
    • 12 years ago
      I believe what you are doing is the right thing. You are a great wife and a loving friend to your husband. :)

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    • 12 years ago
      Can't you make the bottle alcove one wide section instead of the two small ones?
    • 12 years ago
      The box niches were pre fab built ins so no, I can't make it one long box. But good idea!

      I was considering getting rid of the right box because that is where the worst cuts are. However, it will lend itself to some symmetry because there is a light above it and two shower heads.

      There are no quick fixes to this and I get that thanks to everyone. This was going to be my bathroom too, but I'm opting to stay out of it.

      All this is live and learn. Even if I am not moving forward on everyone's suggestions, I have learned so much about what not to do so I don't screw up the other bathroom when we fix it.
    • 12 years ago
      lucidios; second night I would have sledged it. I understand; undoing his hubby-helper bit; but. Right now I wish mine could be trusted to tick away at stuff like tile removal.
    • 12 years ago
      Well the back story to that is:

      Day 2 (Sunday)

      Me "Hun you know you can just get a hammer right?"
      Hun "But it will make a mess and I'll get a tile in my eye and the dust isn't good for you and the baby".
      Me "It's ok I'll go over to my friend Sara's. There are goggles on the workbench."
      Hun "No it's ok I'm getting out my frustrations".
      Me "Hun ..it's kinda frustrating me".

      Day 3 (Monday Night)

      Me "So..how's it going in there?"
      Hun "Good".
      Me "Great".

      Day 4 (Tuesday Night)

      Me "Oh hun, by the way Bill is coming over tomorrow to help me lay the tile".
      Hun "I think you need to wait till the weekend".
      Me "I'll call him and let him know"
      Tink tink tink tink.........

      Day 5 Wednesday AM Hubby leaves for work.
    • 12 years ago
      When we built our house there were several glitches that drove me up a wall. Once it was finished no one notices them but me and I seldom think of them any longer. An old builder told me once that you should not have the craftsmen tear out mistakes because they'll make a bigger mess fixing something wrong. It is better to find a way to live with it or to reach the cheapest solution possible. For instance, the cabinet maker was unused to making cabinets for 9' ceilings. The one he made for over the sink was sized for 8 foot which left a huge gap at the sink area. rather than have him tear it out, I used that area to hang a nice picture. It would also allow for a stunning tile back splash element. Tearing out tile isn't that hard but the mortar underneath is another thing. What kind of moisture barrier did he use? If he is unused to doing a surround that would concern me the most. Although many tile men avoid those concerns as well and figure you won't notice till tile starts falling off the wall in a few years.
      lmoore7156 thanked msmaggie38654
    • 12 years ago
      Nothing in life is perfectly symmetric and the tile looking like stone gives it a rustic look. It's not going to affect the construction and it's not worth fighting over.
      lmoore7156 thanked J Petempich
    • 12 years ago
      He used the whole shelter-kerdy system barrier over water board. I figure if he did anything wrong the tile will fall off in a few years and I'll get to fix it the right way. Thanks everyone. Again, this was all a HUGE learning experience for me.
    • 12 years ago
      So i asked him to do a diagonal pattern from the center and he still started it from the left wall. But I caught him thankfully and now we are working centered. If there are any problems with this from a design perspective, please don't tell me because I think i reached the path of least resistance given my situation and marriage. The floor looks really cool (to me) and I think breaks up the weird assymetry of the shower. So i don't need design advice any more, I was just giving an update. I am going to take a previous posters idea (Helen I think?) and probably put a hook for my loofah by the right niche to distract from the weird cuts. I love my shower poof and needed a place for it anyway. :)
    • 12 years ago
      :)
    • 12 years ago
      YEAH Imoore!!
    • 12 years ago
      (Hands Imoore the sledge hammer)
    • 12 years ago
      Looking forward to seeing the finished room! :)
    • 12 years ago
      kmkane, I am actually working with a designer now to fix the finished mess. So, I got it. Thanks. Like I said, I have another bathroom to do right.
    • 12 years ago
      Well could you please send us pics when u finish, i am curiouz on how it will turn out.
    • 12 years ago
      Please let us see the finished product. Blood, sweat and tears were shed here!! Good thoughts heading your way....
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Lots of comments on this as the owner of a tile business and award winning fitting team , my professional
      views are as follows -

      The work is no way acceptable. Not sure where you are based but in the UK we have an association called the Tile Association , I would expect you must have something similar - I would contact them and ask them to come and have a look.

      The is no point in letting this work carry on , all the suggestions of using different sizes will not help and are of course not what you asked for anyway. The tile fitter is not up to the job. So the idea of him using different sizes etc will not help , he can not tile. I also note the state of the working area -

      1. A total mess

      2.The amount of adhesive on the floor is amazing.

      3. The size of the spirit level is a joke.

      4. The cut out for the waste looks like nothing I ever seen.

      I could go on , but you need to put a stop to this asap. In regards to the Designer obviously this would depend on your arrangement with them. If they suggested this tiler (he is not a tiler) then yes , they have messed up beyond belief , however anyone who says he / she can tile , one would expect to be able to and this would include layout of tiles.

      The lay out is not difficult and I am afraid , you would have to wonder if he has even used the correct types of adhesive and grout ," waterproofing system" etc.

      All the best Simon.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      WOW, everyone is giving you great advice. This guy must of been drinking when he installed the shower. It is just a very bad installation...plain and simple. From a design point of view, the tiles are too large for the size of the shower as well and one niche would be better than two. It all needs to be ripped out and reinstalled by a skilled tile setter. I would have the tile setter you have take it out, replace the cost of the tiles and not pay him. He will then learn to do it correctly. Then start over with someone with good references. It looks awful and will always look awful. Every time you take a shower it will upset you. Do it right and the time and cost will disappear over time. Good luck.
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Diane agree with your views , but tile size is fine , it is only due to the layout that it looks like they are two big. Also agree in regards to one niche.
    • 12 years ago
      I don't need to get into this, but the solution to my design problem was very expensive. At first I thought there may have been a band aid to fix it and then after reading everyone's comments, it was clear that the best path was to stop, get another contractor and start over. That is really easy to advise on the Internet because it's not your money or your time. It's not that i did not try to start over, I just couldn't get my dh on board. So the comments about him were just to let the previous posters know why I was not taking their suggestions--because I want to and still want to. This thread happened in real time. What I meant by "concrete" is that Though I did want to start over, I couldn't and I just wanted an idea about how better to lay out my existing floor tile. And I got it from this thread! I also got a ton of support and "attention" that I needed and am appreciative of because this has been incredibly stressful and I made a so many rookie mistakes. My designer is my best friend who works for a big design firm--she's redoing st. Regis guest rooms right now so she's very experienced and talented. She just came in and is making the situation that I am in as good as possible. She's also so busy but made some time to help me through it. If you don't like me, stop reading the thread.

      I noticed that this helped others be proactive and plan their tile installations.
    • 12 years ago
      I probably have 10x more tile in my house than anyone on this site. It is because I have too many dogs and when the storm comes I want to drain my house like everyone else around here on the beach. Many areas of my tile in my house are done in what people on this website would call all wrong and they should be torn out. Some of the mud may be thick under my tile but after 10 years of heat and humidity it is still sticking. My guess is your tiles won't last as long as the pink ones are in Canada but if you don't allow standing water on your tiles they will be around for as long as you want them to be.
      lmoore7156 thanked J Petempich
    • 12 years ago
      One more thing, my tile was entirely done by hand and I am sure under the toilet it is also nipped. Since no one removes the toilet I never thought it mattered what the hole looked like.
      lmoore7156 thanked J Petempich
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      Here is my 2 cents. Are you going to put up a glass door or some covering in front of the shower? What looks like a disaster now will not be so noticeable once you finish out the shower. I would have made the tile person rip it out and start over, but if you cannot do that then maybe a little centered fun as lucido had would help correct the visual problem, or if you want to accept it then do not highlight the cutouts with different tile.
      lmoore7156 thanked Staged for Perfection
    • 12 years ago
      I have the glass shower door people coming Friday to measure and give me an idea of what can be done. If I do a door, then the hinge on the side could mask some of the unsightly tile work. I would like frosted glass, but my DH does not agree and again thinks the tile work is just fabulous and wants a nice clear frameless door. I'm going to see what can be done as it will be a custom piece. If anyone wants to comment on that or has a fabulous idea for a frameless, clear shower solution (because that's what my DH wants) I would appreciate it.

      No, this doesn't all add up. It's true. My best friend doesn't live by me and helped me out via FaceTime just because I got desperate. She is a professional designer with an extremely high stress job working tons of overtime and is also in the middle of a health crisis. I didn't think so much could go wrong in my lowly bathroom renovation so I never enlisted her. But wait--why am I saying all this!!!!!!

      Thank you to J Pemepich and Stage to Perfection and Holly and lucidos and all of the people who are staying positive with me. I did ask Houzz to remove this thread, but maybe I should take it back because I am still getting some valuable opinions and advice. And yes, if it all falls apart, it will be more money and more time but this is how my DH wants to roll and that's how it's going to be. And I am FINE with it because I have to be.
    • 12 years ago
      Tile really does bring out the worst in people.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      I would get an opaque glass door and be done with it. There are varying levels of opaque
      lmoore7156 thanked lucidos
    • 12 years ago
      Lucidos, that is a great thought. I will tell my DH that the opaque door was $500 cheaper so I made the executive call to do that. He'll go along with it. :)
    • 12 years ago
      I can't believe it...

      1) you allowed a framer/painter (general handyman?) do your tiling work

      2) when you saw that the job was poorly done, that you allowed him to continue

      You know, it's really not that hard to fire a contractor and get someone new in. I'm trying to be gentle here and tell you this in a honestly friendly advice way, but you need to develop the ability to fire someone or you'll be taken advantage of in every future job.
    • 12 years ago
      Hazeldazel, you are absolutely right. I think that this thread has established that:

      1) I had no idea what I was doing.
      2) My general contractor is not a good tiler.
      3) I should have used a designer and a tile contractor.
      4) The shower tile sucks.
      5) When I realized all of this, I should have fired the contractor and hired someone new to finish.
      6) My DH did not agree with this and I could not go forward with that plan. He was vehemently opposed to any changes of the course.
      7) I have to live with this as is.
    • 12 years ago
      One more thing, everyone is so passionate about this. I feel it is because interior design is really an art. Tile setting is definitely an art. I was a professional modern and ballet dancer before kids and I would get in so many heated discussions over art and theory and what not. This reminds me of it. Bad art can be offensive. I have so much respect for the talented designers and craftsmen that showcase their work on Houzz. I realize just how much goes into pulling that off.
    • 12 years ago
      At the end if the day it's just a shower. If you can live with it that's all that matters!
      lmoore7156 thanked Starbella
    • 12 years ago
      I agree lmoore7156. Design is definately art. I always say it isn't brain surgery, but it is important and has a place.
      lmoore7156 thanked Danett Abbott
    • PRO
      12 years ago
      In most of these situations unless you start over the fix will look worse than it does now.
    • 12 years ago
      I liked the comment back up a hundred comments ago, something like: Tile can bring out the worst in a person and marriage, and the back splash is second in line. I am at just that point in my home reno project. My husband and I just can not get it together on this issue. Something I reeeeeally want is a tile mural above my kitchen sink, and DH just does not like those (above the stove, above the sink) tile art works. In the end, it is better to let him have a say in the way it all turns out, and yeah, I can live without my little bling idea for that kitchen back splash wall. In a good marriage, there are many times of give and take to make it all work well together. We have been doing it for almost 50 years. Bless you for being so understanding with your hubby, Imoore. It is JUST a shower. If the water flows out of those shower heads, and you can get your shower, life will be just fine. For now. Like you have said, you have learned a lot, and the next project will turn out better.
      lmoore7156 thanked sarabeth2
    • 12 years ago
      Since you don't have any plumbing on the back wall you have some options. But first, fire the tile installer. Terrible work quality. Go to a tile store and select something else that coordinates with that travertine 12x12 or is it ceramic,tile. Could be a 1x1 glass pattern set on 12x12s. Some of these glass patterns include travertine or marble that would look great. Perhaps a pro can easily pull off the back or tile over it. You could also create a design with 4x4s turned on the diagonal and frame it with pencil molding. Get some grid paper and draw the back wall to scale or ask a tile designer to help you.
      Do not forget to tile the ceiling as it will make sure you get a clean wet area free of mildew. Again, change the tile size when you go to the ceiling but keep the same material.
      If you happened to have any slab material available put it on the shower bench. Grout free benches always look cleaner.

      Here is just one product that you might like combining glass and stone.
      http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Somertile-Reflections-Piano-Nassau-Stone-and-Glass-Mosaic-Tiles-Pack-of-5/5787977/product.html
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Hows the floor coming along? You're nearly there and hubby will just be pleased to start using it. Love to see how it turns out in the end x
      lmoore7156 thanked jessegee
    • 12 years ago
      imoore, if you try Dr. Marnish's spell and it works for you, let me know! We could use it at our house! :D
    • 12 years ago
      Hmmmm. Welcome to Houzz, Lisa Rabiye. Report.
    • 12 years ago
      I still have that sledge hammer.
    • 12 years ago
      If it comes down to using a sledgehammer, lucidos, I might call you to borrow it :D
    • 12 years ago
      I second your report, bubbasgma.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Hmmm....It would appear that the profile photo "Lisa Rabiye" is using actually belongs to a woman of a different name, who appeared in this news article about a non-profit charity event.

      http://www.toledofreepress.com/tag/lindsay-mckibben/
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Okay, I had a builder send in a couple of so called professionals to do my shower tiles. They installed my tiles just like yours and it looked ridiculous. I told the Builder that I would not Close on the house, and only then did he send another Sub Contractor. Well the Sub sent 3 guys who spoke no English. They removed the tiles and while working in all the dust from cutting the tiles in my already carpeted Master they replaced the tiles in a diagonal pattern. No laying out first or anything like that. They just started applying the tiles and It is the best tile job I have ever seen. All the grout lines follow from the center around the corners to sides so it looks like a continous piece of argyle that is CENTERED. I am not sure you should feel too bad as I found out installing tiles is not just a trade but an art! Get it redone, if you don't you will never stop thinking about it.
    • 12 years ago
      last modified: 12 years ago
      Wow, what a sorry saga, however for those of us still in the consideration stages of bathroom renos, this has been a VERY useful discussion! Terrifying, but useful.

      @ lmoore - I am SO full of admiration for you: you've had a plan, and stuck to it through thick and thin, taking full responsibility for your tradesman's mistakes with grace and humour. And it looks like, fingers crossed, it'll all work out in the end.

      These angst-ridden renos can be so tough on a marriage - I don't know why, really - maybe it's because it's what one partner wants, and the other partner just wants to avoid any conflict?

      @ kmkane - avoid big box stores and go with tile specialists? Maybe in your area, but in our area the flooring staff at the big box stores, HD in particular, are VERY knowledgeable and helpful, with interesting stock, whereas the snooty madams at the tile specialty stores are consistently rude and clueless, with 0 knowledge of their (limited) product. I guess every area is different!
    • 12 years ago
      bubblyjock, few things back atcha: you appear to have an attitude problem regarding tile sellers, and/or your HD carries a LOT more stock than the average, and/or I'm glad I don't live where you do.
    • 12 years ago
      Obviously I don't know what it is I'm looking at, but I thought the bath shower looked beautiful. I don't see what it is that is dissatisfying. It's again beautiful.
    • 11 years ago
      WOW!!!
    • 10 years ago

      I love it! Come to my page and see my work... house demo and all since August 2015 my bathroom is something similar with your pebbles... headache!!!!!!! we have 6 bathroom in all need to be done

    • 9 years ago

      is there any update photos??

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