I just had a contractor install 12″x12″ polished porcelain tile in a 6’x5′ powder room. I am not happy that most of the tiles have lippage the height of a dime. Very few tiles are even with each other.
I would expect that in such a small room their should be very little lippage especially when the estimate was on the higher end. I will speak to the contractor on Monday, and would like suggestions on what a reasonable solution would be. I assume that the entire floor would have to be ripped up and redone. Thanks for your advice.
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Lippage depends a little bit on the quality of the tile, but I would say that 12x12 polished porcelin should not have much lippage if installed properly...
When I'm overseeing hospitality renovations that include bath tile, lippage is a big issue, because of liability concerns (as well as just plain quality workmanship)....some people use the dime test, I just wore soft soled shoes on punch days & went by feel.....didn't hesitate to reject work that didn't pass muster...tear out as much as necessary to fix the problem...
I'm doing a trim out in a house now where the mud man managed to get a 3/8 dip in the middle of a bath about the same size as yours....the HO caught it right away (he's a body shop man with a better that average eye for finishes)...not sure yet if he'll be able to get it torn out & redone....
Sorry to say, there's lot's of shoddy work out there, & those who do it often won't fix it...Good Luck with yours
Unless as the previous poster suggested that the tile are flawed, there should be almost none at all.
A good setter knows how to set product with out lippage, and if the tiles are inferior, it should have been bought to your attention prior to the install.
Eric
I Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
I spoke to the contractor today, he said it is very tough to get all the tiles even and level but agreed to pull out a few of the bad ones and replace. I also complained how the grout color varied throughout from white to dark brown when it should be beige. He said he would try to clean the grout with vinegar first then scrape the grout out and regrout if needed.This sounds like a bunch of patch work for a new install, I told him to leave it for now and I will speak to my wife who is not very happy with me at this point.Thanks for feedback!!
Grout ranging from white to dark brown?? I could only do that if I used some of each on your floor. Did the guy actually buy a bag of grout for the job? One 25lb bag would more than do a 6x5 floor of 12x12 tile. Is your water incredibly poor quality?
New grout should be very uniform in color. Maybe the mixing bucket was dirty ... still had thinset in it? Maybe rusty tools? I would insist on having all the grout removed and replaced, otherwise it will always show batch joints.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
he said it is very tough to get all the tiles even and level
Yeah, it is, or can be.
That is what he is being paid to do. Antone can do what he did, but it takes a skilled setter to get them flat and level, with no 'lippage'.
I hope your floor was not all f'd up. Even if it was, he should have said something prior to installing.
As for the grout, either he mixed it wrong, or used way to much water to clean up.
If I did what he did, I would embarass myself into redoing it even if it cost me money.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
Did you check references on your tile guy? He sounds like a rank amateur. There's no excuse for that much lippage and the grout problem sounds like he didn't mix it very well - or let it slake long enough before he put it on. I would insist on a re-do..........on his dime.
How 'bout a picture, KLE?
Pretty hard to get lippage like you describe w/ 12" porcelain tile unless A.) the substrate was an absolute mess and/or B.) the tile was seriously defective. I think even an ameteur can get 12" tiles pretty level.
And grout from "white to dark brown"? I've never even heard of an installation being that terrible..And I've seen some pretty botched jobs from 'rank ameteurs', lemme tell you.
Post a pic or two, eh?
I've never even heard of an installation being that terrible.
So, he invented this whole thing??
I've seen what he described and worse, much worse.
In all fairness to the setter though, perhaps we should withhold judgement. Except that the setter has allready agreed to redo part of it. I'd say he knows he f'd up or he wouldn't give in.
I wouldn't.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
But why didn't he just post a picture for all the world to see? He wanted a judgement from all the 'Pros' here, but he presented no evidence. You don't think grout being from "white to dark brown" sounds like gross exaggeration? And by the way, guys who do work that shoddy don't offer to fix it..Hacks don't stay in business by re-doing their work for free each time. A picture. Easy. I'll reserve my judgement till then.
Maybe he doesn't have a digital camera. Maybe he does, but he's technically challenged. Maybe you should ease up a little.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=5ab_011526cc5b1c656b312015330999d&t=24440
"Maybe he doesn't have a digital camera. Maybe he does, but he's technically challenged. Maybe you should ease up a little."Maybe I just don't take the poster at face value, eh? Wait a minute. You're the Ed I just responded to in another thread re: accepting cash for payment... Gee, do you work for the guv'mint? Perhaps a 'building inspector' or other useless job title?Ed, some people lie. Like politicians, for instance. Like people with a chip. Do you have a chip? (The shoulder kind, not the head kind ;-)
I'll reserve my judgement till then.
I'm just gonna stick to offering advice to the poster.
Without seeing the work, I will not condemn or judge the installer.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]