Hi everyone,
We've chosen a rectified tile for our kitchen splashback that looks similar to the ones below. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the actual tile handy, but it's approx 30cmX30cm, and has a number of 3 cm high horizontal 'rows' on each tile like in the images below. The first image shows what they currently look like installed (thanks to kek for the photo - it came up with a google search and I hope you don't mind us using it as an example! While it works great in your bathroom there it just isn't the effect we were after for our splashbacks). The second image shows roughly what each tile looks like.
We were led to believe that they would be installed 'rectified', which we were told would mean very little grout visible in the vertical spaces between each tile. The effect we thought we were getting was to have the tiles basically butted up against each other horizontally so they horizontal sections would connect up without being broken by large vertical lines of grout.
Well, they've now been installed and there is a good 5mm or so of grout between each tile, which translates into big vertical lines of grout, completely breaking up the horizontal continuity we thought we were getting. Additionally, they've used off cuts to fill in some of the tricky corner bits (eg. two small off cuts where they could have used one bigger one). On top of all that, they've also lightened the grout between the horizontal sections on each tile (presumably to match it to the big vertical lines now visible), so now basically all the grout lines are MUCH more visible than what we were meant to be getting. I'll make sure to get a photo uploaded soon, as I realise my description could be quite confusing!
Our question is whether this kind of install is indeed acceptable for a rectified tile? We feel very much like they haven't installed the tiles as promised, and the 5mm gap between each is too big for a rectified tile, given that they promised they would be installed butted up against each other with very minimal grout lines. They claim that they were installed rectified, but we are wondering if perhaps that particular instruction didn't make it through to the tilers, and the builder is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
Has anybody been in a similar situation, or can offer any advice?
Thanks very much in advance