Our wet area tiles are in and I'm not happy...

We had our ceramic 300mm square rectified edge tiles laid in our bathrooms today and the tiler laid the tiles, grouted them and then let the other tradies walk on them all within about 4 hours.

We went to have a look once everyone had left for the day and the tiles are not even. Some corners and edges are higher then others and are uneven. The grout between some is quite thin and then thicker between others. I wouldnt mind so much but when you run your hand over them its quite sharp where they stick up.

We were clear with both our builder and tiler that these were rectified edge tiles months ago. We were expecting them to be very flat, smooth and with minimal grout in between. Did I think wrong??

Is there anything we can do about this?? I'm worried because the same tiler will be doing our main floors which are polished porcelain with a rectified edge. We are going to say something but I want to go in informed as im not an expert. What should we say to him??? I dont want to cause any trouble but I dont want to live with a poor tiling job. I feel sick about it but we might have to 'fire' him.

I don't know much about tiles, but I do know laying rectifoed tiles is a lot harder and more expensive than regular ones. Sounds like they didn't take the extra time and effort needed for your rectified tiles...

From what you've described, sounds like a poor quality job!

Edges should be at same height. Sounds like it will have to be taken out and done again (by a competent tiler this time). Time to be assertive and tell them its not acceptable.

My tiler did the floor tiles then said to leave them for a few days, came back and did the walls and will do the grout on a 3rd visit. He said to not walk on them for at least 2 days so the glue could set. 4hrs seems crazy?

Totally agree! The tilers did not want anybody in our house at all for 3 days whilst they did the tiling, it was a no go zone. We paid a fortune for our tiles so our builder was very careful that they were laid to perfection...as every job should be.

Do not accept this at all and you have every right to be very concerned at the lack of total disrepect shown towards the quality and laying of your tiles. Good luck with this.

Mrs B

We had a similar problem with our 300 x 300 porcelain tiles. Asked the tiler to cut the tiles diagonally around the waste to get the slope, but he didn't. Even showed him pics so there was no misunderstanding of expectations.

So we have been left with 'lipping' similar to what you have described in our laundry. Sent him packing & he won't be doing the bathrooms, & has lost a $6.5k job.

He came to us on recommendations. But he isn't getting any positive ones from us.

Don't be afraid of 'sacking' him. It is your home & you will be living with it (I assume) for a long time.

The search for anotehr tiler goes on......

I don't agree with that. Your tiler could of done a brilliant job, but I think walking on newly laid tiles will absolutley ruin them. Get your SS to have a look, there are Australian Stanards the distance between different levels of the tiles, I dont know them, but I know bricks are not allowed to be more than 2mm. Grout is also defective if it is not consistent width, so it seems your tiling is not within Australian Standards and will have to be rectified.