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-   -   re-do tile grout or leave it? (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=791589)

acurtis_ttu 01-24-2012 11:27 AM

re-do tile grout or leave it?
 
I’m currently building a house. The house is a combination of tile/wood floors. Tile is in all bathrooms (master, 2 full and one half bath) …walls and floor. I’m using a ceramic rectified tile (retail cost is roughly $6/sq ft) . I specifically asked for 1/8 inch grout lines. In theory you could go 1/16 but it’s a bit more tricky…and to be safe I choose 1/8. I run by the house and look at the grout lines….they look big…I check in about 20 spots…sure enough all approx 1/4. way to big for a rectified tile. My project manager tells me his tile guys are good ( lol..Arent’t they all) they were told to use the smallest grout line possible. I stop him and call him out…WRONG…the tile will/can accept 1/16.Then tells me if the grout lines are to small the grout will pop out. Again…WRONG! Lol. End of story, I ask him to stop making excuses and lying, go look at the tile and get your story straight and let’s figure out a solution.

I reminded the project manager enough to where I actually had to ask him if I was bugging him to much about the grout line size, but have nothing written down…only documentation is texts.

This house is under contract…meaning I do not own the house yet. Just a deposit down, plus a few $$K in upgrades.

Is it reasonable of me to expect the floors to be ripped out and re-done? Any other solutions?

mjfan23 01-24-2012 11:49 AM

Hows it look? Any pictures.

Bottom line is your paying for it, make sure its done how you want. Id be curious to see what it looks like.

acurtis_ttu 01-24-2012 12:03 PM

1 Attachment(s)
here's the only pic I could find...shower walls.

jeff_mn 01-24-2012 1:47 PM

Win some, lose some.. Although you are building and you want it "right" - I wouldn't sever a relationship or lose on your deposit for a 1/4" of grout.. It sucks (just built a house myself - I know about this kind of stuff) but I'd try to keep the relationship positive and in a few months after closing, hopefully its just part of your house.

wakeboardingdad 01-24-2012 6:47 PM

I'd be more pissed about those slivers of tile in the back corners of the shower. :)

I know what you mean. I fixate on the micro stuff whenever I'm paying someone to do something for me. For instance, 10 years ago I had a drive and walkway installed beside my house. I was firm about not having any right angles and was specific about how important compound curves were to me. I was working in the front yard and the crews were in the back forming everything up and pouring the concrete. It started to rain and the crew covered everything up and layed down some boards were the water dripped from the roof. The next day I see a d@mn right angle in the corner of the flower bed.

I cuss everytime I step over, plant or water that corner of the flower bed. The bottom line is that if you explicitly wanted narrow grout lines you should get it. However, you really need to ask yourself if it's really worth the hassle. If you think it'll bug you forever, the maybe you could agree to work something out. He reworks it if you supply the tile. Tough call. That is why I hardly pay anyone to do anything for me. And that is why I can't play as much as I want. I work all the time.

buffalow 01-25-2012 7:37 AM

This is exactly why I rarely pay anybody to do stuff for me. It is why I taught myself AUTOCAD, building/fixing computers, plumbing/elec etcc. Even photography I taught myself because I wanted to market some riders, but did not want to pay a professional. Just got sick of paying somebody to do something that was not as good as what I could do as an non-professional.

For me I would probably not fight this particular battle, but I am with Aka above - Those slivers in the back seem very odd.

bcrider 01-25-2012 9:05 AM

The grout lines not being right is a piss off but it doesn't look that bad. Heck, I just tiled my whole kitchen myself and by the time I finished I realized I would have like the smaller grout lines as well but it was too late and I wasn't going to rip it up.

The sliver of tiles is wrong for sure. Each wall should be centered on their own. If that means you have a sliver I would think that you would adjust so you don't have that. To me I would be more annoyed about the slivers than the size of the grout lines because that's what I would focus on more as well as other people.

jon4pres 01-25-2012 4:30 PM

I agree. The grout lines are preference but the slivers of tile in the corner is just he lazy way to do it. You can tell that they just used a full tile so that they would not have to cut.

816 01-25-2012 5:07 PM

try to keep your glass half full (they could have started from the corner and worked their way out, and you would have those slivers on the outside edge). You probably wouldn't have noticed the grout lines then. I often notice there is always miscommunication from the top as it works its way down the chain of command--you told your contractor-he told his foreman-he told his tile guy-he told his apprentice and he was lazy and said "F#@K it this way is easier and whats the difference no one will notice"...lol good luck with your house.

joeshmoe 01-26-2012 7:54 PM

Adam, the tile looks pretty good, but they should work with you and give you something for the mistake, something they could just add in, maybe an upgrade somewhere for just the cost, where they wouldn't have to invest time to do it over.

acurtis_ttu 01-27-2012 8:00 AM

I noticed the tile slivers in the back of the shower at first…but it doesn’t bother me to much. If it was only one bathroom it would be weird to me, but they are consistent through all the bathrooms….weird but consistent, lol.

After talking to the PM, he’s going back to the owner, and they are going to come up with a solution. I didn’t’ tell him, but my rational side tells me to just live with it…it seems like a waste of money to completely tear it all out and re-do it.

Jo, I wanted a dry bar added in the living room, so I may suggest that as a possible solution.

mc_x15 01-27-2012 8:07 AM

1/4 inch grout looks fine. Slivers of tiles are unacceptable. I would have them fix that for sure. Thats crap if you ask me. Id be pissed. Needs top be centered. Whoever did that tile didnt know how to do it properly. Sorry man, I find that industry most people are terrible at what they do. It sucks, there should be more control on who can do these jobs. Good luck fixing it though.

jperkinsttu 01-28-2012 2:16 PM

He is a dip***** if he can't do better than quarter inch. I'm a superintendent for a commercial company and do side work all the time and run into guys like that. It's either bc they honestly don't know how to do it right or they are lazy and cut corners. 1/16" is hard by any means even with straight cut marble but it can be done. 1/8" joint for a flooring company is easier that doing a 3/16. So if it were me I would press and press hard if you are willing to see it through. Make your case and gather your evidence, if he walks then put him in default. It'll take a while to get it fixed but it can be done. Sucks to hear man. PM me anytime you've got any questions on suspicious activities by your GC haha.


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