Advice needed - removing tiles from backer board after bad job

[gmt1981]

The biggest mistake the tiler made was not to involve you in the set out......However that's not always possible.

The thing is that he did, showing equal length cuts along the brick wall which would be hidden by boxing. This would have allowed almost a full width tile in the door way.

For some reason he decided to do it differently by setting off from the wall opposite the shower tray. He admitted he could see them going off line but continued anyway, so there was little I could do.

With everything in the room there won't be much of the floor to be seen, so I'm tempted to just live with it although I just find it frustrating when you pay good money and aren't happy with the outcome.

Agree the silicone in the wall tiles is not the best, but I will try and sort that myself as I have time and patience on my side!

 

[Stocks Tiles]

Taking them up is just going to remove this visual "mistake" and create another, it is running visually square to the door wall and once you've filled the brick wall side up with your sanitry stuff it's not going to look out of square as much. Your room is definitely out of square without a doubt, I personally would have set out differently with it being square but everyone is different! I think it's a mistake pulling them up to move it around 30mm or so as this will make the doorway look out by quite a bit and that's going to be a bigger eye sore and look like a real mess up!

To your question though, your boards should be fine if you make the tiler take the tiles up.

 

[gmt1981]

Taking them up is just going to remove this visual "mistake" and create another, it is running visually square to the door wall and once you've filled the brick wall side up with your sanitry stuff it's not going to look out of square as much. Your room is definitely out of square without a doubt, I personally would have set out differently with it being square but everyone is different! I think it's a mistake pulling them up to move it around 30mm or so as this will make the doorway look out by quite a bit and that's going to be a bigger eye sore and look like a real mess up!

To your question though, your boards should be fine if you make the tiler take the tiles up.

Thanks - I think I may just try and live with it.

Out of interest, why would the door way look odd if they are re-laid? If they were to be re done, I.e. twisted to the right by 30mm, the tiles by the doorway would be narrower on the right, and probably unchanged on the left. This would mean they would then roughly equal sizes and in my mind, look normal. Or am I completely missing something?

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 

[AliGage]

With everything said, if you knock the tiles round 30mm then the broken grout lines will then look out visually looking into the room. Which could be a bit more unsightly.
It's a tight space, as CR has said, once it's all fitted up you will not see any deviation.

It's rare that any room is 100% square and true. Personally I think your tiler has done a reasonable job.

Find a straight line in the door way and set your square down. If it runs true to the grout lines there, then there is no doubt your room is wonky donkey.

 

[wacjac]

think i would live with it.How often do you have a shower facing the screen? If it was mine, i would like the grout line to look the best whilst A ...sat having a dump. but that wont happen as the wall your loo is going on is the one you say is not square. B ... The threshold, which looks ok from the pic,

 

[SJPurdy]

I think some of the replies are not understanding what the OP is trying to describe, or I am not.
As I understand it the door wall and brick wall are almost parallel so if the cuts all the way along the brick wall were of equal size then those in the doorway would also be; those at the two ends (under shower tray and the toilet end (to be boxed over, I think)) could easily have been cut to suit.
If the line of narrow cuts, along the brick wall are to be covered with boxing then maybe the effect you are seeing now will be less noticeable and maybe you could live with it. If these cuts are to remain on view then I do not think you are being unreasonable to want it redone (it is only a small floor and the tiler appears to know he had done it badly anyway).
I assume that the end point of the tiling in the doorway was pre-set by your (OP) finishing of the no more ply to where the threshold strip will be. If full tiles had been started from here how big will the cut be along the brick wall?

 

[gmt1981]

I think some of the replies are not understanding what the OP is trying to describe, or I am not.
As I understand it the door wall and brick wall are almost parallel so if the cuts all the way along the brick wall were of equal size then those in the doorway would also be; those at the two ends (under shower tray and the toilet end (to be boxed over, I think)) could easily have been cut to suit.
If the line of narrow cuts, along the brick wall are to be covered with boxing then maybe the effect you are seeing now will be less noticeable and maybe you could live with it. If these cuts are to remain on view then I do not think you are being unreasonable to want it redone (it is only a small floor and the tiler appears to know he had done it badly anyway).
I assume that the end point of the tiling in the doorway was pre-set by your (OP) finishing of the no more ply to where the threshold strip will be. If full tiles had been started from here how big will the cut be along the brick wall?

This is my issue exactly, although others don't quite seem to see it in the same light. I actually have no issue with the cuts by the brick wall as these will be covered, but as you suggest, if the cuts along both sides of the brick/door wall were even on their respective sides (I.e. Not getting wider or narrower) then the whole layout should not veer off to the left (from the shower tray), and therefore the depth of the two tiles in the doorway should be identical.

 

[andyb1]

The cuts in the door are too shot anyway, they should be on the outside of the doorstop,

 

[Simon benn Leeds]

I don't think the room is that far out of square, I think the whole floor (tiles) are out of square, main question is.... Have you paid him yet???
I would not expect to be paid for this unless there is good reason for setting out at that point, (I couldn't see one)

 

[widler]

Its out of square , if he straightens off the brick wall it will be out more at the door, its running out both opposites , even the back wall runs out as well looking at the pics.
BUT he could of made it look better on the eye from the shower, but it would of been well out at the door (im only going off the pics)

 

[Andy Allen]

I think it's hard for anyone to to make a acreate observation as to what's gone on without being there and looking at it.
Going by the photo's the room dosnt look square but who knows...

 

[wacjac]

the OP states that the back wall is the only wall out of square. ( and he suspects thats what the tiler has worked from.) . wouldnt have hurt to put it sq prior to what looks like fresh plaster. could have hidden the hideous looking pipework at the same time.

 

[Simon benn Leeds]

To me it looks like the cuts to left of the door are smaller than the right hand side so if he'd of brought the cuts to the right hand side of the door forward and equalled the cuts to the door the back wall would of been more in check and parallel, if the op measures from the door jamb to the grout line on the left and then the right hell know if what I'm saying is correct, I agree it's very hard to tell tho.
And in terms of removing tiles from the backer board GOOD LUCK!... If it's something you can live with I'd ask him for £50 back and take the missus out for a slap up meal, soften the blow....

 

[Simon benn Leeds]

the OP states that the back wall is the only wall out of square. ( and he suspects thats what the tiler has worked from.) . wouldnt have hurt to put it sq prior to what looks like fresh plaster. could have hidden the hideous looking pipework at the same time.

He can't of worked from the back wall otherwise the cuts would not be on the rake!.

 

[gmt1981]

To me it looks like the cuts to left of the door are smaller than the right hand side so if he'd of brought the cuts to the right hand side of the door forward and equalled the cuts to the door the back wall would of been more in check and parallel, if the op measures from the door jamb to the grout line on the left and then the right hell know if what I'm saying is correct, I agree it's very hard to tell tho.
And in terms of removing tiles from the backer board GOOD LUCK!... If it's something you can live with I'd ask him for £50 back and take the missus out for a slap up meal, soften the blow....

You are correct, the cuts left of the door are smaller than on the right.

I have paid the guy as his daughter was with him as an apprentice. Has was due to come back today to relay the floor but after everyone saying he'd done a relatively good job and that solving one problem would bring another, I told him I would live with it.

However, I'm still stewing and as some people are beginning to see my point, i think I should get him to redo it. Back to one of my original questions, should he cover the tiles and adhesive (80 quid), and does anyone else think the backer board should be ok if the tiles are pulled up (it's glued and screwed down).

Many thanks

 

[Andy Allen]

Sorry but if I offered to come back and redo a job and the customer told me it's fine don't bother then changed there mind and asked me to come back and stump up the money aswell !!!......don't think i would be rushing round..

 

[gmt1981]

Sorry but if I offered to come back and redo a job and the customer told me it's fine don't bother then changed there mind and asked me to come back and stump up the money aswell !!!......don't think i would be rushing round..

I certainly didn't say it was fine, I explained I would live with it as we are working to a timescale with carpets. The work was done Friday and told him not to bother coming round yesterday. It's not like I'm coming back 2 months later

 

[Ian]

I've read a lot of what the others have said and whilst I agree it's far from the worst job we've seen on here, it certainly could be done much better (in my opinion). I couldn't live with it, knowing it could be done better especially if any of that slim cut was showing after the fittings and boxing had been done.

 

[Radford]

Fuss fuss fuss

 

[SJPurdy]

Fuss fuss fuss

???