Not happy with tiling job - or am I being picky?

[Andy Allen]

you say the tiles are straight and there's nothing wrong with them...
how did you check this..??

 

[sjb1288]

you say the tiles are straight and there's nothing wrong with them...
how did you check this..??

Measured the depth with a steel rule along the edges, and ran a spirit level across the tops with them butted against each other. Certainly nothing that would make lipping unavoidable...

 

[Andy Allen]

Measured the depth with a steel rule along the edges, and ran a spirit level across the tops with them butted against each other. Certainly nothing that would make lipping unavoidable...

you need to put them face to face to check if there bowing, like this...

 

[sjb1288]

So there's a little bowing if you put them back to back like above, but this must be why the manufacturer specified no brick bond? There are cases where I have lipping along the full tile length though so this can't explain that.. Also, if the BS states max 1mm lipping for joints this small, surely the tiles should be designed to make this possible and that it's the installer's responsibility to check that it can be achieved?

 

[Dumbo]

These are exactly my thoughts, at the moment I'm trying to gauge what would be acceptable compensation in that case. Half my money back? All of it?

Compensation isn't going to make the lips go away or make you happy with th

So there's a little bowing if you put them back to back like above, but this must be why the manufacturer specified no brick bond? There are cases where I have lipping along the full tile length though so this can't explain that.. Also, if the BS states max 1mm lipping for joints this small, surely the tiles should be designed to make this possible and that it's the installer's responsibility to check that it can be achieved?

You would think that about tiles , but as tilers we as the people at the end of the line have to deal poor quality materials and try and make a good job out of it.
Just one thing to remember when negotiating with your tiler british standard are not law, they are not even buildings regs they are just recommended code of good practice

 

[JMC tiling]

doesn't look great but the chances are that the planks will be slightly bowed which will cause lippage no matter what the installer does. The light is probably making it look worse aswell. Any half decent carpenter will be able to scribe them skirtings in to lose the gaps. Can't really see what the tiler can do now apart from re-do the lot if i'm honest and maybe could re-pay you a few quid for the sub-standard finish. wouldn;t bother with court etc though.

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

I had some similar plank tiles to lay earlier on this year. They all had a slight bow some worse than others. Had to clip them all, used a ton of clips which made removing and cleaning them take twice as long. Tried not to bond them no more than a 3rd. I wouldn't get too hung up on the deviation over a 2metre straight edge, sometimes you have to follow variations in the floor to a degree but can still avoid lippage. Depends really on how much prep/self levelling was allowed for. But I think the tiler should be given the opportunity to try and rectify the worse areas.

 

[sjb1288]

Had to clip them all, used a ton of clips which made removing and cleaning them take twice as long.

So does using clips go a long way to solving the problem? Would they have ensured lipping was minimised to at least BS guidelines? I spoke to him on the phone and he said 'ah yeah, those clips are for people that don't know what they're doing..' I bit my tongue until I have all the facts.

 

[J Sid]

So does using clips go a long way to solving the problem? Would they have ensured lipping was minimised to at least BS guidelines? I spoke to him on the phone and he said 'ah yeah, those clips are for people that don't know what they're doing..' I bit my tongue until I have all the facts.

🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes we haven't a clue what we are doing

 

[Dan]

Oh god.

When I last tiled there weren't such tiles around. When the clips first came about I was skeptical, thought it was an extra process that a good tiler doesn't need to do.

Having seen so so many threads now about bowed plank tiles (they bow when cooling when being manufactured) I now think the clips are a must.

And the proof is in the pudding lol

You didn't have clips used and have bowed lipped tiles.

Tiler choice has to come into it too. Picking the cheapest always gets you the guy who doesn't know what he's doing. I hope that wasn't the case with this one.

 

[Dhtiling]

Nothing like a guy doing bad work saying other guys don't know what they're doing.

 

[Dumbo]

Oh god.

When I last tiled there weren't such tiles around. When the clips first came about I was skeptical, thought it was an extra process that a good tiler doesn't need to do.

Having seen so so many threads now about bowed plank tiles (they bow when cooling when being manufactured) I now think the clips are a must.

And the proof is in the pudding lol

You didn't have clips used and have bowed lipped tiles.

Tiler choice has to come into it too. Picking the cheapest always gets you the guy who doesn't know what he's doing. I hope that wasn't the case with this one.

See that's the theory I work on , I'm crap but I make sure I'm pricey , there for perceived value makes people think I'm good .

 

[Bill]

Clips you say? Bowed tiles you say?

 

[angrypirate]

No need for a metal ruler on that floor . Clips make all the difference on planked floors imo.

 

[Zeko124]

There is one big thing about tiles that people tend not to understand.

That there exists a Renault Clio and it costs 20k, and that there exists a Mercedes S which costs 100k. But a tile is a tile. Yea, right.

HOWEVER, looking from the customer's perspective in one hand I understand it is very hard to know what is a quality material and who to trust for advise and laying in the end.
Been laying glass tiles "worth" 650€/m2, the guy said to me watch out when laying it, it is a very expensive material. Looking at it I wanted to cry, the difference in dimensions, a bow, etc.

It is hard to say anything from the pictures, we would have to see tiles in person, try how to cut it. Clips are a must, but can't do miracles. It is still possible to do a neat job with a crap tiles. BUT the general problem at the tiler's, you put price per m2, after you get low budget material you spend twice as much time and effort to put it together, resulting in no revenue.

Don't know what to do or say in this case, folks, when buying tiles ask someone as much reliable as you can get, and check the builder's works before tiles.
Been there, done that, had stairs one week ago that seemed perfectly fine, when measuring it 4cm height difference on some spots. What to do or what to say?