Please help! Bathroom Ruined!

[Kirsty0304]

We had our bathroom redone in March and it looked great with floor to ceiling white tiles. But in May, we notices that one of the tiles above the bath had started to go darker than the rest of the tiles. It has now turned completely grey and sticks out like a sore thumb. I feel like our bathroom is ruined.

I contacted the shop we got the tiles from (not naming names) and the manager came out. He tried to tell me i had a leak and that's what caused the discolouration but i disagreed as its only one tile, and if it had been a leak, surly more tiles would be the same. He said he would fill out a quality form and send it to the quality manager. It was at the point i notices a flaw in the tile that i pointed out to him. Its only noticeable at very close inspection, smaller than a five pence piece, and looks like a bobble under the glaze. The glaze is intacted over the tile, not cracked or damaged. But there is a definite flaw under the glaze.

I waited a month for a reply and got a letter to say that the discolouration was due to water getting into the body of the tile through a 'chip' on the surface that we caused and was not a manufacturers flaw and they will take no responsibility. I am absolutely devastated. This is not the case and the flaw is under the glaze. I disputed this and the quality manager came out himself and couldn't point out the 'chip' he noted in his letter and asked me to show him the flaw I had described on the phone when I called him about his first letter. He would not confirm or deny the 'chip' claim and said he would get back to me. He did today and said he still thinks its something we have done and not his problem.

I am so upset at his attitude. All I want is them to pay someone to replace the tile but they refuse. I have contacted trading standards and they have advised i get independent advice on the tile and then take them to small claims court. I don't know where to start. I need advice from anyone who can back us up with disputing him saying there is a chip on the tile. Can anyone please help me?

 

[Perry]

you could ask the tiler if there were any tiles left

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Could be a tiny hole in the Silicon that is allowing the tile biscuit to soak water up like a sponge, if it is get the plumber back for free.

Carefuly see if the Silicon has come away from the darker tile.

 

[kilty55]

hi there,in all honesty i dont think its the shops fault,its up to the fixer to check tiles when fixing and discard any damaged or flaws that may be in the box,if the flaw is very hard to see then clearly everyone has missed it its just a minor issue that can be resolved

seems to be a 1 off in your batch and is so easily solved just ask the tiler to replace it. will take a few hours

these things happen

 

[kilty55]

before this goes any further i would source some tiles before you have a bigger headache with a discontinued line!!!

 

[Ajax123]

Sorry if I sound a bit un sympathetic but one faulty tile hardly ruins a bathroom. It spoils it a little but is simple enough to replace. A bit of perspective please..... Even the tile supplier cannot surely be considered some sort of rogue for letting one tile through the net.

You are absolutely devastated by this ...... Just think how you would feel if your were in the sort of mess some people are in through this recession ... Also through o fault of their own. It is one tile in several hundred ......

Just get your tiler to come and replace it ........

 

[afright]

If you only had it done a couple weeks ask the tiler if he is willing to replace the tile as a good will gesture after all its only one tile ,about an hours work tops.

 

[AliGage]

Could be a tiny hole in the Silicon that is allowing the tile biscuit to soak water up like a sponge, if it is get the plumber back for free.

Carefuly see if the Silicon has come away from the darker tile.

Beat me to it.

After the first one or two threads (and then second looking to see where the fault was) i agree it is water ingress into a ceramic tile. However, position and the fact that no tiles around it are effected would suggest that it is one of the following:

1) The seal on the bath has allowed water to be drawn under the seal. Get this looked at asap because your plasterboard wall will be drawing some in also if this is the case.


2) The small blemish you mention on the tile might be allowing an un noticeable ammount of water to pass the glaze. I'm sorry to say the tile stockist can't be to blame for either. The tiles in their batches pass a manufacturers QC line.

It would be difficult to determine which of the above is the problem. But regardless you need to get it changed asap before any serious damage occurs.

I don't want to put any ideas in anyones heads, the best thing to do is just get the fella back out and replace the tile. If he guarentees his work i can't even see you being charged for it to be honest. I wouldn't charge more than a few cups of coffee if my customer had this issue. But......was the bath filled with water prior to sealling and tiling?

Just for other information. If you find that white, clazed ceramic tiles are turning a "bluey" colour in places of water or wet areas. It is likely the "backside" of the tile is getting wet. I've had it before quite a few years ago with a faulty shower quick fix kit leaking into a studd wall. I had two columns of tiles 6 high below the valve turn a blue-ish/grey colour.

 

[macten]

As Ali says, if the tile has changed colour then it is definitely soaking up water.

 

[Gazzer]

Seems odd that its just that one tile and not spreading to others either side ....?

 

[macten]

Grout joints and the uncut edges must be stopping it transfering, cut ceramic edges soak up water like a sponge.
If the tile was definately the same colour as the others and then darkened in time then it can be nothing else.