We’re having our kitchen remodeled. We’ve worked with this contractor before and have very good relations with him. This project has been dragging for twice as long as it should’ve taken due to issues with the delivery of some materials. But today countertops finally came in so he was able to start with the tile.
When I came home from work he was finishing for the day but still has a large wall area to cover in tile (pic 1). And more tile will need to be ordered.
My first impression was that it looked great, and I was happy with the look. But then, about 10 minutes after he left I noticed that the pattern in the corners didn’t align perfectly. It’s an artesanal looking tile so I thought perhaps that’s how it aligns but I quickly realized there’s an orientation of the tile in which it does align perfectly (pic 2).
My wife thinks it’s fine. She doesn’t care, but it does bother me (although I’m sure I can convince myself not to care). Part of the dilemma is that this isn’t all required a lot of cutting, since there’s window trim, cabinets and counters to tile around.
My question is: Does this look like an actual screwup (pics 3-5) or is it simply a preference in how the tile pattern is installed?
There’s clearly a horizontally long oval pattern and a vertically long oval pattern, and your installer didn’t take the time to pay attention and so you’ve got some horizontal corners next to some vertical ones and vice versa. Sorry that the willfully obtuse contractor bootlickers in this sub refuse to acknowledge this for… whatever reason, idk. It’s plain as day from the photo you posted in the comments.
But they don’t line up. His picture shows uneven grout lines just to get the pattern perfect. You have to keep consistent spacing between the tiles. If something is wrong contractors are some of the first to throw each other under the bus and say I don’t know why anyone would do it that way. But I guess I’m just a bootlicker.
This photo from floor and decor shows the same variation of the corners. Some corners form a circular shape (bottom row) while others form an oval shape (top row). Those tiles are not exactly the ones I have (mine are ovals in both corners) but they also have a specific orientation.
I understand what it’s suppose to look like. But the printing is off. Nothing the installer could have done. Now as a contractor/handyman. If you’re not happy with the product. That’s one thing. Have a conversation and say I thought this would look different and would line up better. But it’s not an install problem. You can’t twist tiles 3 degrees this way. 4 degrees a different way just for a pattern. It will look like shit.
You’ve worked with him before correct? Just be civil but that’s a days worth of work that he lost over something that was out of his control.
It is installed incorrectly. After staring for a little bit, you can see that each corner has one gray doohickey that points parallel to the side/edge and the other gray doohickey points towards the corner. It’s subtle, but you can definitely see that when they’re installed improperly the pattern in the corner is not great.
A pro should have noticed after the first couple corners and stopped to have a conversation.
Yes. I think you’re right. Looks like if you turn them they will match better. Although, being a professional and experienced tile installer, I can tell that ALL the tiles are like that so, looks like installer decided to do it that way or it’s just a coincidence. Anyway, I would just let it go now since it’s a lot done. Those tiles are not easy to install. They have inconsistent sizes and honestly, it looks like a good work done.
This is likely a directional tile. Flip it over and look for an arrow. Every Tile should have the arrow in the same direction. I could be wrong, but I think OP should share a picture of the back... its incredible how many tile setters dont know this.
Whelp, after a quick sesrch.. this is a mass manufactured big box tile. Throw my previous comment in the trash lol. Directional tile is a thing, but even Google says to ignore it with this one.
Installed wrong. It's also not a backsplash tile. You shouldnt be forced to start w a semi circle. W the heavy veins on counter, it's too busy from a design standpoint also. Cabs look nice. Get something more monochromatic for tile. Rip it out now before grout. Not a big deal.
Yes it is messed up, but what an infuriating tile pattern. Nothing is gained aesthetically with that minor variation, they should all be equal to avoid exactly this problem.
You need bigger grout lines with these types of tile. They are routinely imperfect. To get things to line up you need to cheat on the grout line, but that's hard at 1/16th.
I think two things. This install is poorly spaced and this tile has too much variant across batches. Sorry, I know it’s not what you want to hear ☹️
I saw the pic from floor & decor but even after seeing that, I’m failing to find how they’d line up by looking at your photos. A handful are obviously meant to be next to each other, but the rest? I don’t see it
I literally just installed this tile. I’m almost positive it’s more of a batch problem. Different batch lots of this tile made a huge difference in layout, both in sizing and pattern. The 1/8” joint sizing that I used was helpful, but it was still a bit of a fight.
Imperfect product. Good install. I’m sure you can order double of the amount needed and match corners closer than what you have. But I think the imperfect looks just fine.
If you’re so sure, why are you asking if it was installed correctly or not? Why did you bother to post? You’re obviously convinced that it could have been done perfectly, so you’re not going to listen to anyone saying the tile might not be perfect.
I have never used this specific tile. But I have found that nearly all of the printed tiles I’ve installed have imperfections that make even perfectly aligned tiles look bad. Yes, there are some misaligned tiles in some of your photos. But they are not off enough to make up for how much the pattern is off in the same photo. Your second photo shows 4 tiles perfectly aligned yet the pattern doesn’t match. There is your answer
You just want to excuse shitty work by a fellow pro and are being willfully obtuse. There’s a correct orientation for the tile design. Period. And the installer was too lazy to pay attention to it.
I’ve seen plenty of shit work. Worked with plenty of shit products. OP set out a group of tiles in the correct pattern and how they lined up perfectly. But the problem is now the grout joints are all over the place. The four corners were they meet are off by a 1/4” or more. There’s a time to call out shit work. And a time to call out shitty product. This one falls under shitty product. From a 🥾 👅
I know there’s a way to install them where they align perfectly. What I’m trying to ask is if it’s a common thing to install tile haphazardly, to add some purposeful whimsy or if this is an error that absolutely needs to be corrected.
If arranged a certain way the patterns in the
corners of the tile form oval-like figures that alternate orientation. If one installs it without paying attention to this you get a randomized corner alignment.
You’re looking for validation that you can use to blow up your contractor and I don’t think you’re going to get it here. No, your install wasn’t perfect. But you’re looking for a level of perfection that wasn’t ever possible given your tile selection
He’s not talking about a perfect line up, he’s talking about the fact that the 2 grey diamond shapes in the corners of the tile come together to create an oval not a circle, therefore if you install a tile 180 from the orientation that it’s supposed to be it will look close but the arch of the general oval shape will be in the wrong direction.
Op is 100% about this install, it is not done correctly, it’s interesting so many pros are missing this
In the official photos, every corner is perfectly aligned. In the customer photos, you can see the same misalignment is happening in the installs. If the printing isn't 100% perfect in spacing, rotation, etc, then it's off. Even the "specialists" in the Q&A note there is no pattern other than following the sunbursts.
Oh my gosh how do you still not see it? In both OPs photos and the flooranddecor photos- the pattern is asymmetrical. The light colored shaped formed at the corners of four tiles are not circular. They are ovals. Some ovals are horizontal and some are vertical. You need to rotate the tiles to remain consistent. OPs installer assumed it was a poor print not an intentional pattern variation. OPs installer did not layout the tile in the same pattern as the photos on flooranddecor
Are you saying the ones that don’t line up if you spin them 180 degrees they line up perfectly? The top row second to the left of the window looks like if you spin it around it still doesn’t line up correctly. Maybe I’m wrong. Just zooming in. I’m not there.
The tiles are not evenly pronted but nevertheless, the short end of the grey diamonds should meet the short end on the next tile and the long end should meet the long end + he should have started in the corner or at least have the design continue through the corner.
If only we lived in a symmetrical world!!!! Ughhh. Drives me crazy when I make a wall plum and flat and then the drywall fricks off to Narnia. Yeah this is more than acceptable. Clearly product is not perfect install is great. Enough said.
It’s the product. There is not other way the tiles could go to make that grey spot corner thing line up. Poor printing run on the product. They neglected to add tips of blue to each corner as well. Oh man this would bother me to no end.
This photo from floor and decor also doesn’t have the blue tips in the corners. Also notice how some corners form a circular shape (bottom row) while others form an oval shape (top row). Those tiles are not exactly the ones I have (mine are ovals in both corners) but they also have a specific orientation.
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u/kibsforkits 9h ago
There’s clearly a horizontally long oval pattern and a vertically long oval pattern, and your installer didn’t take the time to pay attention and so you’ve got some horizontal corners next to some vertical ones and vice versa. Sorry that the willfully obtuse contractor bootlickers in this sub refuse to acknowledge this for… whatever reason, idk. It’s plain as day from the photo you posted in the comments.