Help! Tiling trims and finish,

[Gemmology]

Hi everyone. I’m new here and found this forum searching for answers to my tiling problem. We’ve just had our bathroom tiled, with metro white tiles and grey grout. I’m overly unhappy with it but it’s the finish that’s really bugging me. First of all the tile trims. I think they look pretty awful but the tiler says it’s because of the type of tiles I’ve chosen. It looks roughly stuck on to me. I’m so unsure about it as I know nothing about tiling so thought I’d ask here. Also the grout is pooling in the corners which again he says is because of the tiles. And the trim at the top where the tiles reach the ceiling looks out of place and just stuck on to me. He was such a lovely guy I think i’ve overlooked things but now he’s gone, the finish is really bugging me. What do you guys think? Am I being really fussy or do I have a point? I don’t know what’s ‘normal’

 

[Gemmology]

Please ignore the first photo. I can’t work out how to delete it and it was a screen shot off the internet!! Not my bathroom!!

 

[GoneGuy]

The trim work is awful, and on the last picture it looks like pvc trim that’s been used to hide a gap?
I would ask the tiler to come back and re do the trim work

 

[Qwerty]

Please ignore the first photo. I can’t work out how to delete it and it was a screen shot off the internet!! Not my bathroom!!

I've deleted it for you

The work is shoddy and no attention to detail in any aspect including the trim.

 

[Boggs]

Not an acceptable standard at all.
That trim work is awful.
Poorly set out, poorly executed, poorly finished.

Sorry.

 

[Pauly tiler]

It is poor from here, usual caveats apply about knowing the history. You do indeed end up with a nasty detail on external edges and to a degree the internal abutments due to the chamfer on the tiles, and the colour of the grout doesn't help. Trim work has no excuses, just poor.
Did he advise you of the problems with these tiles and the external edges beforehand?

 

[Gemmology]

Thanks for your comments everyone. I’ve asked him to fix it. I think the problem is that he’s not used to the metro tile style. He didn’t advise any problems with these tiles but I don’t think he’s used to doing them. I didn’t realise this beforehand as he’d done my friend’s bathroom and it looked good but it was dark metro tiles. May I ask what sort of trim he should have used? He seems to think there’s no other trim option.

 

[Tony_C]

The sort of trim isn't the issue, nothing wrong with the trim he used its just how he fitted it. The trims should line up and meet and ideally be mitred and not butted up. The problem with metro tiles is you have the factory edge being 6mm then the center usually being around 8mm thick so you need a trim to cover both thickness and it will always over hang at somepoint.

A couple of idea to help are...

The internal corners should be sealed up and this may help take your eye away from the pulling of the black grout in some places. He hasn't really cleaned the grout down properly leaving uneven lines and the black grout will always show any imperfection.

As there is no trim around the rest of the bathroom whatever trim work in the window reveal will always look a bit out of place in my opinion, did you request no trim? I only ask as he could actually achieve that window reveal with no trim. The side internals start with a full tile with factory edges which he could bring out to cover the cut biscuit and the bottom of the ledge also has a full tile with factory edges meeting the top of another factory edge. All this assuming mitring the tiles isn't an option for him.

That pvc strip at the top I've no idea on. Take It off and see what is hiding under it.

It seems he has grouted in the joint where it meets the bath and ran a dirty finger of clear silicone over it?

I hope what I have said makes sense but it can be fixed. just depends on his ability to finish it neater when he comes back.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

There is not a trim available ( plastic) for external corners that enhances any Metro tiles IMHO.
Mitring the edges is the professional way.
What you have had done is a disgrace to a finishing trade. From the other comments above it’s just needs removing.

 

[Gemmology]

Guys! thank you so much. I feel far more confident talking to him now. I’ve messaged him and he’s going to come back next week. I’ve also spotted this at the bath, again can’t think how it should look but know this can’t be right? When the bath pushes in slightly it comes away from the grout and the silicon. Also the trim up by the end of the tiling near the door just looks unfinished too

 

[Tony_C]

Coming off the top of the bath there should be a gap of at least 2mm with zero grout in it and sealed up a white silicone, I'd normally colour match but not with black. The grout trapped in there is going to crack and come loose from the bath flexing from stepping in and out. The clear dirty silicone will only get worse. There is no trim where the tiles end, he has just ran a finger of silicone there also. It's seems quite inconsistent but to be honest if he is claiming to be tiler who isn't used to metros that should have raised some suspicion right there as its literally around 50% of my work.

 

[Gemmology]

Ahh so frustrating. My friends bathroom looks amazing I don’t understand it. But she has a free standing bath and grey metro. I’m so disappointed. Thank you for replying.

 

[Tony_C]

This is the last metro bathroom I done, it was tile master dark grey grout and should give you an idea of the sealing on the internals and bath. I tend not to colour match my silicone with dark grouts if it's on white but I talk it over with the customer first. That's just my personal preference.

 

[Wayne Brown]

FM that's a mess it needs stripping off and starting again the plastic trim hides another **** up ! why go so dark on the grout a lighter grey would be alot better look its more like a grout for floor tiles .
That's how it should look like Tony c work above . Kop

 

[acaciaguy]

Not a good job at all. Very sorry you have had to deal with it

 

[Gemmology]

Hi all. Thanks so much again for the replies. He’s coming today to hear my complaints. My only concern is that he won’t have the skill to put it right. He didnt mention a problem with Metro tiles before undertaking the job, it was only after he started that the complaints came in.He has tiled up to the bath and silicon and the connection along with some grout along a little step that we have where the pipes run. He installed the full bathroom including the bath. A friend of mine said he should have put a piece of wood behind the bath panel to stop it pressing in however the way the little shelf meet the bath makes me think even a piece of wood is not going to stop this happening. I have no idea what the solution is and wondered if anyone here has an idea?

 

[widler]

To be honest its rough as a badgers *** , black grout is possibly the worst grout to use on white metros , awful and looks wrong to me, grey or white is my preference.
To be honest only way it would look better was if everytime you went in the bathroom, you blindfolded yourself
Seriously though , its a rip out. Even his bond runs out

 

[Boggs]

I think there are bigger issues here than the bath panel.

 

[Gemmology]

Ok, so he’s said there’s nothing we can do about the trim. That the way the tiles are means that the trim will always stick out at the top and bottom. And that cutting the trim at an angle to make the two sections stick together won’t make a difference (attached photo). Says that the reason he’s put the plastic grossness at the top where the tiles meet the ceiling is because there’s a small gap, about an inch, too small for a line of cut tiles. Says he can take it off and white grout in the gap instead but that’s the only solution. Says it’s our problem for picking metro tiles and dark grout and that he would never comment on a clients choice. I said that a heads up would be have been good and I wouldn’t have chosen the same tiles if he’d mentioned the potential problems. He said he’s only tiled these tiles one before and won’t be doing it again. Also said he would put a bit of silicon behind the bath panel to stop it going backwards (?) I questioned it and said it needed a bit of wood behind to stop it and he disagreed and said he’d sort it. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what it looks like.

He’s going to take the clear silicon off the edge of the bath and do again with white so that’s good news!!

 

[Gemmology]

This is the photo I was supposed to attach above

 

[Gemmology]

This is the photo I was supposed to attach above

 

[Wayne Brown]

Totally unacceptable I would not let this joker back in your home he is not competent, only really one way to sort that poor effort out strip it and start again sorry to say. Kop