Tile lippage - shall I stop the work?

[ReX83]

Hi all - first post here .

I need expert advice on how to proceed....

I have hired a developer to remove a wall and join two rooms.
the two rooms were already tiled with 20x114cm ceramic tiles.

They had to remove the floor of the smaller room because the two rooms were not levelled. I am being charged 1.5k+ for this "unexpected work", including self levelling compound.

Yesterday they started tiling but after looking at what they have done (5 lines of tiles) I can tell that there is lippage between some of the new tiles and the old ones. I haven't measured but in few points I would say it is 1 or 2mm.

I appreciate that it is not easy to handle long tiles but the whole ground floor of the house is tiled with the same porcelain tiles and it is perfect, not a visibile or perceptible step.

I have mentioned it to the "tiler" and will speak with his boss later today.

I suppose I am not the only unlucky customer of "handyman tilers"... how do you suggest to proceed?

As extreme option I would even consider to ask them to stop and call a professional tiler to resume/redo the job...

Thanks

 

[Old Mod]

Can you upload some images please.

 

[ReX83]

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately I can't take a picture now because they are working in the room. I will do later this afternoon.

The manager will come soon. Is there a test or term of reference I can use to prove (or disprove) my point?

 

[Old Mod]

But aesthetically, you’re the client, it’s your call, handle with care if it’s within BS.

 

[ReX83]

Thanks - I didn't know that there were so detailed specs.

It is definitely more than 1 mm and the joints are less than 4mm.

I've spoken to the manager, after a lot of resistance he decided to call another tiler to have a look at it and hopefully redo the wrong ones. According to me all of them.

While showing the issue, I realised it is even worst than I initially noticed. I don't get how they try to let this things pass...

I will keep you posted (and post some pictures later today).

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Yes take some pics at 4pm when they go, 4pm is lunchtime for me as I'm there till at least 6pm getting things perfect.

 

[ReX83]

Apparently they are now removing the tiles they have laid and a new tiler will come redo the job. I wonder if this is enough and it is time I found a tiler on my own.

If any of the wrong tile is left on the floor, I will take a picture.

 

[ReX83]

All the tiles have been removed, except few of them.

I've attached 2 pictures of the same tiles in the kitchen, 2 pictures of the work in progress before they removed the tiles (the lippage is not evident in these photos but these were taken before I noticed the issues) and a picture of the gap between two tiles they left.

The work will resume in a couple of days.

 

[Old Mod]

So what is with this image, were there tiles in there, or hadn’t he got around to it?
Well at least you should be getting someone who’s capable now.

 

[WetSaw]

I'm puzzled by that photo too. I thought the floor had been levelled but that looks like a fair bed of adhesive which I'm not convinced the trowel used to make those serrations would give.

 

[Old Mod]

I'm puzzled by that photo too. I thought the floor had been levelled but that looks like a fair bed of adhesive which I'm not convinced the trowel used to make those serrations would give.

And the fact that it’d been trowelled with no tile placed down. I wondered if that’s what it looked like after their removal!

 

[Adrian mcc]

Omg my 2 year old can do better cuts than that

 

[Flintstone]

Those tight joints aren’t helping lippage matters, they look like 1.5mm

 

[ReX83]

So, it took me some time to convince the builder that the problem were not to the tiles (he said they were not perfectly flat) or the floor (that was just leveled by the way).

Eventually another tiler came and all the tiles poorly installed were removed. Not a single tile was damaged in the removal process, so I wonder if they were glued properly. The new installation took some time but I am now very happy with the result (no lippage and uniform gaps of 3mm).

He also had to remove part of the self'-leveling compound (I could see the guy frustration when he looked at it - lol) because it was not leveled: it uniformly raised the floor.

 

[ReX83]

Quick update - the work is complete but the grout is brighter than the original one. We removed a small sample from the original floor and compared to Mapei samples but apparently it is a shadow darker (we thought it was 133 but it is 134.

Is there any trick to make it darker without waiting for ageing or redoing it?

 

[Tile Shop]

Mapei do a product called Fuga Fresca which is basically a grout paint. Order that in 134 and it should match the existing grout:
Fuga Fresca 134 Silk Singles 160grm - https://lilleytileandstone.co.uk/fuga-fresca-134-silk-singles-160grm.html

 

[Stefan]

That looks exactly like the tile which was installed in my brother in laws house. There may be lippage because plank tiles like that are known to bow. I've had problems with these in the past and have told customers about this and they've ordered different tile as a result. An easy way to check this is you turn the tile sideways, look down the tile the long way as if you were pointing a rifle and looking down its sights. If it looks like a banana, stay away from it.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Or use levelling clips!

 

[WetSaw]

Or use levelling clips!

..and 1/3 bond!

 

[ReX83]

@Paul C. thanks! I didn't know about this product. I will order and try on a small area. Do you know is the finish is going to be matte as with original grout or more glossy/satin like paint?

@Stefan, I did this exact check when he mentioned that it was due to tiles. The tiles were actually perfectly flat.