Help!: arched tiles

[redlion_uk]

Hi all,

I bought some rectangular porcelain tiles which have been laid and grouted in a brick style pattern.

I first thought the tiler had done a poor job but upon examining them it appears the are slightly arched!! so the centre of the tiles are slightly raised. Could this be a manufacturing fault or are tiles made in this way??? help please so I know who to blame.

Best Regards,

Bil

[andy allen]

some tiles can be bowed quite badly, this makes tiling brick bond a nightmare, i all ways check them before fitting and advice the customer to lay them a different way or replace them.

[Mike]

if your certain it's the tile that's bowed then the tiler should have noticed this and informed you at the start of the problem and then it would be up to you what you wanted to do about it. it now looks like a bigger problem to rectify

[Alan.P]

Always a problem with bowed tiles and brickbond, the tiler should have checked before fixing as said, how big an area has been tiled ?

[peteablard]

I seem to be coming across this problem quite a lot at the moment. As above though, the tiler should have noticed this and informed you before carrying on!

[redlion_uk]

the floor is all laid. I couldn't take time off work to watch the guy doing the tiling - If i had spotted the bowing I would have told him to stop. The Mrs told me they looked ok when she checked!!!!! no way!

Can't even be rectified now.. unless I pull them all out and buy new ones. hmmmmmmm

[Mike]

i haven't had this problem but i had some 4/5 mm slate wall tiles (600 x 300)from b & q which were bending when pressed in on the edges

[redlion_uk]

ooops sorry wrong thread, but same topic. I got porcelain tiles and got the tile guy to fit them. I was not around for the day and when I returned ... arrrggghh!!!!

[Mike]

have you brought up the problem with the tiler and what's he said? and do you have underfloor heating under the tiles?

[redlion_uk]

i told the tiler, he said that's how the tiles are and that I told him I wanted them in brick style pattern. I was at work all day so couldn't watch them and my Mrs said they looked ok before the grout went in.

I don't know what to do now.

[Sir Ramic]

Its either live with it or take them up and retile.....Sorry.

[redlion_uk]

it is 20 sq m kitchen floor. Tiling on top of concrete.

[Mike]

i'm sorry but it seems to be the tilers fault. he should not have laid them. i don't think you can return them now for an exchange either.

[peteablard]

In terms of mm how bad are they?

[redlion_uk]

If I put 2 tile faces together, there is about 2-3mm on each edge.

[redlion_uk]

tiles.jpg

The lippage on some points is about 4-5 mm high! 2.5mm spacers used. Is there anything I can do to make it less noticable? We used ivory grout so shadows stand out, perhaps a darker colour?

[Phil Hobson]

The tiler should have checked, then given you the option to have them laid third bond or quarter bond.

[timeless john]

I don't agree that it is solely the tilers responsibility as he didn't purchase the materials and as you were not present during the installation, he has done the job as instructed - in the brickbond design.
We are not made aware if these tiles were cheap manufactured/end of line seconds/or expensive Italian porcelain, so to proportion blame is incorrect IMHO.
I have been asked to fix roof tiles to walls for 'Arty/craft' type customers at a North East Exhibition Centre many years ago, and as it is the customers choice - they are always right!

[Mike]

I believe that if it,s as obvious as the op says then It's the tilers fault. If it was a slight variation in shade then its debatable

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[timeless john]

From the photo shown I'd be more concerned with the fixing method/lack of adhesive than the slight bow as visible in the picture.

[CJ]

Too many customers are buying the super deals from the sheds nowadays, without thought for the poor guy/gal who is going to lay them. We can advise till we are blue in the face..............but the customer knows best

We work with wot we are given, and at the end of the day, if customers want it this way or that............we do it.

Not sure if any advice was offered in this case, but I stand by the above statement.

[Rich]

I dont think that you will have any luck blaming the tiler on this one and unfortunately you would be able to get anywhere with the supplier as they have already been fixed. Sorry.

As John says above tho, the lipage doesnt concern me, the tiling method is terrible tho. If all the tiles are fixed like the 1s in the pic then I dont expect them to stay down for long anyway!

[peteablard]

Has he dot and dabbed these tiles? Check underneath the tiles in the picture and see if the tiles are on a solid bed of adhesive. If not then the lippage is the least of your problems I'm afraid!

[The hammer]

Look on the bright side if you do decide to rip them up and relay them straight bond, you only have to rip up every other row

[kilty55]

hi redlion,cant saee any adhesive bed under that tile from the pic

do you have more pics we can see?

[Mike]

They'd have to bang on in line for that to work, total ripout in my opinion. Good luck with it
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[jay]

some more pics of fixed tiles might help

[Daz]

The bowing doesn't look too bad from the pic that I can see (I've seen a lot worse!). Some pics of the finished floor will help determine whether the problem lies with the tiles or the fixing.

Thanks,

Daz

[redlion_uk]

tiles2.jpgtiles3.jpgtiles4.jpg

Yes I realised that the edges don't have any adhesive under them. But the Mrs assured me that she watched him spread a generous amount of adhesive under all the other tiles. I told her to watch out for that as i know what happens if it is dabbed.

[northstar]

what tiles are they and where did you buy them from ?