Musicteacher,

I cannot speak to your grout vs. thinset issue. So sorry! maybe time to get another tile setter!

I saw your thread about the tile color over on the Deco forum. Bells were going off for me!! I have almost identical tile (12x24 slate-look porcelain) recently laid in our new bathroom. The night before they set it, I decided to tear open the box. It was the same color as yours. ORANGE, not charcoal gray. It turned out that someone at The Tile Shop had goofed and ordered the wrong color. The box gave no indication of color, so my tile guy didn't know any different. There was something confusing about the way the tile is labeled that made it easy to make a mistake.

Is it at all possible that they messed up when they ordered it? Mine was called Burma Negro.

I'm so sorry for your tile troubles!!

Wow, I'm so sorry that you're having such difficulty. I would agree that a tile setter (regardless of language) should understand which products should be used to set tile vs grout tile. If you know what language he speaks, could you google the word for "thinset" and "grout" and try to ask him what he used under the tile? Or are you working with a GC who is facilitating communication with the tile setter that could get involved to help?

I know some products (not sure if it's grout, thinset, or both) use additives in mixing, but I'm afraid I can't help explain what should be used when/where. Perhaps it would help if you reply with the label on the bottle and the bag so that some of the knowledgeable people here can give you more exact advice.