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echobelly

New floor tile issues.....

echobelly
9 years ago

Our whole house (1947, Florida) has red quarry tile floors with 5/8" grout joints, except the kitchen. We're renovating the kitchen, had the contractor pull up the existing floor and replace with matching tiles (found an identical match!). The issue is, the tiler shows up and starts laying the tiles, I point out that the joints have to line up from one room to the next. He's laying it with 3/8" joints. I told him they're too close, that the joints need to be wider. He says he still needs to spread them (?). I go out for a while, come back, and the he's just about finished. The joints are all 3/8" and the tiles aren't lining up in the doorway. He says everything will line up after it's grouted. Next day it's grouted, joints are still too narrow, and the grout was wiped too much so it's not level with the tiles (I kept telling the guy grouting he's wiping too much, the contractor was not around for any of this). We're paying a lot for a new kitchen ($30,000, not including appliances) so this isn't a cheap job. I told the contractor the floor has to be re-done so it matches (not something I'm looking forward too as far as mess, inconvenience and time). He said the tiler's coming back and will re-grout so the joints are level with the tile and it will look perfect. I don't see how this will affect the width of the joints as the edge is sharp with no bevel. I'm not sure what to do. Accept a job that isn't what we're paying for and will probably always be an annoyance that it wasn't done right, to finally get a kitchen back, maybe with a refund of a couple thousand dollars, or tell them we want the whole thing taken up and new tile laid at their expense, living with out a kitchen for another month, and having a contractor that's furious and will probably find a way to re-coup his money. The contract is vague on many items, but does specify 5/8" tile joints.

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