I tore out my glass and stone mosaic mix backsplash the day after it was installed, but before it was grouted. I wasn't happy to see all that brand new tile (money!) in the trash can, but better there than on my walls. I replaced it with a simple, cream color porcelain tile ... a much better choice for my busy granite. Lesson learned ... don't be afraid to admit that you have made a poor choice, and cut your losses early. I should have stopped the installation as soon as I saw the first sheet go up.

I tore out a marble fireplace surround about 12 hours after it was installed.

The tile on the display in the store was black with a few white veins. The tiles in my box had so many veins they looked like shattered safety glass.

NEVER leave the tile guy without looking at every tile in the box.

I initially hated my brand new wood effect tile on my kitchen floor and almost asked them to rip it out! So glad I didn't as now that its grouted and clean I love it. I think it was more the shock of not having real wood, now I'm totally used to it!!

I tore out a marble fireplace surround about 12 hours after it was installed.

The tile on the display in the store was black with a few white veins. The tiles in my box had so many veins they looked like shattered safety glass.

NEVER leave the tile guy without looking at every tile in the box. Murphy's law says the one odd tile from the box will be installed in a very prominent place.

Um (gulp) - glass and stone mosaic mix you say? Any pictures of what was torn out? Were there different colors in the b/s or different textures or both?

We really oughtta have mistakes threads from which we can learn!

I installed a 7" wide Pine plank floor (engineered, floating), in our kitchen and dining area. I tore it out a couple years later, and replaced it with solid Oak nail down 2-1/4" strips. A few reasons: The pine was just too soft and vulnerable for such high traffic areas, I knew it would distress, but oh my it looked like someone ran over it with track shoes on! Plus, it began yellowing from sunlight almost instantly, and the "floating" aspect just made it feel cheap and phony, even though it was real wood. (no offense to any of you with floating floors) ...Totally happy with the Oak some 24 years later :)

I'm not overjoyed with several things, but what's keeping me from tearing them out is $$$, wife loves some of those things, and we'll likely be selling very soon. That said, I'm very seriously considering taking out (not tearing out) my brand new range and replacing it without consulting with her. (I'm the cook.)

deee, you're right about inspecting every tile in the box. We didn't do that with our replacement backsplash but we should have. The tile guy installed tiles with slight chips in them and also with "off" coloring. I'm sure most people don't notice them, but we do. But having said that, we're still happy with the replacement. Foodonastump....if you're likely to be selling soon, why would you replace your new range now? You can put the range you love in your new home to enjoy. Right now we're living with the standard builder's ceramic tile in the master bath which I hate, but I can't imagine replacing it (BIG job). Maybe if we were planning on staying here forever, but after five years I'm getting antsy to move again.........

Wow foodonastump, I take it you don't like your range!
I'm the cook also, so I can relate though...

I went on a trip to FL while my bathroom renovation was being done. I had picked out everything at the suppliers recommended by my contractor, left diagrams on where I wanted the knobs installed on the vanity, etc. etc. I tried to think of every last detail. While I'm gone, I get a phone pic from the contractor of the backsplash that he had just installed. The pic was very grainy, but the tile looked way darker than I remembered. I called him and said I didn't think it was the right tile. He had picked up the tile from the supplier and he assumed it was what I had selected. I asked if it had any white marble strips in it, and he said no. I said it's not the right tile. Turns out, it was a manufacturer issue -- they had the wrong item number on the back of the tile sample! Just my luck! He wanted me to leave it up rather than have to tear it out and re-install. He said "it matches". Ha, it was horrible! Anyway, I told him to take it out and put the rest on hold until I came back. Just goes to show, you have to be there every step of the way to be sure it's done right. Even the shower curtain rod was installed in a place that I thought was too far in. I took it down and reinstalled it myself.

@ctycdm - was the 7" engineered glued down, and if so, was it a huge mess? Maybe floating means it wasn't, I'm not up on my flooring terminology, but my parents have a new glue-down floor on a slab thet they're less than thrilled with, and I'm curious how huge of a mess it'd be tear it out.

Anyhoo...I tore out basically brand new (about 2 years old) granite counters, along with a travertine tile custom archway/vent hood thing, and a section of custom-built cabinets. The decision was aesthetic, I hated the kitchen (spec home) and wanted a white marble one with all white cabs.

I was able to donate much of the granite to a very happy friend, and the 2 largest torn-out cabinets were re-purposed for garage storage.

I also had a major problem with a Sonoma Tileworks b-splash, and had to tear it out to the tune of a $3,000 loss. I replaced it with the same tile (but in a better color), properly installed. That was kind of painful, but thanks to the improper install I was able to order the new tiles in a color that I like much better.

All in all, I'm happy I did it, I'm in love with my kitchen, and donating the granite and re-purposing the cabinets alleviated a bit of my guilt.

I tore out a 12" deep upper cupboard that was on the end of a tall-wall run. This was the day after it was installed because the weighting was all wrong. Put in a 15" deep upper cupboard and it made such a difference. My DH just looked at me as if I was nuts and saying "but, but, but... it's the same cabinet ." But, no it wasn't.