Tile work in the bathroom

[calmloki]

They may or may not be cracks at all. We just purchased the identical tile a couple weeks ago as I am doing our bathroom shower floor as well and decided on this tile after lots and lots of researching for one that would work well.

The tiles come like this. Check the picture on Lowes website. If you run your fingers/nails over those tiles which appear cracked, especially the one which appears to be a bigger one, are they, or are they smooth just appearing to have hairline fractures like in the pictures for the tile at Lowes?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Anatolia-T...-Polished-Hexagon-Mosaic-Wall-Tile/1001042638

I've also attached a couple pictures of ours, still in the wrapper and you can see similar.

No harm in asking tiler to replace those individual hexagons that appear cracked, but it's likely not a result of something he did incorrectly.

Credit to njhowie, who gets right past underlayment questions.

I haven't seen the Lowes tiles, so can't speak to whether those are real cracks or fake; real stone or bogus, but can say that it is common to show "distressed finish" or "natural flaws" when trying to imitate a real product. Examples: pressed masonite panel doors with ugly graining no carpenter would pass on to a painter or faux knots in fake wood flooring where clear vertical grain would be the desired natural product.

 

[finnski1]

They may or may not be cracks at all. We just purchased the identical tile a couple weeks ago as I am doing our bathroom shower floor as well and decided on this tile after lots and lots of researching for one that would work well.

The tiles come like this. Check the picture on Lowes website. If you run your fingers/nails over those tiles which appear cracked, especially the one which appears to be a bigger one, are they, or are they smooth just appearing to have hairline fractures like in the pictures for the tile at Lowes?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Anatolia-T...-Polished-Hexagon-Mosaic-Wall-Tile/1001042638

I've also attached a couple pictures of ours, still in the wrapper and you can see similar.

No harm in asking tiler to replace those individual hexagons that appear cracked, but it's likely not a result of something he did incorrectly.

Wow. After looking at the Lowes site I think you're correct. Therefore if the OP thinks they are cracked and they are not then maybe it was the wrong choice? Or if they really like the look then just keep going.

 

[old medic]

I don't think most homeowners would want a "pre-distressed jeans" look to their floor tiles.

And IF they did.... Why would they be asking about why its cracked?

 

[H2ODude]

If it bothers you, have it fixed now by the tiler. I've done several showers, two w Schleuter and two with standard membranes between sloped grout beds. In either case the membrane is the water barrier, not the tile/grout; the grout will allow water to pass in places eventually. So I'd say it's an aesthetic question, not a water integrity one. FWIW I like the Schleuter Kerdi method, especially if you have seats or weird angles.

Just a hint on using standard membranes. Original builder laid the membrane flat on the subfloor with sloped grout bed above, then tile. This is wrong. The grout bed WILL get saturated eventually and water will creep up and out the wall, in my case to adjacent standard wall board. The correct way is to put a sloped bed of grout, then the membrane. IIRC that membrane connects to holes in the drain hub that allow water so drain from the top of the membrane. Then another layer of grout for the tile to adhere to. If you aren't going to live there (as in you're a sub) it's a lot easier to just lay the membrane on the floor.

 

[Bamaman]

To answer the original question, just chisel the tile out and replace it with new thinset. Then let it dry and use the proper grout to complete the job.

I'm in the process of retiling my master bathroom floor I installed 42 years ago. My father used the wrong subfloor, and tiles finally started popping up. I'm using 1/4" Wonderboard set in thinset and sealed with Redgard elastomeric sealer. My new porcelain tiles are 4" x 36" set in thinset mortar--backbuttered. It'll hold up much longer than 40 years.

I also tore out a 3' x 3.5' basement shower and base. Since I tiled it floor to ceiling, the tile, 1/2 inch Wonderboard and mortar weighed over 700 lbs. I'm going to go back with the PVC sheeting in the shower base. There again, it'll work out just fine.

My problem with the Schlueter products is the cost. A shower kit with a pan will set you back over $1,000. The membranes are simply beyond expensive. Add labor to that, and you can spend a small fortune on a bathroom floor and shower stall. My daughter recently spent over $10K on her bathroom including a new soaking tub.

In one house, I built a shower from scratch and tiled the floor for less than $100 not including the faucet. I installed a good size bathroom floor in a house with $.58 per square feet ceramic tile cut on the diagonal, and the entire floor with underlayment cost $135. That floor sold the house for me.

It's nice to have the internet to fall back on for info on how to do tiling jobs. I see my mistakes now, and can do a very decent job for very little money. It's not especially a skilled trade, but it can be hard work hauling in supplies in and scraps out.