Not sure i am seeing what you want to show … maybe couple more pictures that show more of the overall bathroom.

The second picture … is that black grout smeared on the sheetrock? What was in their scope of work?

 

The second picture … is that black grout smeared on the sheetrock? What was in their scope of work?

I'm looking at that picture - and then I'm looking at the picture of the whole shower - and I can't figure out where the first picture even is. Because the shower isn't even grouted yet. But that certainly looks like grout. Maybe the pictures were not all taken at the same time and the shower is grouted now.

 

Your contractor should not have left that unfinished. Crappy workmanship
Grout is not the way to finish the tile edge. They make profiled trim for tile edgeing.

 

Thanks for your response. Can I add the trim now that the tiles are set?

 

Thanks for your response. This is the full bathroom. The side of the shower tile meet sthe drywall with grout. I'm wondering what should be done on the pony wall side.

 

Shluter profile trim. They are edge profile trim for finishing the issue you have . but they go under the tile and should be installed at time of tile installation

 

It seems he did a good job of cutting and fitting the tiles. Him not using tile trim pieces around the niche and on the exposed edges, I question. Raw tile edges don't look good and slapping grout on them makes them look even worse.

TrimMaster Matte Black 3/8 in. x 98-1/2 in. Aluminum L-Shaped Tile Edging Trim H8702MB98 - The Home Depot

Create a beautiful finish to your floor project by choosing this Custom Building Products Brushed Antique Bronze Anodized 3/981/ Aluminum LShaped Tile Edging Trim.

www.homedepot.com

 

Umm, this guy hasn't finished his tile edges ANYWHERE. That is just super bad work. I don't think he's a real tile installer. This is just aesthetics of course. But since he didn't do that right, it makes me ask if he waterproofed your shower. Because that could be a serious issue. Do you have any photos of this shower being installed?

Unfortunately, now that the tile is all in, you have no good options to finish the edges.

Interestingly, the tile he laid doesn't look bad at all - at least from this distance. He just has no idea whatsoever how you're supposed to join tile edges together or finish them. How did you hear about this guy?

 

at a glance it didn’t look bad til I zoomed in. All the exposed edges on the tile is a hack job. Sorry, this guy didn’t know what he was doing. Like Jeff asked, I would be curious as to what he did to prep the walls before tiling. The other side of the short wall should have been tiled, in my opinion.
Mike Hawkins

 

Zoom in on the corner of that bench. That looks downright dangerous. (Same as the corners of the pony wall now that I think about it.) Granted it will have glass right next to it, but still. And then zoom in on the big gap between the bench top and that wall. What is supposed to happen there?

 

Thanks for the insight. I found this contractor on a local group. They said they were a master tile setter came recommended with many 5 star reviews. I did take pics after the waterproofing was done and here is a final pic with the grout. What really has me worried now though is the lippage on this tile by the faucet

 

Thanks for the insight. I found this contractor on a local group. They said they were a master tile setter

They are not.

I did take pics after the waterproofing was done and here is a final pic with the grout. What really has me worried now though is the lippage on this tile by the faucet

The tile lippage is the least of your concerns. The faucet escutcheon can be sealed with some silicone sealant all the way around, and that will fill that gap.

The problems are:
- he did not tape the seams on the cement board. You can read this on page 2 of the installation manual.

https://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG_Marketing_Communications/canada/product_promotional_materials/finished_assets/cgc-durock-cement-board-how-to-guide-en-can-DNG_RIG003E.pdf

- he did not complete the waterproofing - he only applied it to the seams. Cement board by itself is not waterproof. It will get wet. This won't damage it, but cement board is attached to studs, and so the studs will get wet and eventually rot.

- he put no finishing on the tile edges (grout is not tile edge finishing). This is aesthetic, but this is not what tile edges are supposed to look like.

- most importantly, he did not waterproof the seam between the walls and the shower pan, and the edge between the bench and the wall, and the curb. These are the three most common major leakage areas, and you will likely have problems. I've taken apart dozens of showers that have water damage in these three areas.

Of course if you bring these things up to them, they will claim that cement board is waterproof, and that that seams don't need to be taped, because "they've never had a problem". They are wrong.

I hope you haven't paid them yet.

 

Hardly any screws in the backer board. Holding alot of weight in tile on those walls

 

And he’s missing about a hundred screws to hold the durock to the framing.

 

The closer we look at the zoom in, the more problems we see. This is not good. In addition to not following the simple manufacturer's instructions for the cement board, I think this shower is at very high risk of leaking and causing framing damage. Probably within 2 years you'll see tile bulging and cracking of the tile in or around the shower curb. While that is going on, deeper down where you can't see, your floor joists and bench framing will be slowly rotting out. Just a prediction, not a certainty.

 

Thank you Jeff for the thorough analysis. I appreciate every point and am reaching out to the contractor. I have not paid them in full yet. I don't really know how they can resolve this and I wouldn't want them to at this point. Sounds like the only option is to tear out and start over. It's sad because I read every review they had and they came recommended, I thought I had done my due diligence.

 

Regarding reviews, either they can be faked, or else they are judged on opinion based on how the tile looks to the homeowner. But no homeowner really knows what's supposed to happen underneath the tile, and even if they do they don't normally take pictures of that step. This trade is not licensed and permitted like electrical and plumbing are.

I understand the catch-22 about having them resolve it. They are the last person you'd want to work on it anymore, even if they did agree to. And I honestly can't think of anything else to do beside starting over either. Unless you want to do some caulking and hope for the best and then tear it out later if you see signs of water leakage. If this is over a crawlspace you can see signs of it below. You might get lucky, and if so you'll get a discount on the job at least.

 

One other consideration as well as the walls, do you know how the pan was constructed?

 

Actually that's an excellent point. I don't see any evidence of a PVC liner - I was just absent mindedly assuming there would be one. I would find out if there is one.

 

The pan looks flat, but it could be camera angle. Blown up, the drain doesn't look like a drain I would install in a preslope/pvc/slope pan.

 

I have the same situation. My pony wall is tiled on the outside also. The only way to go.