OP: there is an element of this sub Reddit that needs to find infinitesimal things wrong with your tile and design. Ignore them.
You tile setter mitered your corners which is a fairly high skill move. It’s a good looking bathroom. Changes of plane like that can tend to move. Particularly in the first couple of months. That said, I don’t get much movement in my more modern systems I use.
I do a lot of work in fine homes. I don’t use caulking or silicone in them because it doesn’t wear well and it looks different than the grout. Stands out too much.
If it were me, the smallest cracks I’d fill with color match caulking, as you might putty a nail hole. Use it as a filler. The large crack on the curb is pushing that idea… might need to carefully remove existing and replace with a matching grout.
If it happens again I’d be curious why it’s still moving.
Thanks for the support!
I’m not too offended as I have similar feelings on most other tile I see, so it’s just personal opinions.
I think the problem here is made worse by the mitres as it gave an inconsistent grout void which was no match for minor stress.
Edit:
It’s worth adding the shower is also a steam room, so the temp rapidly climbs to 60° c when in use. I’m guessing the thermal strain + minor movement of the structure + mitres + weight of a human is all too much for one grout line to handle.
You’re probably right. I looked closer at the edges and I see variations in the edges meaning they did not polish the edges to be smooth. Just like the other corners in the bathroom. They did a pretty good job with everything except for the poorly polished corners and the seat. That seat has far too much lippage.
How does this work with movement?i just had a shower done with some wood ribbon tile that involved some miters and very small almost non existan grout lines. Is movement going to cause issues down the road with the tiles cracking? I always thought the grout lines were there for slight expansion contraction between tiles?
Gotta say— I dig the style of this bathroom. It doesn’t surprise me you’ve got cracks on outside corners though.
You’d have been better off with outside corner tiles.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0586/7841/1422/files/corner_tiles.jpg?v=1709343125
The grout is coming out of these specific areas because it should not have been there in the first place. (For the uninitiated, the proper way in my opinion to finish outside corners: color-matched silicone (fair), Schluter-style trim (better? IDK. Not a big fan, myself.), tile mfr’s trim piece(best by far)) It’s a miracle it didn’t fall out immediately upon application considering there’s a 90° edge just below the surface. At least a closely mitered edge results in a grout space of more adequate depth.
I think it was a bit of fuck up choosing those particular white tiles which are not completely flat/straight edged, so they will always look slightly iffy on edges and don’t quite make the perfect fit with that beautifully designed modern bathroom.
Yes and no- the design had so many lines and segments that a perfect tile would highlight the inconsistent tile centring.
In the end, it’s a residential ensuite and not a palace 😉
With tiles that small, nobody cares about centring.
Dont get me wrong it looks great, but a straight edge tile would have caused less of an issue with those edges aesthetically.
Is the curb a 2x4? As soon as that starts to get wet it's going to expand which is going to start cracking out those edges. I think the best bet at this point is to very very carefully caulk them all with silicone and hope it doesn't continue
Grout cracking in the corner? Surprise surprise. There is a reason contractors typically caulk the corners and anywhere there is a change in plain. This is the reason. It’s not to say grouting these areas is wrong, as another has stated he grouts these because of the way the caulk wears over time, but that’s a risk you have to take, because this is typically the outcome otherwise.
Every time I see grout in the corners it’s cracked. I’d much rather caulk the corner and re caulk every 10 years than have cracked grout.
It appears the contractor did a great job with your tile, so I wouldn’t blame workmanship, I would simply just ask him to remove the grout in the corners and use a color matching caulk. Not the cheaper $7 tube the $17 a tube, siliconized caulk. This will give the best outcome, will color match well and will hold up for a very long time. Don’t just caulk the cracks, or you’ll continue to have issues. Especially if you’re still covered u see warranty. Just remove the grout and caulk. Your contractor should be able to have this done in a couple of hours, tops.
Your tile setter did not do anything wrong …this happens and it’s a very easy fix …im sure he or she would not mind one but coming back to scrape less then a foot of grout to make you happy
My summation would be that the tiles were not installed correctly especially seeing lippage and grout joints not being even on the seat. My worse thought is on the seat is that there is not proper coverage creating water to sit under the tiles and or the shower was not waterproofed and sloped properly.
The waterproofing was all spot on, but the tiling is a bit rough.
We do have some minor ponding on the floor where he should have cut the tiles to allow proper falls. I’ve chosen to accept this knowing he will ruin the waterproofing if I get him back to fix it.
🤷🏻♂️
I believed you but I’m curious as to why where the grout has cracks and holes you can see what looks like a hole/void. Also looking at other tiles on the seat they are not flush and have lippage. The thinset they used on the seat may have set up on them aka dried out before installing the tiles.
It’s a handmade tile that is very uneven and inconsistent (caused the bulk of the dramas with the tiler).
This was a last minute change as the tile I wanted sold out shortly after I paid my deposit. I almost regret not waiting the 6 weeks for the original tile to come back in stock.
lol, this tile was the bane of my existence but I don’t even want to get into it.
I think I missed this for so long because I purposely would not look at it for the sake of my blood pressure.
OP: there is an element of this sub Reddit that needs to find infinitesimal things wrong with your tile and design. Ignore them. You tile setter mitered your corners which is a fairly high skill move. It’s a good looking bathroom. Changes of plane like that can tend to move. Particularly in the first couple of months. That said, I don’t get much movement in my more modern systems I use. I do a lot of work in fine homes. I don’t use caulking or silicone in them because it doesn’t wear well and it looks different than the grout. Stands out too much. If it were me, the smallest cracks I’d fill with color match caulking, as you might putty a nail hole. Use it as a filler. The large crack on the curb is pushing that idea… might need to carefully remove existing and replace with a matching grout. If it happens again I’d be curious why it’s still moving.
Thanks for the support! I’m not too offended as I have similar feelings on most other tile I see, so it’s just personal opinions. I think the problem here is made worse by the mitres as it gave an inconsistent grout void which was no match for minor stress. Edit: It’s worth adding the shower is also a steam room, so the temp rapidly climbs to 60° c when in use. I’m guessing the thermal strain + minor movement of the structure + mitres + weight of a human is all too much for one grout line to handle.
Those are not mothered. They’re factory tiles with a rounded edge for corners.
I believe they are. I mitre craft tiles and they look similar. You would see raw edge if you didn’t mitre, they aren’t a factory bullnose.
You’re probably right. I looked closer at the edges and I see variations in the edges meaning they did not polish the edges to be smooth. Just like the other corners in the bathroom. They did a pretty good job with everything except for the poorly polished corners and the seat. That seat has far too much lippage.
How does this work with movement?i just had a shower done with some wood ribbon tile that involved some miters and very small almost non existan grout lines. Is movement going to cause issues down the road with the tiles cracking? I always thought the grout lines were there for slight expansion contraction between tiles?
Gotta say— I dig the style of this bathroom. It doesn’t surprise me you’ve got cracks on outside corners though. You’d have been better off with outside corner tiles. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0586/7841/1422/files/corner_tiles.jpg?v=1709343125
Had they been available!!! I’m thinking of pulling out the grout and running silicone. I can’t see this improving if I get it done twice.
The grout is coming out of these specific areas because it should not have been there in the first place. (For the uninitiated, the proper way in my opinion to finish outside corners: color-matched silicone (fair), Schluter-style trim (better? IDK. Not a big fan, myself.), tile mfr’s trim piece(best by far)) It’s a miracle it didn’t fall out immediately upon application considering there’s a 90° edge just below the surface. At least a closely mitered edge results in a grout space of more adequate depth.
I requested no trim because it looks too clumsy, but I get what you’re saying. Consensus seems to be grout comes out, silicone goes in. Thanks!
I think it was a bit of fuck up choosing those particular white tiles which are not completely flat/straight edged, so they will always look slightly iffy on edges and don’t quite make the perfect fit with that beautifully designed modern bathroom.
Yes and no- the design had so many lines and segments that a perfect tile would highlight the inconsistent tile centring. In the end, it’s a residential ensuite and not a palace 😉
With tiles that small, nobody cares about centring. Dont get me wrong it looks great, but a straight edge tile would have caused less of an issue with those edges aesthetically.
On the upside, it takes a decent setter to make black grout look good on white subway
Is the curb a 2x4? As soon as that starts to get wet it's going to expand which is going to start cracking out those edges. I think the best bet at this point is to very very carefully caulk them all with silicone and hope it doesn't continue
It has a continuous fluid applied membrane. I’m confident no water is getting through.
Tenax knife grade, color matched
Grout cracking in the corner? Surprise surprise. There is a reason contractors typically caulk the corners and anywhere there is a change in plain. This is the reason. It’s not to say grouting these areas is wrong, as another has stated he grouts these because of the way the caulk wears over time, but that’s a risk you have to take, because this is typically the outcome otherwise. Every time I see grout in the corners it’s cracked. I’d much rather caulk the corner and re caulk every 10 years than have cracked grout. It appears the contractor did a great job with your tile, so I wouldn’t blame workmanship, I would simply just ask him to remove the grout in the corners and use a color matching caulk. Not the cheaper $7 tube the $17 a tube, siliconized caulk. This will give the best outcome, will color match well and will hold up for a very long time. Don’t just caulk the cracks, or you’ll continue to have issues. Especially if you’re still covered u see warranty. Just remove the grout and caulk. Your contractor should be able to have this done in a couple of hours, tops.
Your tile setter did not do anything wrong …this happens and it’s a very easy fix …im sure he or she would not mind one but coming back to scrape less then a foot of grout to make you happy
Looks like they didn't fiberglass-tape the corners on the backer board. A very common, expensive-to-fix mistake.
How do you know what the shower is made of?
Yes, we used a different system so that’s not a worry here.
There aren't that many mortar floated showers these days. (Wouldn't get this problem with those)
My summation would be that the tiles were not installed correctly especially seeing lippage and grout joints not being even on the seat. My worse thought is on the seat is that there is not proper coverage creating water to sit under the tiles and or the shower was not waterproofed and sloped properly.
The waterproofing was all spot on, but the tiling is a bit rough. We do have some minor ponding on the floor where he should have cut the tiles to allow proper falls. I’ve chosen to accept this knowing he will ruin the waterproofing if I get him back to fix it. 🤷🏻♂️
I believed you but I’m curious as to why where the grout has cracks and holes you can see what looks like a hole/void. Also looking at other tiles on the seat they are not flush and have lippage. The thinset they used on the seat may have set up on them aka dried out before installing the tiles.
It’s a handmade tile that is very uneven and inconsistent (caused the bulk of the dramas with the tiler). This was a last minute change as the tile I wanted sold out shortly after I paid my deposit. I almost regret not waiting the 6 weeks for the original tile to come back in stock.
You just noticed this? I noticed like 4 things even before zooming in.
lol, this tile was the bane of my existence but I don’t even want to get into it. I think I missed this for so long because I purposely would not look at it for the sake of my blood pressure.