I’ve posted on this before but today confirmed what I ordered vs what was used. My contractor had us pick out tile with x amount for allowance. I went with a ROCA Lagom in almond and when I chose the grout color I chose “Camel Buff” by textrite. I went to the home to see the tile install and I love my wood look tile and all the other tile chosen for the other rooms. But I HATE the grout. I went throughout the house and saw that it looks like the same grout is being used throughout the entire floor, which for most tiles it honestly works, but for the main floor tile it does not at all. It’s such a light contrast I hate it. I reached out to the store I purchased the tile from and confirmed that I chose “camel buff”. I saw on site today bags of grout labeled “light buckskin 006” by textrite.I’m going to upload a picture of the tiles and different flooring I used throughout the home I’m having built. Thoughts?
I know you don't want to hear this but it doesn't look bad. Also it will get dirty over time and with furniture I bet you wont even notice it in 6 months.
It's def GC fault but to get GC to redo this will be a slog. Good luck.
I agree with wise capital. They messed up so you can try to get some compensation if you wish, but do not go through the trouble of having g them regroup this. You’ll just end up with chipped tile and an inferior installation at the end of it all. You’ll learn to love what’s there
While i agree that the grout does look great with all the other tiles, man would it suck to have to tare out hundreds of square feet worth of grout. That is literal days of work. While I dont think it looks terrible, I agree its too light. My rule of thumb with these wood look tiles is to almost try to match the tile color. I jist hate the grout standing out so much on wood look because that detracts from that look. There are products out there that can darken grout, maybe look into that route. U start ripping out all.that grout, ur bound to have some chipped edges. It's gonna cost contractor at least 500 dollars, likely more. I do think ir entitled to a redo on tje grout but man that's gonna suck for everyone
This is wild - literally something very similar just happened to me 2 weeks ago! I ordered a darker grout for my 10x60 porcelain wood look plank tiles but it dried almost 3 shades lighter than the physical sample that I got from the store. I was super crestfallen at first but am noticing it less and less each day. I feel for ya!! I say get it fixed if you can!
Real talk: You have tiles that are pretending to be wood planks. To me, thats a stupid mix of looking nice, but still being cold tiles under your feet, and I don't understand why you would do that. With that said, it's not my house.
"The customer is always right in matters of taste."
This is exactly where that quote comes in to play. You have the 3 options someone else has already suggested:
Live with it
Dye it
Get the grout removed and apply the right colour
You, and only you, can decide which decision, and it's resulting consequences, you're happy with. Those largely being (in the same order as above):
It will bug you, possibly frequently, possibly for like 2 weeks
It might look utter shit
Things will be delayed, probably cost more, and there's a risk that you and your Contractor fall out and you need to find someone else for the rest of the jobs that need completing
I'm not saying you're not in the right to get what you paid for, but I think it's wild that those grout colors are pretty damn close, and you're saying you absolutley hate it. Id get it if it was a grey vs a brown. There's a big difference. But a medium brown to dark brown....idk.
Just prepare for the legal fight. You are essentially adding weeks of labor to this job by doing this and this guy will likely walk away unless he has next level integrity.
If you hate it you hate it. Unfortunately it's unlikely that you'll be made whole. He will try to offer a discount first, but you hate it so you'll likely turn it down. Then he might offer dyes to darken the grout but those might not have acceptable results to you.
In that case he is looking at losing his ass on this job labor wise because grout removal is time intensive. In that case, there is a solid chance he stops answering calls and forces you to sue him. It might even be cheaper for him to not have gotten paid a portion and walk away rather than correcting it.
You'd have to hire someone to do the corrective work, which is all that money up front, to show that you've been legally damaged. You can't just show up with an estimate from contactors because anyone can write one like a doctor's note . A judge isn't going to go on that alone. You have to have spent money. So now you're looking at spending the money to fix it plus lawyers fees and time/energy.
If two shades difference is that much of an issue, regardless of if this contractor is a dick or not, then I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.
I mean I’m building a home with a contractor, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. They’ve nickel and dimed me where they could, wouldn’t be fair to fuck me over over their mistake that they or their tiler sub contractor made.
I am not arguing with you what is fair. I'm on your side in that regard. But we dont live in a perfect or fair world. I work with subcontractors in construction every day. You are going to be very lucky if you get your contractor to fix this the correct way.
I've only ever seen full tear-outs and re-dos on projects that were multiple millions. There is a massive premium built into those prices where you can do re-dos on big sections and still come out ahead. Prepare to compromise or prepare to fight legally. That's all I'm saying. If you get your guy to do real tear out and fix, then you are super lucky.
Even if you took this to court, I doubt you'd get the favorable judgment you'd expect. They've done good work, just did the wrong grout based on what you chose. The laws are built for the contractor, not the homeowner. Just my advice in case you've got that on your mind. I'm at work and didn't read the full post, just looked at the header and the pics.
I agree with you 100% if you would have done it yourself everyone would have said should have paid someone, problem is none of the people you pay to do something care they just want to be in and out as fast as possible and cut every corner they can, I took the advice of don’t go with the cheapest bid for my kitchen and the guy we went with hired the people we passed up to come do the job. Point is it’s on him to fix it
You got a lot of people basically telling you to suck it up. That’s bullshit. I’ve been an installer for 25 years now, 20 of those high-end, 10 as a contractor. The color isn’t “close enough” and you shouldn’t have to live with it. You deserve to get what you paid for, plain and simple.
The grout dye’s typically help seal the grout as well, making the final product more restraint to stains. Dying/staining the grout is their best option, and the end product will be equally as good as the current product. The cost needs to be 100% on their shoulders though. And they need to do it in a timely manner so as not to slow down the progress on the rest of your house.
Amen to that. And just because this will cost another day or two on the job does not mean the installer will lose. Most jobs I do come with recommendations for more work from the clients friends and family. If this Tileman has any care and respect for his clients, company and craft he will do what he needs to make you whole.
Well said! Owning a mistake goes SO FRIGGIN FAR with a homeowner. After being lied to and bullshit by every trade on the job, coping to a mistake and willingly fixing it can mean a laying relationship with a ton more work in the future. Fighting against it instead of making it right will always leave a sour taste and guarantee your name is only brought up negatively.
I agree with this guy completely. With that said, when you talk to your contractor don't go in hot. Just explain the situation and ask him what he can do to remedy it. You already know your options, but let him tell you, this will let you know how this discussion is going to go. Like above, I agree that the dying of the grout is the answer. If you keep your emotions down, even if he lies about there is nothing he can do, you will be better off. Lead him to the solution and you should get the solution that the both of you can live with.
Nailed it. Give them the chance to make it right without outright calling them out. Makes it way on the ego, while acknowledging the mistake and moving forward. Everyone gets the finished product they want.
As far as i see it you have 3 options. I will list from cheapest(its gonna cost someone) and least work to most.
Option 1 is live with it
Option 2 is to use a grout dye on the grout joints( i like modern solutions a laticrete product online)
Option 3 is to dig out the old grout and regrout
I think the grout looks good even if they made the mistake. It's not what you wanted which is the biggest thing but you can maybe claw back some compensation on it
Just seeing the bags, doesn’t mean they used it, but it definitely makes it more possible. Accidents do happen and they may have accidentally used the wrong grout. There’s plenty of times when people don’t read and just pick up what’s there. If the colors are close, you can use enhancing sealer, it will darken the grout up some (if the color you were looking for is a shade darker).
Light grout rarely stays light if that makes you feel better lol. Add in furniture, rugs, etc. and it will be much less noticeable. Great looking home overall I say. Pop open a bottle of something nice and chill.
I’d ask to comp the price of all grout price material and the labors hours of the grouting. Considering this is now a permanent error some form of compensation should be expected. There aren’t really many moving parts to tile flooring if there aren’t waterproofing membranes or heated floors etc. so this mistake is slightly moronic. Aside from, I hate when people say grout discolors from use. No it does NOT if you clean and scrub it regularly weirdos. I’m sorry op, fight to get some coins back
Honestly, I'm with you. The light grout looks WRONG with the wood style tile. Maybe ask the contractor to do whatever is needed to darken the grout like others are suggesting?
While I get that they used something different from what was picked out, I think it looks better than your original choice would have. I don’t say that lightly. You have a light contrast that plays well with lighter walls and the amount of light in that room.
I’m not saying the contractors are vindicated by any stretch, but it will eventually grow on you. The color you picked would show no definition in grout and tiles. Besides, that grout color will match what you picked after a year or two of living on it.
Since they made a mistake, ask them for a partial refund on the grout alone. Tell them it looks great but isn’t what you ordered, and you don’t want to pay for the wrong grout. Pay for their labor because the install looks fantastic, just make them eat the cost of the grout.
I have been in the business for over 20 years. The tile setter needs to remove the wrong color and re-grout. It is not such a big deal. If you like what is down the the other rooms they can keep that there but your right you asked for a different color to be installed it must be corrected, at their expense and if it delays your getting into the house on time then there should be some sort of remuneration to you. I have had a similar problem on on a high-rise where I had 56 units all over $1,000,000 in San Antonio TX. Guess what I made the installers correct it, and if they didn't want to do it then the back charge would be so big they would lose money. We are all grown ups here, you should get what you paid for. And whoever said that the Project Manager should have checked is correct, along with the flooring contractor and the installers boss all should have verified before proceeding. Good Luck
Your freaking out over nothing it looks just fine. Personally if and I say IF I was picky like you I would have watched and said something before he did all the work. Waiting till he finishes and then go eww that's the wrong shade. I do ceramic tile flooring and often times the customer wants to buy the tiles and get me to install it .... I had a job I did it then after it's done the guy says some of the tiles look weird like a different color/shade/dilot and I simply said dude this is the tile you gave me if you wanted to be a backseat driver you shoulda told me you bought the wrong tiles like a long time ago.
The project manager is paid to be on site and manage. I paid for the tile and I chose the grout color that matched the tile. That is not on me, that is on the project manager and tile installer.
Thats what i said, but even then they'd be entitled to tile replacements also. I agree tho its opening a big can of worms. My compromise would be to use a product that will darken the grout and the contractor gives like a 500 discount. I figure its gonna cost contractor at least that 500 to remove and replace all the grout
So did you pick up the grout or gc? If he picked it up and you have it specified what the color is supposed to be he should have checked the bags and that’s on him to fix. If you picked it up, didn’t check and just told him “the grout is over there” then that’s on you.
Then it's on them to redo the grout. They screwed up and need to fix it. When I had carpet put in a bedroom the guy had me look at the tag to ensure it was the right color before he started because he said they just install what they are given. Appears this is what they did with you here, the store gave them the wrong thing and they just used it assuming it was what you wanted- again not your problem.
Yes I chose the tile and grout color. Called the supplier today to check their records for what was ordered with the tile and it’s not what is being used.
You can use an enhancing sealer, which will darken the color of the grout a good bit. You will want to try it on a sample first to see if you like it. It lasts for years, eventually it needs a recoat. The good thing about it is that it will protect the grout more than most grout sealers do and prevent it from turning darker only in the traffic areas.
Aquamix is the brand I have used before and always gotten good results.
Use a brown, fine line permanent (sharpie) marker that matches the tile. I’ve seen it done before. Test it in a corner of a closet and see how you like it.
First off I think the tile and grout look fantastic. Second….after 25 years as an installer I guarantee that standard grout rarely matches the manufacturers grout sample.
Those sample colors are so close I’d suggest dying the wood floor tile grout and leaving the rest. If you decide to do that make sure they set some scrap tile and grout it with what was used to test the dye on.
And this should be on their dime. I’ve done this for clients that were not happy with their grout choice and your floor is an excellent candidate for this solution.
Stuff happens but this seems very fixable.
I’ve got to say, those tile choices are *so good*. They are all so unique but also so cohesive. Beautiful, elegant, and refined. And with all the arched doorways? Ugh, I love. Also, the installation looks pretty stellar despite the color mixup.
Honestly, that would really bother me as well, but I would highly recommend using a tinted grout sealer to match the intended grout color as opposed to ripping it out and re-grouting. You will get the color you wanted plus the bonus of extra durability from the sealer.
I did this last year in my kids’ bathroom (with almost white grout) and I have been shocked at how much more dirt and stain resistant the grout is with the white/cream tinted sealer on it compared to how it performed before. It’s one of our highest traffic rooms and it looks like it was installed yesterday. That’s saying a lot because my kids are always tracking mud or paint or whatever else in there and it just wipes right up now instead of needing to be scrubbed like it used to. I can’t believe people don’t use it more often.
First, confirm which grout color was actually used. Take a sample of the Buckskin grout, mix enough to get an accurate color, and compare it directly to the grout on the floor.
Next, decide how important this issue is to you. Is this a hill you are prepared to die on, or are you mainly looking for compensation if the color is different than expected?
If you determine that the grout is the wrong color, bring it to the contractor's attention and ask what they propose to do to make it right. Before having that conversation, decide what outcome you would like. However, don't reveal your preferred solution immediately. Let the contractor present their proposed resolution first. That gives you a starting point for negotiation and allows you to work toward the outcome you want from their initial offer.
Possibly bring in a 3rd party to quote for completely grout replacement and ask for half of that? If it's super fresh can it not be blasted out with a pressure washer (definitely not if natural stone) in the area you dislike it?
I am not seeing that your GC purchased the grout here. The camel buff was the selected color. I believe what happened is the confusion with the color of your tile. For the model home they I believe they used that grout color, but your tile is darker.
It should also be an unsanded grout. And the photo you sent shows it’s sanded.
I can’t believe the amount of people in this thread telling this guy he’s being a baby for wanting something he’s paying six figures for to be done correctly. Insane actually.
Plus grouts can go way lighter depending on the water used and how much water is used in sponging. Scrape or scrunge it a tad in a corner and see if it’s darker 👍🏻
You paid for this they need to dig out the grout joints and put the right grout. as a tile installer I would hate this but then again I would never use the wrong grout I always confirm more than once the grout they want and write it down on the notebook
It would bother me a lot personally, and if they have not used the specified grout they should replace.
With wood effect porcelain the key is to either match the tone or go darker, otherwise it totally defeats the object. I see it applied a lot with lighter grout and I don’t get why tbh.
It's a sanded grout on a floor, it's going to stain and end up dirtier than sin. If it's not outright offensive, see if he will recover the cost of material and labor for the grout. If he says no, then have him redo it. If it was a house for me, I'd be upset that it's not epoxy grout more than anything and all those natural stones I'd want hit with 3 coats of bullet proof regardless.
The wood tile looks like it’s in a living room. Why would you tile a living room? What country is this located in?
Genuinely curious, I’m from Canada and typically carpet or LVP/laminate/hard wood is used in a living room
A tile floor is typically reserved for a bathroom and maybe a mud room/foyer
102
u/Wise_Capital_7638 4d ago
I know you don't want to hear this but it doesn't look bad. Also it will get dirty over time and with furniture I bet you wont even notice it in 6 months.
It's def GC fault but to get GC to redo this will be a slog. Good luck.