Did I choose the worst tiler in the world? scratched tiles

[miller745]

Thought I'd found a reputable tiler, locally based and has photos of his work, 30 years experience. This was after arranging 4 quotes, having 2 arrive and 1 giving a price.
After he'd grouted, he noticed loads of scratches on the tiles and said they must have been in the tile before he started and after grouting the white grout was showing the defects up.
I'm not so sure now, had half a box left over which I've got the wax and dust off, none of those are scratched..Topps don't seem very helpful, they haven't even asked for the batch number. Just straight up blaming the tiler.

During, with the wax left on bigger pic

Wax cleaned off and grouting started bigger pic

After

I'm not sure what has happened, the tiler said he's only used sponges and soft items. Bad grout mix which was too abrasive?
Any tips if the scratches can be fixed/made less visible? I've tried toothpaste. Next step is 50/50 mix of white vinegar and olive oil. The tiler had me supply the tiles, grout and trim, I thought so they can't be blamed for buying the wrong tiles or wrong colour grout - maybe it's a way out of problems like this?

 

[henry hoov3r]

Surely the tile shouldn’t scratch that easily just from wiping grout off.

 

[tom_e]

If there's no scratches on any of the half box left over then I'd say it's almost certainly been done by the tiler somehow, possibly had something stuck in one of the sponges/tools he's used.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Surely it's just not good enough, whether they started wrecked or not? Or is you supplying the tiles a dodge to avoid it?

 

[Mysterae_]

Use one of the spare tiles and replicate the process the tiler performed using the exact same tools and materials that they used. See if it scratches as easily.

If there's no scratches on any of the half box left over then I'd say it's almost certainly been done by the tiler somehow, possibly had something stuck in one of the sponges/tools he's used.

This for sure.

 

[200sols]

Grout by its nature is abrasive, i've never seen a tile scratch like this. If this has been caused by grouting which uses a float to push the grout into the lines and then sponges to remove excess then the tile looks not fit for purpose to me.

The actual quality of the tiling looks good to me.

Edit

If there's no scratches on any of the half box left over then I'd say it's almost certainly been done by the tiler somehow, possibly had something stuck in one of the sponges/tools he's used.

To be fair and in addition to my comment above his grout float does look like it has old hardened grout on it, that could be the cause. (hard to tell from the image though)

 

[Maundie]

That certainly looks like something on the sponge as you’ve mentioned there isn’t a scratch on any of the remaining boxed tiles

 

[radderfire]

I think it's very likely the tiler is at fault and not the tile supplier. Hard to say from pics exactly what caused it, but looking at the state of his grout float and his other tool, they look in a poor state and might have not been cleaned of old grout before he started (but hard to say for sure). Regardless, if none of the unused tiles have scratches, you know it was the installation that caused them.

A hard one to deal with though, but a professional tiler should be able to do better.

 

[Orifice]

That grout float looks terrible, can quite easily see how the tiles would end up scratched if he used that. Unless the Mapei grout was heavily contaminated there is no way it would do that to the tiles from normal grouting.

 

[jaybee]

The tiler must have done it wiping away the grout. What a shame.

 

[radderfire]

Did you see the state of his grout float before he started?

I've done tiling once, and am trying to remember the whole process. However, I don't remember generating all those seemingly dried bits seen on his protective cloth, where did they come from?

 

[fastwunz]

I think that unless the tiles had previously been returned to the store for this very reason, then it really could only have been the tiler.

You can’t fix this issue and black tiles are the worst for showing things like this up.

his actual tiling looks decent and I really don’t think there is any way of proving it was him that did it.

 

[miller745]

I didn't pay any attention to the state of his tools, I've got no idea what is what for tiling so it was all left to the professional, or so I thought!!
Going to have a close look over the spare tiles again, and I left a few alone to try and rub the wax off with some force, to see if that was the issue.
The scratches are noticeable from certain angles. Weird how the area above the hob is the worst, around the sink is almost perfect and the last wall he did has a few. Do you normally clean/change the float before? Maybe he wasn't thinking and just started doing it...
Still got some grout left over, so I'll do a test with the remaining tiles to see how much force is needed to scratch them..
A shame for sure, it was looking so good and the end result is disappointing!

 

[dlockers]

So I mixed grout up once in a Pyrex bowl --- thought it was a clever way of not wasting a bucket or w/e. Afterwards, the bowl was absolutely NAILED with micro scratches.

I expect he's just been unlucky and used either the wrong rag, or these particular tiles are just quite susceptible to marring/scratching.

Frankly if it is hard to see I'd move on, as the splashback by the hob will get scrubbed and scratched too...

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

if you lucky they may only be surface scratches and in effect polishing them will get rid of the lines
If they are proper deep scratches then thats the tiler for sure

I would try to polish one with just plenty of clean water first.
So a clean decent cloth that can get into the surface, some warm water.
Rub, leave 30 secs, rub, leave 30 secs for 10 mins or so
Grout will still soften with repeated water exposure so your trying to soften it up if its grout stuck in the scratches.

My gut feel is a chunk of old well set grout was either exposed on his trowel/ float/ sponge and its managed to hang on for the whole process

 

[gc123]

ok dont shoot me , had this problem once with some dark grey tiles not quite so bad, but actually left everything to set and then used some light cutting compound and grey t cut afterwards was surprised but it did take a lot of the light scratches out.
may work for you or at least lessen the effect.

try it out on a small area out of every day view first.

 

[radderfire]

Do you normally clean/change the float before? Maybe he wasn't thinking and just started doing it...

The grout float is just a flat tool with a rubber surface that won't mark a surface. That surface should be clean before starting but I expect the tiler does know that, it's just that it does look in quite a state in the pic, and maybe it's that he doesn't clean the back and handle much and that has somehow contributed. However, this is speculation from a photo and I'm not suggesting you should accuse him of anything.

 

[throwaway4372]

get marks like that on windows if a cleaner wears a ring

 

[Mysterae_]

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. Will the tiler cut his losses and do a runner without being paid as that will be cheaper for him than removing those tiles, buying new ones and installing them - if that's the route to decide to go down.

I suppose it could be a defect in the tiles. I've only done a little bit of tiling but it's the first time I've seen wax on them from the supplier, didn't know this was a thing. Even the box of white tiles I got from B&Q were packed tightly in a box, front to back and with no wax or scratches.

As others have said, it's a shame as (scratches aside) that does look like a good job.

 

[wonko]

That's a shame. On the 'after' photos, a few of the scratches look as if they span adjacent tiles, which would mean they didn't come out of the box like that.