Hive mind…

Just had an en-suite fitted and it looks great apart from the fact that the tile floor isn’t level so water is running from the flush fitting shower tray onto the tiles then across the floor to the other side of the room.

The fitter is away for two weeks but it is (of course) our intention to get him back in and make good the problem so I thought I would ask if anyone had any suggestions for making good (other than ripping up the floor, replacing the inevitably broken under-floor heating, ripping out the tray (which also isn’t level) and starting from scratch.

👿

The fitter is away for two weeks but it is (of course) our intention to get him back in and make good the problem so I thought I would ask if anyone had any suggestions for making good (other than ripping up the floor, replacing the inevitably broken under-floor heating, ripping out the tray (which also isn’t level) and starting from scratch.

Jeez!

It’s not that hard to tile a floor properly. If he’s bollixed it up, then just get him back and he can start again. I’m afraid there’s no way to level it up without the tiles coming back up and him getting the sub-floor right. Until then, use towels to stop the water. Don’t do anything to his work which he can then use to get out of fixing it.

Yep – towels it is at the moment.

A real arse because the rest looks good, but I agree, not laying a floor flat is inexcusable.

So – are we well within our rights to say ‘you did it, you put it right (including costs for new tiles and heating etc)? Never been in this position before 🙁

So – are we well within our rights to say ‘you did it, you put it right (including costs for new tiles and heating etc)?

Much as I empathise with how your tiler is going to feel when you tell him, I’d say yes.

It’ll come down to how much of the job is his responsibility. Did he lay the sub-floor or did you or a bathroom company just hand him a sub-floor and say “Here, mate, get some tiles down on this…TODAY!”?

i.e. did he do everything or was he just a tiler on sub-contract from someone else?

He was the main contractor – we bought the fittings and stripped out the room, he was solely responsible for the rest (plumbing in the fittings, re-fixing walls, flooring, tiling etc.

Gonna be tough telling him as he has done a lovely job otherwise 🙁

The existing tiles may be salvageable if you lift them now and clean them up, but they won’t be in a couple of weeks time…which makes it difficult because like you say you don’t want to touch his work before he’s had the opportunity to see the problem for himself.

Id say if you can then try and get the OK to lift the tiles ASAP, he may actually appreciate that you’re saving him money in the long run.

Not a good predicament to be in, diplomacy is the key!

Do you think? They have been down since Tuesday, grouted Wednesday, first used this morning…

Add a tiled step to the edge of the shower tray to contain the water? tbh I am not a fan of wet room type installations.

Dont touch a thing ,he will get out of it otherwise!

Add a tiled step to the edge of the shower tray to contain the water? tbh I am not a fan of wet room type installations.

It’s not meant to be a wet room – his badly laid floor is making it one! It has a shower screen and it is designed so water ‘should’ only deflect into the walkout area as it is doing, but then it is traveling across the floor.

It is about 5mm down when measured using my 3ft spirit level!

Wonder if he has prepared the floor round the drain ,and if the grout is waterproof,marine ply over existing floor,correct fall on drain etc, etc etc,

Wet room floors are a pain.

Oh and try the marble test, see which way the marble rolls with a slight nudge.

Much as enfht has a point (also with diplomacy being key) in that the tiles may be easier to remove now than in two weeks time, I think you have to go with what Edric64 is saying. Anything you touch now could help him out of it. Have you spoken to him about it? Bit of a shitter really but he has to put it right.

Wet room floors are a pain.

It isn’t a wet room, it’s a low profile tray with a tile surround like this one http://www.onestopbathrooms.co.uk/traymate-tm25-25mm-ultra-low-profile/5536-tray-mate-tm25-1000-x-800-rectangular-shower-tray.html

Have you spoken to him about it?

No not yet as he has gone on holiday and is coming back to complete the room on his return (install loo, basin etc).

Got any pictures of it and how it’s been done ?

What was the floor like before ? (Level?)
Is it floorboards/concrete/chipboard ?

What work has he done to the floor other than tiling it.

If its not a wet room why is water getting onto your tiles? it should be contained in the shower tray by a screen surely?

STATO – Member
If its not a wet room why is water getting onto your tiles? it should be contained in the shower tray by a screen surely?

Did you look at the OP’s link above?

Yes, but what im asking is if its not a wet room why is it set up to allow shower water onto the floor? (we have shower tray like that at work, it has a screen fitted to prevent exactly what OP describes). Was the builder supposed to slope the whole room to the drain? if the floor WAS level then any water that got on it would just make a huge pool anyway..? tbh I dont think id be happy with a shower that dumped that much water on the floor (irrespective of if it was level) in a bathroom that wasnt properly tanked. Recipe for a wet ceiling downstairs!

Shouldn’t the design/profile of the tray itself capture the shower water without relying upon the surrounding tiles to channel water back into the tray ?

The product blurb states that it can deal to 30L / minute which is a lot of water. Is the tray correctly installed ? i.e. horizontal and sufficient drain capacity.

(basically what STATO was saying)

Sounds like the tray isn’t level either ?

No the tray is not level either – sorry didn’t make that clear…

Bit of a crap job then by all accounts. Spirit levels don’t need ninja skilz to use.

ahh, if the shower tray is on the p then yup something wrong.

Or has your house subsided? 😀

What was the floor like before ? (Level?)
Is it floorboards/concrete/chipboard ?
What work has he done to the floor other than tiling it.

I have no idea if the floor was level before, the floor is chipboard and he overlaid with concrete board.

I do hope it hasn’t subsided. I can’t afford that after the money I spent on this blummin’ en-suite…

OP. Does your house look like this:

Perhaps just like this…

So he laid cement board down over the existing floor then, in which case. Unless he is completely cack handed, I reckon the floor can’t have been level to start with.

That’s not to say he isn’t at fault. He absolutely is.

He should have known it wasn’t level and sorted it out, at least make the tray level and tile the rest following the floor line. That way at least the water stays in the tray.

If he can’t level a shower tray (or doesn’t know you need to?) I would be concerned about everything else he has done too. (Sorry)

That really is VERY basic stuff.

Agree it is basic and we are worried . Oddly he was very thorough and very accurate with other tiling. Time can only tell regarding the plumbing.

Bloody arse.

If you are anywhere near York I can come and have a look if you like ?
Just to give you an idea of what’s been done and if it’s been done right.

May give you a better idea for when you talk to him about it.

Hi Neil – I’m in Harrogate so not too far away. Are you ever over this way?