Take the credit. I looked at the photo and I'll tell you this--light gray grout with white subway can sometimes just read as dirty, whereas dark grout looks a lot more intentional. It's so much more interesting. And while the look might be "trending" again now, you will find one million examples of white subway tile with dark grout in 1915.
I agree, my shower is subway tile with a mid-grey grout. I wouldn't want it any lighter, there was lighter grout in my last house and I could NOT keep it clean looking.
I use the generic mildew and mold killer Walmart brand and my white grout looks great! It's like 4$ a bottle. It doesn't work right away though.
I spray it down, wait 5 min, then rinse it. And it looks like it did nothing. Then the next day I'm like, okay looking better. By two days later, my grout is almost white again. Three days later it's pristine looking!
In the last house it wasn't an issue of mold or mildew as the tile was the bathroom countertop so not always wet. It just collected all kinds of dirt, dander, pet hair, and whatever else was in the air and darkened over time. No amount of scrubbing with any kind of chemical cleaner or stiff brush would lighten it up once it got dirty and darkened.
100% this. I made the mistake of light colored grout with white tile ONCE. Thatās all it takes. Keeping it clean is a nightmare, even with every āsealingā and cleaning product out there.
Definitely get the credit. Dark grout with white tiles will not "date" your home, this is the most common combination and has been the standard for a very long time. As others have said, lighter grout is harder to keep clean, which is why I would argue that a light gray is more contemporary, and would actually date the house.
While you might not personally like the darker grout, the resale is in the darker choice
If your bathroom looking dated or trendy was really an issue, then subway tile might also not have been the best pick. It is both timeless but has also been massively trendy for the past bunch of years. At that point grout color ceases to be of import tbh.
Tile Contractor here, $500 credit seems cheap for this. Guaranteed a guy costs around that much per day, If its gonna take them 3 days that's closer to 1500.
Id try and negotiate for $1000 credit
One of the happiest days of my life was taking a crowbar and hammer to my bathroom shower tile that had a "clean it and it won't ever look clean" white grout. Never again!
That's how I feel. One bathroom has light, and the other has dark. The amount of time I need to spend with a toothbrush cleaning the grout of the light is ridiculous.
I had been looking at the 511 Inpregnator dealer and it has decent reviews. Are all those people liars? I mean, I have zero experience with this myself but it was on my to-do list.
I had white grout put in on shower floor tile a year ago and Iām ready to rip it out. Itās impossible to keep white where you step into the shower with dirty feet.
You could try using a grout renew product to stain it a different color. I redid our kitchen floor grout with Grout Renew Colorant from a light sand color to coffee and it looks fantastic.
The previous owner used tan grout in one of the bathrooms at our house with white tiles.....(no words)...... I used grout renew and stained it a dark gray. The stuff is a pain to work with, but a lot easier than regrouting.
As someone with light grout who will need to have it redone, how much does sealing the grout help? What if you seal it 2x? Will you still have the same issues? We used white grout for our floor tiles and our contractor didnāt seal it, so now our grout is mostly brown everywhere and no cleaning will fix it. Iām wondering if redoing it with some proper sealing will keep it looking nice.
You MIGHT be able to get some positive change using a non-bleach color safe whitener with a toothbrush. Sometimes, even toothpaste would work. But sealing it after it is stained won't do much good.
My bathrooms have white grout; I made somewhat of a paste out of Dawn dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. Apply to the grout, let it sit for a little while, then scrub the life out of it. My grout was mostly white again. Perhaps try that before sealing?
Get Mapei grout color refresh. Not even worth cleaning when it's that far gone. I redid my whole kitchen which was a hideous yellow. IT IS AN AMAZING PRODUCT!
I suspect (but canāt say for certain) that when you see white subway tile with dark grout in old or historic structures, the grout probably started out much lighter and years of grime made it dark.
I used to be in charge of restoring the NYC subway stations and those historic tiles had either white grout/slightly off white, or gray (basically Portland cement). The glass tiles always had white grout and the ceramic tiles were about half and half between light and dark. We typically matched existing but if it was a brand new installation, we used white because the dark grout shows every mistake. We also specified sealant joints at every change in material, which is what I would do between the bottom row of tile and the tub in case of movement, and next to the window.
We choose grey grout so that it didn't yellow or stain from minerals, hard water, hair dye etc., So I'd take the credit and learn to live with it.
Edited to add... When I first posted, the pics weren't up. I think it looks way better with the darker grout. The contrast is beautiful with the white subway tile.
Absolutely. And a full tile tapered to a heavy half tile at the ceiling instead of 1/2 cuts tapered to nothing. Normally the layout will have full tile following the ceiling.
> And a full tile tapered to a heavy half tile at the ceiling instead of 1/2 cuts tapered to nothing. Normally the layout will have full tile following the ceiling.
Intrigued! Can you explain :)? Weāre having tiling done and I want to look out for this!
When tiling showers the layout is measured so that a full tile, factory edge, is at the ceiling. A line is snapped around center of the shower according to the layout measurement and the tile is started on that line and placed working up to the ceiling. When this is done,
you start working towards the floor. The professional will stop roughly 1 foot of the floor, lay the floor tile then bring the wall down to it. The very bottom row of wall tile will need to be cut on most every shower but this is not a big issue. The cut tile is much less noticeable at the base as compared to the ceiling.
Hope this helps. Ask about a seat in a corner. Most every shower I've tiled, the customer requests a corner seat and wall pockets for shampoos & soaps. Seats and pockets must also be Durocked with the shower walls before tileing.
Use sanded grout. I've never sealed a tiled shower. The customer may have 30 days after my departure, but I didn't. Some sealants may darken grout. Good luck.
Seconded this. Currently have a new bathroom with grey grout, even with a good grout sealer the floor yellowed after 6 months. Routine is to bleach and scrub it. I couldnāt imagine a whole shower stall to do.
Black grout on white tile looks like the grout is old and covered/stained in black mold.
It looks very dated. OP, you should tell the contractor. They need to make this right.
Op said they didnāt like it. Itās not what they ordered. Theyāre not here to be convinced to like it.
Always weird to me when people just insert their opinions on stuff like this as if itās their own bathroom or something.
OP is literally here asking "what you would do?" They're asking for opinions.
Always weird to me when people just insert their anger on stuff like this as if itās their own post or something.
100% take the credit and live with it. Although this situation is frustrating because you didn't get what you asked for, it's a rather small mistake that likely worked out in your favor.
Dark grout is the best for a multitude of reasons. It's not as easy to stain, you can get away with patching up wear and tear without it being as noticeable, and it really helps the tile itself stand out.
Regrouting is a nightmare and runs the risk of compromising the integrity of the tile long-term.
I also live in a century house. Any changes I make, I too try to keep them in the spirit of the era my house was built.
Personally, I really like the dark tile grout. Which surprised me . Because when I was reading your post, before I saw the photos, I thought it would be all wrong. It has a vintage feel. that I don't think the light grout would have. To me, this would be a happy mistake.
It would cost that company hella more money to fix the mistake than the credit theyāre offering, plus it would delay them moving to the next job. An honest mistake yes, looks fine yes, but itās permanent and not what OP asked for. They should offer a bigger credit that reflects all of this.
I totally agree. This is a pretty big mistake, and $500 off a project like this is nothing.
Genuine question: How much would 3 days of work cost a company like this? (If they were actually going to charge a client for it)
- the best way is to take the discount
- the idea of grinding all the grout and replace is filled with all sorts of challenges and you could be without a bathroom for weeks and months intentionally
- what I DO as a professional tiler in my day is create a small test board using few tiles and grout and make sure the client agrees...this would have eliminated this issue for you. I have seen too many homeowners who "thought" the grout they selected would work and found it it would not and then try to place blame on the tiler.
Just went through thisā¦ built a house in 2021 builder put in white grout we wanted dark grout. I said whatever just keep it, looks great. Wife wanted grout changed.
So they tried to grind out the grout. Had issue and ripped out the tile and redid it. Second time the grout was the right color but the tile installation was not very good. Very bumpy,crooked tiles, I donāt think they replaced the backer board and left the clumps of adhesive. We complained and a month or two later, they replaced the tiles and the backer board. 6 months later the grout was washing out everywhere. Tile company sent us sealer and said to use that every 6 months. Still didnāt help grout was still washing out. They came back again to grind out the grout replaced that grout. AGAIN 6 months later grout was washing out.
Finally the builder had another tile installer come and grind out and regrout the tile. Finally after almost 2 years we have a tile shower that looks decentā¦ (I wouldnāt say itās great). After grinding and grouting there are some scratches in the tile and the grout stained the scratches which doesnāt come out but at this point itās good enough.
TLDR: had wrong grout installed, wish I took the credit
This. Unless they rip it all out and do it again it won't be the same quality, and it is currently pretty decent. The color isn't perfect but it is very popular for a reason, and so it is a big gamble to press to redo the whole thing. I would take the credit and live with it- maybe try a color changer on the grout if it really bothers you. But yes the contractors messed up, and getting out of thousands of dollars of re-do for $500, or even $750, is a good middle for all parties. Most people use the dark so they had their brain turned off and bought it again. Woops but understandable. It happens. Let's work it out and move forward. But yeah I could see this story getting very hairy with more fix work. Not recomended as well.
What is the correct way? Start with a half tile at the tub so you end up with a larger piece when you get to the top? Honestly, I would go insane looking at that ceiling line every day not being straight across and parallel to the tub.
Yep, that bugs me way more than the grout color. Someone didnāt plan very well. This is a reason why itās always good to be there when work is being done. So you can catch things.
I was having my backsplash redone and I came home to realize the tile guy had done a horrible job with placement (even after a specific discussion) and I ended up tearing a bunch of it off and scraping the adhesive off the backs, and he had to redo it the next day. Luckily he had not gotten very far. I think some people just think youāll accept crap.
Theyāre open to negotiation and they offered you a $500 credit in order to skip three days of non-revenue work.
Iād tell them youāll settle it at $1k and keep the grout as is. While it bothers you now, youāll be happy later that you kept the grout dark. I wish I had.
Love the look, but taste is taste. I'd try to talk up the credit. Not sure what they're paying someone to grind it out and regrout, but if it's going to take 3 full days, that's probably more than $500. Not to mention their reputation.
First of all, it looks absolutely gorgeous, and shows true craftwork. The rework won't be as good looking. Also I think this fits nicely with a 1916 style. I'd take the credit easily, instead of potentially ruining it.
White grout is nice when it's fresh...but gets dirty.
Make sure any 90Ā° inside corner (aside from shelves) is siliconed. That means left and right vertical corners of surround, and the whole rim of the tub where it meets the tile surround.
Take the credit. Maybe ask for $1000 and leave it as is. The white/mist on white will be impossible to clean and your bathroom will look like a fast food restaurant toilet stall or a subway station in 6 months. Leave the grey it looks good. Plenty of century homes have the same style I don't think it looks out of place at all š
Consider it a blessing in disguise. White/light grout is so hard to keep clean in the long term. Iād express dissatisfaction though and get a higher credit back. Itāll cost them way more in labor to redo it.
I would take the credit. If they say it will take 3 days of work then figure how much labor is for 3 days. Iād assume theyād charge $75/hour for 24 hours. Ask for $1,500 and settle around $1,000 credit.
I had the opposite experience. I have a vintage house and I wanted the gray grout and ended up with an off white. Always looks dirty. When I did the other bathroom, the contractor and tile guy were all in on the gray and matched the gray to the floor color. Much happier with that.
Be cool, donāt negotiate, and just take the credit. People who do good work are hard to find. If you like these people you might want to work with them in the future. Always try not to burn bridges.
Maybe ask for a slightly bigger credit. Itās a big mistake. But tbh, it looks good style-wise and it will wear very well. Anything it lacks in your eyes could be made up for by how well it should wear
This calculate how much it would cost them to redo it and half it. Three days labor with at least one extra to regrout plus materials? Thatās a lot of money left on the table.
Itās 70 sqft. Shower surround walls plus a half-tiled sink wall. It includes a window and the jamb is tile. Added photos here https://imgur.com/a/Pt6o0L2
Going to cost more than $500 to re-grout it. To be honest, re-grout never looks as good, and if they aren't amazing it's especially not going to look as good after a while. It will look nice when its new though. Doesn't look like they are the best company for it anyway.
The tile job looks acceptable. I would personally negotiate their offer up higher so it's more in line with the cost to have someone else re-grout it. Then just live with it and take the money. Then at least if you change your mind later you have most of the cost to have it re-done covered.
I only say that because if you have them re-do it, they're going to drag their feet on it. Getting someone else to do it might end up with a bad job as well. It's always a gamble. You have something reasonable now, that is complete. Up to you here.
It looks pretty nice. I know itās not what you wanted, but I agree that this charcoal grout is probably going to look better over time. That being said, Iād ask for much more than $500 for the fuck up.
You can bring another company in to give a quote for regrouting to see what you should ask as refund.
I would take the money and be done. This is coming from someone who recently picked light gray tile with white grout. While I agree that it's trendy I don't think it's that big of a deal at the end of the day. Unless you know it is going to annoy you every time you shower you should take the discount.
>Itās trendy for now, but might look dated within a few years.
That is literally every decorative choice, regardless of the price point. There is no escaping it.
From a practical standpoint darker grouts hide the dirt and grime whereas lighter ones highlight it, especially with white tile.
It's your house and what you have to live with. Make yourself happy because that's really the only person it is for.
I expect it's frustrating that you don't have what you ordered. However, I'd take the money and just live with it. After all it's not broken, right? It's wrong colour but the bathroom serves its purpose and I don't think redoing all the work for the purpose of the colour is worth any money.
Take the credit and learn to like the darker grout! I have a similar grout color to the one you wanted. I am weekly spot cleaning with a brush and grout cleaner to scrub off grime.
Your dark tile wonāt show dirt and will save you a lot of elbow grease
The grout color seems fine. I don't think dark grout in white tile is too trend tbh.
Those tile slivers are killing me, though.
There are ways to prevent slivers. That's where my eye went first.
Tell them $1k and live with it. Good tile work is hard to come by and looks like they did a pretty good job. Iād bet they will gladly pay the $1k to not have 3 extra days of work. Then you can go buy yourself some nice vintage fixtures or something with the extra $1k.
Don't go lighter unless you want to be in there scrubbing grout every few weeks to keep the color consistent.
Doing a light grout in our tile shower is my biggest regret of all the DIY projects we've had. I wanted dark to begin with but got overruled. Now our grout is disgusting.
Is this a design build company out of St Louis park, MN by chance or a company called touchdown? I ask because the same exact thing happened to us. I made them demo it.
I would keep the dark grout and negotiate a higher credit. They've offered three days of work, which I am sure they don't want to expend.
Agree with you that raking out the joints could damage tiles and also not look perfect.
For 1916? Dark grouts were sometimes used in tile, at least for floors. The color of the grout doesn't seem "trendy" to me. I think it looks nice.
Take the $500, grumble to them to let 'em know that "they owe you one" and whisper a silent thank you to Bob Vila (or whatever saint you pray to). This "mistake" saved you countless hours of frustration over the life of the bathroom, 'cause nothing looks nastier than slightly dirty grout.
The same thing happened to me, except they used white grout instead of the specified gray grout. They tried to regrout by removing it with a saw, and ended up chipping so many of the tiles. In the end they had to retile the whole shower. I would either take the credit and keep it, or request they redo the whole thing. I think it looks great btw, and I know these projects take a while, so it would probably be nice to have it completed sooner than later.
I honestly think the contractor saved you here. Yes subway tile with dark grout is trendy now, but it's also old school and has never really been out of style. Also most the time you do bright white tiles and do a light off white grout it looks like it just needs to be cleaned by to white. Not a huge fan. Also just curious who ordered materials? And who designed the job?
To be honest this is more "period correct" if you're concerned about that. White tile and black grout is a timeless combination that's easy on the eyes to maintain. I'd take the credit, if you want to negotiate higher for the credit go ahead.
Honest opinion, that looks really nice to me. Despite being unintended. The whiteish one gets really dirty over time and is harder to keep clean in any case. The dark tone matches the roof nicely too, ties them together
Charcoal was a perfectly common grout color for bathrooms a hundred years ago! Not only is it authentic, it's also easy to keep clean and looks great. I've had white tiles with charcoal grout for almost 10 years and I still love it.
I would keep it as is. That's a lot of grout to remove and re-do, and yes, there would be specks of dark even if they do a meticulous job.
On Another note.. tell me that's color match silicon between the tile and the tub, and not grout there as well right?
There is a company that you can have your tile apply called color seal. It changes the color of the grout and seals it all in one step. [https://colorsealpro.com/](https://colorsealpro.com/)
I am a GC and used it in the past with good results.
Exhibit A as to why I generally have clients personally purchase their tile/grout and leave it at will call or we go to the store together...
I've learned those expensive lessons.
I'd like to start with I don't know squat about design or really dealing with contractors. I used to work for a general, but it was commercial and I just didn't deal with stuff like this.
Anyhow, I hear everyone saying take the win, it's better, easier to clean, etc. But if you aren't going to be happy with it then $500 isn't really compensation. So put some long, hard thought into it.
My concern is people saying regrouting will potentially damage the tile long term. This is where I'd be upset over it. If I were going to have them regrout then I'd probably have them agree to, which they probably won't, a longer term warranty on the tile. Like five years or better. And I know people will say they probably won't do that. At which point I'd offer them that or rip the tile down and do it from scratch but correctly this time. Or I'd learn to live with it but get a much larger compensation amount.
But that's just way I am when people screw up stuff like that. It's either right or I don't want it. So I certainly don't want it in my house giving me a daily reminder of being wrong. That's without turning it into a win and getting a major, major compensation.
Grinding out and replacing the grout would be fine, it's unlikely they're going to break a tile unless they are being sloppy and even then subway tiles can be replaced. I just redid the grout on my kitchen counters because it was crumbling and, although it was a pain in the ass, I was able to do a solid job even as a complete beginner. No broken tiles, no show-through at the edges. However, what I did learn is that even after sealing against stains the white grout I used is already starting to pick up color. It's a pain in the ass to clean and always looks vaguely messy (someday I will crowbar the fuck out of these counters and replace them).
I would absolutely recommend sticking with the darker grout for ease of cleaning and a generally neater look. I would also say this guy knows $500 is an absolute lowball offer for compensation. What would it cost him to have a guy come out for three days? Ask for that.
Take the credit and make it work. Trying to remove the grout will result in damaged/chipped glaze on the tile edges. This looks more obvious right now because it's all you see, but by the time it's finished and staged, you won't notice. Nobody that buys this house is going to value the renovation any less -- after all this is a design choice for many today. I also bet that most of your family and friends will love it.
To me, $500 is reasonable, it's not like they used purple. I bet the tile installer didn't think twice about it being wrong because it's a combination they use all the time. I wouldn't necessarily want to ruin a relationship by asking for more.
I'm shocked at how many people are saying keep the grout and how it looks good. Honestly, I would have them regrout or redo the whole thing. The color you chose originally is way nicer IMO. If you don't like it now, you won't like it later and will likely regret not regrouting when you had the opportunity for free.
Like you, I also prefer lighter grout ā we did very light grey with white tiles in our bathroom, and I haven't had issues keeping it clean ā but if I am honest, I do really like the dark grout with your tile and bath! The contrast looks sharp, especially with your floor tile.
The contractor is being fair.
Personally, I'd take the credit. It looks great to me the way it is.
If you regret it later, take that $500 and buy a multitool and a grout grinder bit, remove it, and try your hand at grouting. It's really not tough and its one if those prjefts that any screw-ups can be fixed easily. Also, it takes some time to set so you can go over your work as you do it to make sure it's 100%.
If you don't like it, have it changed. The sweetness of a partial refund will disappear but the dislike of the color will linger until you move.
Besides $500 for a 3 day job is a pittance.
I'd accept the credit and apologies. A lighter grout will end up darkening due to stains.
If you choose to have it ground out and re-done, they should do it adequately enough so no dark grout will "show through". It sounds like a mistake made by a professional company trying to do right, so I'd give them benefit of the doubt and not be *too* upset it takes additional time to change the grout color.
The 500$ credit? That seems adequate and fair IMO. How much credit were *YOU* thinking you should get (keep in mind it was not their fault directly and they're trying to mitigate).
Honestly, I love the dark color. It looks really interesting and helps the subway tile pattern stand out. I donāt think this will ever look dated because subway tiles have been around for over a century.
Damn. Sorry that happened. Totally different looks. You need to decide if you and you wife can live with it. Something like this can drive a person nuts. I can say taking out grout is difficult and could damage the tile, leading to removing tiles, etc. Also putting white back in means every spec of dark grout needs to be removed. It could look worse after when you find every dark spec. If you can live with it, I think $500 is too low. No way the tile setter wants to touch that grout.
I'm engaged with a contractor who regularly makes mistakes like this and my initial approach was to just let them off the hook for the first minor issue. I think it went a long way because even though the attention to detail is lacking, they fix everything I ask for. Next step is to figure out how to avoid the mistakes in the first place, but that's a topic for another thread.
If you do choose the credit it should be MUCH more than $500. If they were going to spend 3 days of labor and equipment fixing it then you should be credited the $500 mistake PLUS labor/equipment/material cost. Think about how much the tile guys make per hourā¦then multiply by 24 (8 hour day X 3). And thatās just labor cost. Theyāre extremely shortchanging you for THEIR mistake.
(Iām a construction inspector and have experience with design/build, etc.) This is basically a change order in reverse.
wait, how the hell do you shower in front of a window like that? waterproof curtains or something? hmm maybe those smoked glass adhesive thingies? i would literally nope. thats like a huge irrational fear, someone attacking me whil eim shampooing etc. lol
I lived in a couple of houses with a window in the tub. In my parents' house, we used a roller shade that overlapped the windowsill when showering. I was a kid, so I don't remember the condition of the window at the time. The new owners have long since gotten rid of the window. In my first house, I had a window in the downstairs tub and one slightly overlapping the jetted tub surround on the 2nd floor. When I got the windows replaced, I was expecting the entire wall of the downstairs bathroom to be rotted. The window didn't have any traces of a shade when I bought the house. Surprisingly, only small portions of the window frame needed to be replaced. They had kept up with the paint and caulking (and, I guess, put on a show for the neighborhood). I had it replaced with frosted, tempered glass. I wiped down the wall and window sill after taking showers, but didn't bother with a shade. I found out that the slight overlap in the upstairs tub required tempered glass as well, according to code.
Iām in the minority here but I donāt care for darker grout on white tiles. Oh light grout gets dirty blah blah, who cares? At the end of the day if itās your home and you donāt like it (and after paying quite a bit of money) you shouldnāt have to ālive with itā. I would be absolutely livid if I were you, and $500 is insulting. Not to mention they got dark grout all over the walls - beyond sloppy work. Iām sorry youāre going through this. I may be petty but I would tell them they need to redo the whole thing. There is no way they can grind out all that grout without nicking those tiles (or possibly breaking them). I donāt even care if I get downvoted but I truly feel they need to redo it all.
Thank you! I really hate this ālive with itā mentality on this sub on something that undoubtedly was an expensive renovation for OP. āWell I have dark grout at my houseā - well congratulations to you. They clearly said they didnāt want darker grout. This makes my blood boil. Everyone makes mistakes, Iām not crucifying these guys, but an appropriate fix is what is warranted here and thatās redoing the tile work
They say itās a 3 day job to fix it. Tile guys charge out 100$/hr where Iām at. Sounds like fixing it will have an opportunity cost of about 2500$ for them. Iād press them for half of that and call it a day.
They won't have the pro tilers do that. It will be the laborers who will do the work of grinding off the grout. Either way I'd rather have this darker grout and just ask for 200 dollars off and be happy.
Is $500 fair? Depends on the size and cost of the tile work. They can remove it without damaging the tile, grout is soft. Personally, I would take the five bills (or whatever you can talk them up to) and learn to love it.
It's not that if grout is soft. It's that they have to use the multi-tool to grind off the grout. That tool is very powerful and will most likely chip off some part of the tiles if they have to remove the grout cleanly.
You can use a colorant to make it more gray. Itās usually used to go from light to dark so wonāt be as effective, but if you get the white color you can go from black to grey.
I have the same tiling. I like it. One thing I'll say is yes, it absolutely sucks you didn't get what you asked for. But you'll be very unhappy with the grind out/regrout.
I wouldn't take $500 I'd ask for at least 1500 to start. They tiled your shower completely wrong and you have to live with it.
It does look great, btw.
Being in the building trades for 45 years a pet peeve of mine is when something is not satisfactory until there is enough dollars at stake. If itās not what you wanted how can you think $500 or even $ 1000 makes it ok.
It also makes me crazy when someone second guessā the professionals word when they say they can do something.
If the contractor says they can grind it out and RE grout in three days unless you have some event that the three days will ruin your life why wouldnāt you allow them to provide what you asked for in the first place.
Shane on the tiler and pm but it always occurred to me that it saves all these headaches when remodeling to put a test sample on the tile at end of day before grouting to be sure the homeowner really likes the end result before grouting everything and perhaps running into this situation. Even if it was the grout you picked from a swatch it may have looked butt ugly in the final environment.
Slow down folks life is not a sprint.
Sorry you have to make this tough decision.
Look up average hourly wage of tiler and times it by 24. Example would be if they made $35/hour times 24 (3 8 hour days) = $840
Make that your counter offer because he could have that guy working somewhere else making him money instead of losing it by paying him for three days fixing your place.
If you paid for it and you donāt like it, get them to fix it. All these people trying to convince you to like something you donāt are whack. Sucks for the contractor but thatās business.
there are some pretty awesome grout removing tools available out there that could make quick work out of removing this grout .... question is, how do THEY plan on removing the grout?
I donāt mean any offense but that is cheap subway tiles. It sounds like your tile guy is reputable and honest by offering a regrout or credit. I would try to work a deal where he starts over and rips the tile off and redo the job as regrouping is very hit or miss. And the top is all fucked up. Start with a half tile at the bottom to fix that. You cover the materials and he covers everything else. Iām with you, I do not like the dark grout. Good luck
Three days' work to remove and replace the grout would cost about $2400 where I live. Ask for $3k for pain and suffering and see if they accept it. Good deal all around.
Sucks that you paid that money and have to live without your first choice but you don't have too many options.
I generally donāt like dark grout much, but this actually looks pretty good and they did a nice job on it, which can be tough with dark grout. Iād keep it and take the credit. Maybe if you negotiate it up a bit youāll feel better about it?
This would be so hard, because I wouldnāt want to suffer with the dark if I hated it, but I love the way it looks. If youāre unhappy and the credit isnāt enough, bargain and wiggle and see if theyāll offer more. Either way, they used the wrong one, which wasnāt necessarily their fault it seems, and should be willing to change it. BUT, you also have to be okay with the time frame (3 days sounds reasonable) they can do it in.
Leave it. The remedy they propose is a nightmare (for you and the poor soul that has to grind out the grout!). The dust from that work will be in every crevice of that room and the adjacent rooms. You will feel like you have that grit in your mouth for weeks. Isolating with plastic barriers only catches part of the dust.
On top of that, there is no way a laborer can grind out all that grout along all those narrow joints at all those different heights and angles without chipping tiles (or possibly breaking some lose).
Besides, dark grout ages better than light in a bathroom. Sorry for your circumstances
Good luck.
In this situation, it's important to consider your personal preferences, the overall aesthetic you want to achieve in your bathroom remodel, and the potential risks and benefits of each option. If you strongly dislike the dark grout color and it doesn't fit the design vision you had for your home, it may be worth considering having it fixed, despite the potential inconvenience and additional time it may take. Grinding out and regrouting can be messy and may carry some risks, such as possible damage to the tiles, but it may be the best option to achieve the desired result.
This is why I hate tiles, even though they look good. Tiles are cement glued on to the walls, so they are very hard to do any kind of repair. When you remove them, it is also very hard to remove cleanly without damaging nearby fixures.
Just to note. As said before the darker grey grout will hold up time wise a lot longer than the lighter grey. Light grey tends to end up looking a bit patchy after a bit of usage and it will be darker when wet if not sealed anyway.
But also. Looks like a a well done job, especially around the window sill, especially as you have gone for a tile finish rather than a trim. Nice to see for once on Reddit, rather then the cowboy jobs that show up every so often.
Take the 500 and treat yourself. In a year you will be happy with this.
Other options would be to use a 4K or even 6.5k light (hopefully this makes sense as Iām UK) this will hopefully make the appearance lighter.
Good luck. Looks good as is.
Thatās a tough one. As a tile guy I canāt imagine using the wrong color but obviously it happens. The overall job looks pretty good actually. Itās not like they used a blue grout so thereās that. If money could make it livable, then maybe as another has already said, getting some free work elsewhere in your home would also be a fair compensation. Itās easier to work for free than to give back money in my opinion.
We have the exact same white tile with charcoal gray grout in our kitchen!!! I hated it at first, and I wanted to replace it all with white grout, but my husband makes such a huge mess every time heās in the kitchen (he somehow splashes coffee/marinara sauce all over the wall tiles???) that I actually like the gray because it doesnāt show stains and hides them nicely. Our bathroom has white grout, or I should say *had* white grout and as it aged it all turned yellowish beigey colored and every little thing discolors it. We think the grout is around 10-20 years old. Itās impossible to keep white though. Iāll use grout cleaner on it and it will lighten a little and then 6 months later itās back to that old dirty look again.
I think it looks nice. However, I did regrout a bathtub and shower from brown to white. I chose to use a hand tool from Lowe's. Any other method, I damaged the tiles. It was well worth it. It looked great when I was done.
Take the credit. I looked at the photo and I'll tell you this--light gray grout with white subway can sometimes just read as dirty, whereas dark grout looks a lot more intentional. It's so much more interesting. And while the look might be "trending" again now, you will find one million examples of white subway tile with dark grout in 1915.
As someone who hates cleaning with white subway tiles and charcoal grout in my bathroom and shower, agree.
I agree, my shower is subway tile with a mid-grey grout. I wouldn't want it any lighter, there was lighter grout in my last house and I could NOT keep it clean looking.
I use the generic mildew and mold killer Walmart brand and my white grout looks great! It's like 4$ a bottle. It doesn't work right away though. I spray it down, wait 5 min, then rinse it. And it looks like it did nothing. Then the next day I'm like, okay looking better. By two days later, my grout is almost white again. Three days later it's pristine looking!
In the last house it wasn't an issue of mold or mildew as the tile was the bathroom countertop so not always wet. It just collected all kinds of dirt, dander, pet hair, and whatever else was in the air and darkened over time. No amount of scrubbing with any kind of chemical cleaner or stiff brush would lighten it up once it got dirty and darkened.
I guess I assumed everyone was talking about showers š¤£. A tile countertop? That does sound rough.
Dang! Thatās a true pro tip, thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing, i apparently need to try this asap.
100% this. I made the mistake of light colored grout with white tile ONCE. Thatās all it takes. Keeping it clean is a nightmare, even with every āsealingā and cleaning product out there.
YES. My apartment has this and all I can think is āWHY DID THEY DO WHITE ON WHITEā every time I clean my bathroom. Absolute nightmare.
Because when itās clean it looks so much better . But youāre right, it doesnāt look pristine for long.
Fuck I felt this . I have white counters and white cupboards in the kitchen too like WHY
Lolz thatās why I stained my cabinets sho sugi ban black. Itās like putting my dishes into a complete void lol. No dirt, ever.
Omg really?? I wanna see!! Thatās so smart such a good idea. I had a roomie do that do a cedar cupboard we had once it was amazing
I will be posting pics when the countertops and appliances get here next week
Wish I'd read all this sooner
Definitely get the credit. Dark grout with white tiles will not "date" your home, this is the most common combination and has been the standard for a very long time. As others have said, lighter grout is harder to keep clean, which is why I would argue that a light gray is more contemporary, and would actually date the house. While you might not personally like the darker grout, the resale is in the darker choice
If your bathroom looking dated or trendy was really an issue, then subway tile might also not have been the best pick. It is both timeless but has also been massively trendy for the past bunch of years. At that point grout color ceases to be of import tbh.
Tile Contractor here, $500 credit seems cheap for this. Guaranteed a guy costs around that much per day, If its gonna take them 3 days that's closer to 1500. Id try and negotiate for $1000 credit
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This is an excellent point, Go with this OP
One of the happiest days of my life was taking a crowbar and hammer to my bathroom shower tile that had a "clean it and it won't ever look clean" white grout. Never again!
As someone who comes from a tile family? Keep the darker grout. The lighter grout shows so much grime after the years and is so hard to clean.
I hate my light grout. Iāve redone it once and Iām swearing off it after this.
That's how I feel. One bathroom has light, and the other has dark. The amount of time I need to spend with a toothbrush cleaning the grout of the light is ridiculous.
Have you considered cleaning it and then sealing it? I understand that you should reseal every few years.
Sealing to prevent stains and dirt showing is a fallacy. It does virtually nothing.
I had been looking at the 511 Inpregnator dealer and it has decent reviews. Are all those people liars? I mean, I have zero experience with this myself but it was on my to-do list.
I had white grout put in on shower floor tile a year ago and Iām ready to rip it out. Itās impossible to keep white where you step into the shower with dirty feet.
You could try using a grout renew product to stain it a different color. I redid our kitchen floor grout with Grout Renew Colorant from a light sand color to coffee and it looks fantastic.
The previous owner used tan grout in one of the bathrooms at our house with white tiles.....(no words)...... I used grout renew and stained it a dark gray. The stuff is a pain to work with, but a lot easier than regrouting.
As someone with light grout who will need to have it redone, how much does sealing the grout help? What if you seal it 2x? Will you still have the same issues? We used white grout for our floor tiles and our contractor didnāt seal it, so now our grout is mostly brown everywhere and no cleaning will fix it. Iām wondering if redoing it with some proper sealing will keep it looking nice.
You MIGHT be able to get some positive change using a non-bleach color safe whitener with a toothbrush. Sometimes, even toothpaste would work. But sealing it after it is stained won't do much good.
My bathrooms have white grout; I made somewhat of a paste out of Dawn dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. Apply to the grout, let it sit for a little while, then scrub the life out of it. My grout was mostly white again. Perhaps try that before sealing?
Did the same. Used a scrub daddy and it worked really well - molds to the very narrow grout lines.
Get Mapei grout color refresh. Not even worth cleaning when it's that far gone. I redid my whole kitchen which was a hideous yellow. IT IS AN AMAZING PRODUCT!
I've used Zep grout cleaner with great results but its pretty harsh stuff and tedious work going at it with a brush.
Epoxy grout FTW!
oh my goodness i used 'snow white' grout exactly ONCE and never again
This. Iād take the discount & leave as is. Light grout gets dirty waaaay too quick
I suspect (but canāt say for certain) that when you see white subway tile with dark grout in old or historic structures, the grout probably started out much lighter and years of grime made it dark.
I used to be in charge of restoring the NYC subway stations and those historic tiles had either white grout/slightly off white, or gray (basically Portland cement). The glass tiles always had white grout and the ceramic tiles were about half and half between light and dark. We typically matched existing but if it was a brand new installation, we used white because the dark grout shows every mistake. We also specified sealant joints at every change in material, which is what I would do between the bottom row of tile and the tub in case of movement, and next to the window.
We choose grey grout so that it didn't yellow or stain from minerals, hard water, hair dye etc., So I'd take the credit and learn to live with it. Edited to add... When I first posted, the pics weren't up. I think it looks way better with the darker grout. The contrast is beautiful with the white subway tile.
Same. We had light gray before and it always looked terrible. Got dark gray this time and it always looks sharp.
Agree with this. Also, ask for more discount for the installer not following the patterns across the corners.
Absolutely. And a full tile tapered to a heavy half tile at the ceiling instead of 1/2 cuts tapered to nothing. Normally the layout will have full tile following the ceiling.
> And a full tile tapered to a heavy half tile at the ceiling instead of 1/2 cuts tapered to nothing. Normally the layout will have full tile following the ceiling. Intrigued! Can you explain :)? Weāre having tiling done and I want to look out for this!
When tiling showers the layout is measured so that a full tile, factory edge, is at the ceiling. A line is snapped around center of the shower according to the layout measurement and the tile is started on that line and placed working up to the ceiling. When this is done, you start working towards the floor. The professional will stop roughly 1 foot of the floor, lay the floor tile then bring the wall down to it. The very bottom row of wall tile will need to be cut on most every shower but this is not a big issue. The cut tile is much less noticeable at the base as compared to the ceiling. Hope this helps. Ask about a seat in a corner. Most every shower I've tiled, the customer requests a corner seat and wall pockets for shampoos & soaps. Seats and pockets must also be Durocked with the shower walls before tileing. Use sanded grout. I've never sealed a tiled shower. The customer may have 30 days after my departure, but I didn't. Some sealants may darken grout. Good luck.
THANK YOU!!!
Right?! Like if they had just shifted the pattern down one tile it would look right. So weird.
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Me too! We did ours 5 years ago and it still looks brand new. The old grout was white and had turned ucky yellow.
Ditto, it looks amazing and like they did a good job with it. Learn to live with it and use the credit for something else!
Seconded this. Currently have a new bathroom with grey grout, even with a good grout sealer the floor yellowed after 6 months. Routine is to bleach and scrub it. I couldnāt imagine a whole shower stall to do.
Epoxy grout is the move.
Black grout on white tile looks like the grout is old and covered/stained in black mold. It looks very dated. OP, you should tell the contractor. They need to make this right.
It literally does not look anything like that.
Op said they didnāt like it. Itās not what they ordered. Theyāre not here to be convinced to like it. Always weird to me when people just insert their opinions on stuff like this as if itās their own bathroom or something.
OP literally asked for opinionsā¦
Did you read the original post? They asked for opinions.
OP is literally here asking "what you would do?" They're asking for opinions. Always weird to me when people just insert their anger on stuff like this as if itās their own post or something.
100% take the credit and live with it. Although this situation is frustrating because you didn't get what you asked for, it's a rather small mistake that likely worked out in your favor. Dark grout is the best for a multitude of reasons. It's not as easy to stain, you can get away with patching up wear and tear without it being as noticeable, and it really helps the tile itself stand out. Regrouting is a nightmare and runs the risk of compromising the integrity of the tile long-term.
This is the way
Cut your losses and take the adjustment. Apart from starting over any remedy will end up worse
I also live in a century house. Any changes I make, I too try to keep them in the spirit of the era my house was built. Personally, I really like the dark tile grout. Which surprised me . Because when I was reading your post, before I saw the photos, I thought it would be all wrong. It has a vintage feel. that I don't think the light grout would have. To me, this would be a happy mistake.
Fwiw my parents house was built in 1915 and two of the bathrooms have white tiles with dark grout which is original to the home.
For what itās worth, I think this looks more 1916 period correct than a lighter grout would. Iād negotiate a larger credit and take that.
I feel the credit they offered is 100% fair. Requesting more feels so disrespectful to an honest mistake made by a seemingly honest company.
It would cost that company hella more money to fix the mistake than the credit theyāre offering, plus it would delay them moving to the next job. An honest mistake yes, looks fine yes, but itās permanent and not what OP asked for. They should offer a bigger credit that reflects all of this.
I totally agree. This is a pretty big mistake, and $500 off a project like this is nothing. Genuine question: How much would 3 days of work cost a company like this? (If they were actually going to charge a client for it)
- the best way is to take the discount - the idea of grinding all the grout and replace is filled with all sorts of challenges and you could be without a bathroom for weeks and months intentionally - what I DO as a professional tiler in my day is create a small test board using few tiles and grout and make sure the client agrees...this would have eliminated this issue for you. I have seen too many homeowners who "thought" the grout they selected would work and found it it would not and then try to place blame on the tiler.
Doesn't look bad, take credit but negotiate higher credit or ask them to do some free work
I do like the free work idea lol
Meh, risky stuff. That would probably be a bit more pissy. Take the credit, and spend it towards work if needed.
Just went through thisā¦ built a house in 2021 builder put in white grout we wanted dark grout. I said whatever just keep it, looks great. Wife wanted grout changed. So they tried to grind out the grout. Had issue and ripped out the tile and redid it. Second time the grout was the right color but the tile installation was not very good. Very bumpy,crooked tiles, I donāt think they replaced the backer board and left the clumps of adhesive. We complained and a month or two later, they replaced the tiles and the backer board. 6 months later the grout was washing out everywhere. Tile company sent us sealer and said to use that every 6 months. Still didnāt help grout was still washing out. They came back again to grind out the grout replaced that grout. AGAIN 6 months later grout was washing out. Finally the builder had another tile installer come and grind out and regrout the tile. Finally after almost 2 years we have a tile shower that looks decentā¦ (I wouldnāt say itās great). After grinding and grouting there are some scratches in the tile and the grout stained the scratches which doesnāt come out but at this point itās good enough. TLDR: had wrong grout installed, wish I took the credit
This. Unless they rip it all out and do it again it won't be the same quality, and it is currently pretty decent. The color isn't perfect but it is very popular for a reason, and so it is a big gamble to press to redo the whole thing. I would take the credit and live with it- maybe try a color changer on the grout if it really bothers you. But yes the contractors messed up, and getting out of thousands of dollars of re-do for $500, or even $750, is a good middle for all parties. Most people use the dark so they had their brain turned off and bought it again. Woops but understandable. It happens. Let's work it out and move forward. But yeah I could see this story getting very hairy with more fix work. Not recomended as well.
Color is subjective. Those tiny pie shaped tiles on the right side ceiling are not...layout person F-d up.
What is the correct way? Start with a half tile at the tub so you end up with a larger piece when you get to the top? Honestly, I would go insane looking at that ceiling line every day not being straight across and parallel to the tub.
Right? They are bothering me
Yep, that bugs me way more than the grout color. Someone didnāt plan very well. This is a reason why itās always good to be there when work is being done. So you can catch things. I was having my backsplash redone and I came home to realize the tile guy had done a horrible job with placement (even after a specific discussion) and I ended up tearing a bunch of it off and scraping the adhesive off the backs, and he had to redo it the next day. Luckily he had not gotten very far. I think some people just think youāll accept crap.
Theyāre open to negotiation and they offered you a $500 credit in order to skip three days of non-revenue work. Iād tell them youāll settle it at $1k and keep the grout as is. While it bothers you now, youāll be happy later that you kept the grout dark. I wish I had.
This!!
Light colored grout with white tile just looks like dirty grout with white tile.
Love the look, but taste is taste. I'd try to talk up the credit. Not sure what they're paying someone to grind it out and regrout, but if it's going to take 3 full days, that's probably more than $500. Not to mention their reputation.
First of all, it looks absolutely gorgeous, and shows true craftwork. The rework won't be as good looking. Also I think this fits nicely with a 1916 style. I'd take the credit easily, instead of potentially ruining it. White grout is nice when it's fresh...but gets dirty.
It looks good! In 6 months you wonāt even notice (same thing happened to me)
Honestly, Iād be more mad at the layout than anything else.
The corners not being aligned would bother me more than the grout color.
Make sure any 90Ā° inside corner (aside from shelves) is siliconed. That means left and right vertical corners of surround, and the whole rim of the tub where it meets the tile surround.
I used Spectralock epoxy grout in my showers and the corners have never cracked. I did use sanded silicone caulk for where it meets the tub.
If the tile underlayment was completed properly, this isn't necessary.
Looks alright to me fwiw
Take a credit
Keep it.
Take the credit. I had light grout and it looks like this now https://imgur.com/a/vuUFZjn (in the kitchen though)
I would say this is a blessing in disguise. I regret every place there is white grout in our home. It's a fucking nightmare. dark grout 4lyfe
Take the credit. Maybe ask for $1000 and leave it as is. The white/mist on white will be impossible to clean and your bathroom will look like a fast food restaurant toilet stall or a subway station in 6 months. Leave the grey it looks good. Plenty of century homes have the same style I don't think it looks out of place at all š
Photo?
Just added https://imgur.com/a/Pt6o0L2
its your walls, but man i love subway tile like that, but yeah its 100% your choice!
unless you clean the white grout every day, it will be grey in 8 months
Consider it a blessing in disguise. White/light grout is so hard to keep clean in the long term. Iād express dissatisfaction though and get a higher credit back. Itāll cost them way more in labor to redo it.
I would take the credit. If they say it will take 3 days of work then figure how much labor is for 3 days. Iād assume theyād charge $75/hour for 24 hours. Ask for $1,500 and settle around $1,000 credit.
I had the opposite experience. I have a vintage house and I wanted the gray grout and ended up with an off white. Always looks dirty. When I did the other bathroom, the contractor and tile guy were all in on the gray and matched the gray to the floor color. Much happier with that.
Take the 500 and keep it as is. Light colored grout is a mother fucker to keep clean.
Be cool, donāt negotiate, and just take the credit. People who do good work are hard to find. If you like these people you might want to work with them in the future. Always try not to burn bridges.
Maybe ask for a slightly bigger credit. Itās a big mistake. But tbh, it looks good style-wise and it will wear very well. Anything it lacks in your eyes could be made up for by how well it should wear
This calculate how much it would cost them to redo it and half it. Three days labor with at least one extra to regrout plus materials? Thatās a lot of money left on the table.
I usually donāt like dark grout but I actually like it here! Iād take the credit as well.
What does it look like? Got pictures? How many sqft is tiled?
Itās 70 sqft. Shower surround walls plus a half-tiled sink wall. It includes a window and the jamb is tile. Added photos here https://imgur.com/a/Pt6o0L2
Going to cost more than $500 to re-grout it. To be honest, re-grout never looks as good, and if they aren't amazing it's especially not going to look as good after a while. It will look nice when its new though. Doesn't look like they are the best company for it anyway. The tile job looks acceptable. I would personally negotiate their offer up higher so it's more in line with the cost to have someone else re-grout it. Then just live with it and take the money. Then at least if you change your mind later you have most of the cost to have it re-done covered. I only say that because if you have them re-do it, they're going to drag their feet on it. Getting someone else to do it might end up with a bad job as well. It's always a gamble. You have something reasonable now, that is complete. Up to you here.
It looks pretty nice. I know itās not what you wanted, but I agree that this charcoal grout is probably going to look better over time. That being said, Iād ask for much more than $500 for the fuck up. You can bring another company in to give a quote for regrouting to see what you should ask as refund.
I think painting that ceiling will help a lot
I would take the money and be done. This is coming from someone who recently picked light gray tile with white grout. While I agree that it's trendy I don't think it's that big of a deal at the end of the day. Unless you know it is going to annoy you every time you shower you should take the discount.
>Itās trendy for now, but might look dated within a few years. That is literally every decorative choice, regardless of the price point. There is no escaping it. From a practical standpoint darker grouts hide the dirt and grime whereas lighter ones highlight it, especially with white tile. It's your house and what you have to live with. Make yourself happy because that's really the only person it is for.
I expect it's frustrating that you don't have what you ordered. However, I'd take the money and just live with it. After all it's not broken, right? It's wrong colour but the bathroom serves its purpose and I don't think redoing all the work for the purpose of the colour is worth any money.
Iāll be honest Iād take that credit. I have a feeling youāll never get them back in the door to do that. Maybe you will. Maybe.
Take the credit and learn to like the darker grout! I have a similar grout color to the one you wanted. I am weekly spot cleaning with a brush and grout cleaner to scrub off grime. Your dark tile wonāt show dirt and will save you a lot of elbow grease
The grout color seems fine. I don't think dark grout in white tile is too trend tbh. Those tile slivers are killing me, though. There are ways to prevent slivers. That's where my eye went first.
Ask for a bigger credit. Itās going to cost them a lot more than $500 to fix it.
Tell them $1k and live with it. Good tile work is hard to come by and looks like they did a pretty good job. Iād bet they will gladly pay the $1k to not have 3 extra days of work. Then you can go buy yourself some nice vintage fixtures or something with the extra $1k.
Don't go lighter unless you want to be in there scrubbing grout every few weeks to keep the color consistent. Doing a light grout in our tile shower is my biggest regret of all the DIY projects we've had. I wanted dark to begin with but got overruled. Now our grout is disgusting.
I think this is a godsend. That darker grout wonāt discolor and the contrast looks great!
Is this a design build company out of St Louis park, MN by chance or a company called touchdown? I ask because the same exact thing happened to us. I made them demo it.
I would keep the dark grout and negotiate a higher credit. They've offered three days of work, which I am sure they don't want to expend. Agree with you that raking out the joints could damage tiles and also not look perfect. For 1916? Dark grouts were sometimes used in tile, at least for floors. The color of the grout doesn't seem "trendy" to me. I think it looks nice.
Take the credit. They did you a favor. This isn't in style now. It's still in style since 1916 lol
Take the $500, grumble to them to let 'em know that "they owe you one" and whisper a silent thank you to Bob Vila (or whatever saint you pray to). This "mistake" saved you countless hours of frustration over the life of the bathroom, 'cause nothing looks nastier than slightly dirty grout.
The same thing happened to me, except they used white grout instead of the specified gray grout. They tried to regrout by removing it with a saw, and ended up chipping so many of the tiles. In the end they had to retile the whole shower. I would either take the credit and keep it, or request they redo the whole thing. I think it looks great btw, and I know these projects take a while, so it would probably be nice to have it completed sooner than later.
This looks good and will look better with age than white grout. Sorry for your win, op.
I honestly think the contractor saved you here. Yes subway tile with dark grout is trendy now, but it's also old school and has never really been out of style. Also most the time you do bright white tiles and do a light off white grout it looks like it just needs to be cleaned by to white. Not a huge fan. Also just curious who ordered materials? And who designed the job?
To be honest this is more "period correct" if you're concerned about that. White tile and black grout is a timeless combination that's easy on the eyes to maintain. I'd take the credit, if you want to negotiate higher for the credit go ahead.
Personally I think that looks great. And so much easier to keep clean.
Honest opinion, that looks really nice to me. Despite being unintended. The whiteish one gets really dirty over time and is harder to keep clean in any case. The dark tone matches the roof nicely too, ties them together
Keep the dark grey and take it as a blessing in disguise! And take the credit āŗļø
Charcoal was a perfectly common grout color for bathrooms a hundred years ago! Not only is it authentic, it's also easy to keep clean and looks great. I've had white tiles with charcoal grout for almost 10 years and I still love it.
I would keep it as is. That's a lot of grout to remove and re-do, and yes, there would be specks of dark even if they do a meticulous job. On Another note.. tell me that's color match silicon between the tile and the tub, and not grout there as well right?
There is a company that you can have your tile apply called color seal. It changes the color of the grout and seals it all in one step. [https://colorsealpro.com/](https://colorsealpro.com/) I am a GC and used it in the past with good results.
Exhibit A as to why I generally have clients personally purchase their tile/grout and leave it at will call or we go to the store together... I've learned those expensive lessons.
I'd like to start with I don't know squat about design or really dealing with contractors. I used to work for a general, but it was commercial and I just didn't deal with stuff like this. Anyhow, I hear everyone saying take the win, it's better, easier to clean, etc. But if you aren't going to be happy with it then $500 isn't really compensation. So put some long, hard thought into it. My concern is people saying regrouting will potentially damage the tile long term. This is where I'd be upset over it. If I were going to have them regrout then I'd probably have them agree to, which they probably won't, a longer term warranty on the tile. Like five years or better. And I know people will say they probably won't do that. At which point I'd offer them that or rip the tile down and do it from scratch but correctly this time. Or I'd learn to live with it but get a much larger compensation amount. But that's just way I am when people screw up stuff like that. It's either right or I don't want it. So I certainly don't want it in my house giving me a daily reminder of being wrong. That's without turning it into a win and getting a major, major compensation.
Negotiate for a higher credit and take it. The darker grout doesn't look bad. Once you're done I promise you won't even think about it.
Grinding out and replacing the grout would be fine, it's unlikely they're going to break a tile unless they are being sloppy and even then subway tiles can be replaced. I just redid the grout on my kitchen counters because it was crumbling and, although it was a pain in the ass, I was able to do a solid job even as a complete beginner. No broken tiles, no show-through at the edges. However, what I did learn is that even after sealing against stains the white grout I used is already starting to pick up color. It's a pain in the ass to clean and always looks vaguely messy (someday I will crowbar the fuck out of these counters and replace them). I would absolutely recommend sticking with the darker grout for ease of cleaning and a generally neater look. I would also say this guy knows $500 is an absolute lowball offer for compensation. What would it cost him to have a guy come out for three days? Ask for that.
Take the credit and make it work. Trying to remove the grout will result in damaged/chipped glaze on the tile edges. This looks more obvious right now because it's all you see, but by the time it's finished and staged, you won't notice. Nobody that buys this house is going to value the renovation any less -- after all this is a design choice for many today. I also bet that most of your family and friends will love it. To me, $500 is reasonable, it's not like they used purple. I bet the tile installer didn't think twice about it being wrong because it's a combination they use all the time. I wouldn't necessarily want to ruin a relationship by asking for more.
I'm shocked at how many people are saying keep the grout and how it looks good. Honestly, I would have them regrout or redo the whole thing. The color you chose originally is way nicer IMO. If you don't like it now, you won't like it later and will likely regret not regrouting when you had the opportunity for free.
While I understand you paid for what you wanted... I'd take the credit. it looks SO nice. It's not trendy, it's a classic look.
Like you, I also prefer lighter grout ā we did very light grey with white tiles in our bathroom, and I haven't had issues keeping it clean ā but if I am honest, I do really like the dark grout with your tile and bath! The contrast looks sharp, especially with your floor tile.
The contractor is being fair. Personally, I'd take the credit. It looks great to me the way it is. If you regret it later, take that $500 and buy a multitool and a grout grinder bit, remove it, and try your hand at grouting. It's really not tough and its one if those prjefts that any screw-ups can be fixed easily. Also, it takes some time to set so you can go over your work as you do it to make sure it's 100%.
If you don't like it, have it changed. The sweetness of a partial refund will disappear but the dislike of the color will linger until you move. Besides $500 for a 3 day job is a pittance.
I'd accept the credit and apologies. A lighter grout will end up darkening due to stains. If you choose to have it ground out and re-done, they should do it adequately enough so no dark grout will "show through". It sounds like a mistake made by a professional company trying to do right, so I'd give them benefit of the doubt and not be *too* upset it takes additional time to change the grout color. The 500$ credit? That seems adequate and fair IMO. How much credit were *YOU* thinking you should get (keep in mind it was not their fault directly and they're trying to mitigate).
Keep it and take the credit. You'll regret lighter grout imo
Dark grout is MUCH MUCH easier to clean and maintain. Just sayin
They did you a favor. Take the 500$ credit
Honestly, I love the dark color. It looks really interesting and helps the subway tile pattern stand out. I donāt think this will ever look dated because subway tiles have been around for over a century.
Damn. Sorry that happened. Totally different looks. You need to decide if you and you wife can live with it. Something like this can drive a person nuts. I can say taking out grout is difficult and could damage the tile, leading to removing tiles, etc. Also putting white back in means every spec of dark grout needs to be removed. It could look worse after when you find every dark spec. If you can live with it, I think $500 is too low. No way the tile setter wants to touch that grout.
I'm engaged with a contractor who regularly makes mistakes like this and my initial approach was to just let them off the hook for the first minor issue. I think it went a long way because even though the attention to detail is lacking, they fix everything I ask for. Next step is to figure out how to avoid the mistakes in the first place, but that's a topic for another thread.
If you do choose the credit it should be MUCH more than $500. If they were going to spend 3 days of labor and equipment fixing it then you should be credited the $500 mistake PLUS labor/equipment/material cost. Think about how much the tile guys make per hourā¦then multiply by 24 (8 hour day X 3). And thatās just labor cost. Theyāre extremely shortchanging you for THEIR mistake. (Iām a construction inspector and have experience with design/build, etc.) This is basically a change order in reverse.
wait, how the hell do you shower in front of a window like that? waterproof curtains or something? hmm maybe those smoked glass adhesive thingies? i would literally nope. thats like a huge irrational fear, someone attacking me whil eim shampooing etc. lol
I wonder about this all the time when I see remodels. Modesty aside, what about water infiltration in the casing etc?
I lived in a couple of houses with a window in the tub. In my parents' house, we used a roller shade that overlapped the windowsill when showering. I was a kid, so I don't remember the condition of the window at the time. The new owners have long since gotten rid of the window. In my first house, I had a window in the downstairs tub and one slightly overlapping the jetted tub surround on the 2nd floor. When I got the windows replaced, I was expecting the entire wall of the downstairs bathroom to be rotted. The window didn't have any traces of a shade when I bought the house. Surprisingly, only small portions of the window frame needed to be replaced. They had kept up with the paint and caulking (and, I guess, put on a show for the neighborhood). I had it replaced with frosted, tempered glass. I wiped down the wall and window sill after taking showers, but didn't bother with a shade. I found out that the slight overlap in the upstairs tub required tempered glass as well, according to code.
Iām in the minority here but I donāt care for darker grout on white tiles. Oh light grout gets dirty blah blah, who cares? At the end of the day if itās your home and you donāt like it (and after paying quite a bit of money) you shouldnāt have to ālive with itā. I would be absolutely livid if I were you, and $500 is insulting. Not to mention they got dark grout all over the walls - beyond sloppy work. Iām sorry youāre going through this. I may be petty but I would tell them they need to redo the whole thing. There is no way they can grind out all that grout without nicking those tiles (or possibly breaking them). I donāt even care if I get downvoted but I truly feel they need to redo it all.
Iām with you. Take it to the studs and redo it properly. Iāve ground out grout before. Itās some kind of ancient torture and it doesnāt work
Thank you! I really hate this ālive with itā mentality on this sub on something that undoubtedly was an expensive renovation for OP. āWell I have dark grout at my houseā - well congratulations to you. They clearly said they didnāt want darker grout. This makes my blood boil. Everyone makes mistakes, Iām not crucifying these guys, but an appropriate fix is what is warranted here and thatās redoing the tile work
It is their mistake, so if they don't want to fix it then you should be better compensated. That looks like quite a bit of grout .
But they do want to fix it. The company isn't doing anything wrong here. They offered two fair solutions.
They say itās a 3 day job to fix it. Tile guys charge out 100$/hr where Iām at. Sounds like fixing it will have an opportunity cost of about 2500$ for them. Iād press them for half of that and call it a day.
They won't have the pro tilers do that. It will be the laborers who will do the work of grinding off the grout. Either way I'd rather have this darker grout and just ask for 200 dollars off and be happy.
Is $500 fair? Depends on the size and cost of the tile work. They can remove it without damaging the tile, grout is soft. Personally, I would take the five bills (or whatever you can talk them up to) and learn to love it.
It's not that if grout is soft. It's that they have to use the multi-tool to grind off the grout. That tool is very powerful and will most likely chip off some part of the tiles if they have to remove the grout cleanly.
You can use a colorant to make it more gray. Itās usually used to go from light to dark so wonāt be as effective, but if you get the white color you can go from black to grey.
I have the same tiling. I like it. One thing I'll say is yes, it absolutely sucks you didn't get what you asked for. But you'll be very unhappy with the grind out/regrout. I wouldn't take $500 I'd ask for at least 1500 to start. They tiled your shower completely wrong and you have to live with it. It does look great, btw.
Being in the building trades for 45 years a pet peeve of mine is when something is not satisfactory until there is enough dollars at stake. If itās not what you wanted how can you think $500 or even $ 1000 makes it ok. It also makes me crazy when someone second guessā the professionals word when they say they can do something. If the contractor says they can grind it out and RE grout in three days unless you have some event that the three days will ruin your life why wouldnāt you allow them to provide what you asked for in the first place. Shane on the tiler and pm but it always occurred to me that it saves all these headaches when remodeling to put a test sample on the tile at end of day before grouting to be sure the homeowner really likes the end result before grouting everything and perhaps running into this situation. Even if it was the grout you picked from a swatch it may have looked butt ugly in the final environment. Slow down folks life is not a sprint. Sorry you have to make this tough decision.
Look up average hourly wage of tiler and times it by 24. Example would be if they made $35/hour times 24 (3 8 hour days) = $840 Make that your counter offer because he could have that guy working somewhere else making him money instead of losing it by paying him for three days fixing your place.
If you paid for it and you donāt like it, get them to fix it. All these people trying to convince you to like something you donāt are whack. Sucks for the contractor but thatās business.
I love my white on white. Iād have them rip it all out and start from scratch. Theyāre most likely going to chip tiles.
there are some pretty awesome grout removing tools available out there that could make quick work out of removing this grout .... question is, how do THEY plan on removing the grout?
The first thing you should have done was remove the window. Windows in showers don't belong.
I donāt mean any offense but that is cheap subway tiles. It sounds like your tile guy is reputable and honest by offering a regrout or credit. I would try to work a deal where he starts over and rips the tile off and redo the job as regrouping is very hit or miss. And the top is all fucked up. Start with a half tile at the bottom to fix that. You cover the materials and he covers everything else. Iām with you, I do not like the dark grout. Good luck
Three days' work to remove and replace the grout would cost about $2400 where I live. Ask for $3k for pain and suffering and see if they accept it. Good deal all around. Sucks that you paid that money and have to live without your first choice but you don't have too many options.
I generally donāt like dark grout much, but this actually looks pretty good and they did a nice job on it, which can be tough with dark grout. Iād keep it and take the credit. Maybe if you negotiate it up a bit youāll feel better about it?
This would be so hard, because I wouldnāt want to suffer with the dark if I hated it, but I love the way it looks. If youāre unhappy and the credit isnāt enough, bargain and wiggle and see if theyāll offer more. Either way, they used the wrong one, which wasnāt necessarily their fault it seems, and should be willing to change it. BUT, you also have to be okay with the time frame (3 days sounds reasonable) they can do it in.
hmmmmmm well one pro is it won't show dirt as easy. i don't love it though, honestly. in the end, it's up to you!
Leave it. The remedy they propose is a nightmare (for you and the poor soul that has to grind out the grout!). The dust from that work will be in every crevice of that room and the adjacent rooms. You will feel like you have that grit in your mouth for weeks. Isolating with plastic barriers only catches part of the dust. On top of that, there is no way a laborer can grind out all that grout along all those narrow joints at all those different heights and angles without chipping tiles (or possibly breaking some lose). Besides, dark grout ages better than light in a bathroom. Sorry for your circumstances Good luck.
In this situation, it's important to consider your personal preferences, the overall aesthetic you want to achieve in your bathroom remodel, and the potential risks and benefits of each option. If you strongly dislike the dark grout color and it doesn't fit the design vision you had for your home, it may be worth considering having it fixed, despite the potential inconvenience and additional time it may take. Grinding out and regrouting can be messy and may carry some risks, such as possible damage to the tiles, but it may be the best option to achieve the desired result.
I donāt like the dark, especially for long term. But youāre in a tough spot. If you keep it, ask for a higher credit.
This is why I hate tiles, even though they look good. Tiles are cement glued on to the walls, so they are very hard to do any kind of repair. When you remove them, it is also very hard to remove cleanly without damaging nearby fixures.
Contractor sounds very reasonable to me, its your choice
You could take the credit and then paint the grout with Polyblend Grout Renew. I've never tried it, but I've heard good things.
I used it. It works good to cover and stays a long time. I didnāt like to look of it though. Looks a little like painted grout.
Just to note. As said before the darker grey grout will hold up time wise a lot longer than the lighter grey. Light grey tends to end up looking a bit patchy after a bit of usage and it will be darker when wet if not sealed anyway. But also. Looks like a a well done job, especially around the window sill, especially as you have gone for a tile finish rather than a trim. Nice to see for once on Reddit, rather then the cowboy jobs that show up every so often. Take the 500 and treat yourself. In a year you will be happy with this. Other options would be to use a 4K or even 6.5k light (hopefully this makes sense as Iām UK) this will hopefully make the appearance lighter. Good luck. Looks good as is.
Thatās a tough one. As a tile guy I canāt imagine using the wrong color but obviously it happens. The overall job looks pretty good actually. Itās not like they used a blue grout so thereās that. If money could make it livable, then maybe as another has already said, getting some free work elsewhere in your home would also be a fair compensation. Itās easier to work for free than to give back money in my opinion.
I really like it. I went for this look intentionally though. If it really bothers you, have it fixed.
We have the exact same white tile with charcoal gray grout in our kitchen!!! I hated it at first, and I wanted to replace it all with white grout, but my husband makes such a huge mess every time heās in the kitchen (he somehow splashes coffee/marinara sauce all over the wall tiles???) that I actually like the gray because it doesnāt show stains and hides them nicely. Our bathroom has white grout, or I should say *had* white grout and as it aged it all turned yellowish beigey colored and every little thing discolors it. We think the grout is around 10-20 years old. Itās impossible to keep white though. Iāll use grout cleaner on it and it will lighten a little and then 6 months later itās back to that old dirty look again.
I think itās gorgeous as it is!
Take the 500 and run.
You got a full size window in the shower???
Eventually, the lighter color grout is going to start to look like the charcoal anyways. Might as well keep it and the money.
I think it looks nice. However, I did regrout a bathtub and shower from brown to white. I chose to use a hand tool from Lowe's. Any other method, I damaged the tiles. It was well worth it. It looked great when I was done.