A contractor is installing tile in the first floor of my house. The floor plan is open, with the living room and kitchen separated by a wall that spans a portion of the floor. The installer laid tile in courses on the 'north' end of the wall, then continued to lay going 'south,' where the wall divided the area into two rooms. At the 'south' end of the wall, the grout lines don't line up. (See diagram.) Is this acceptable, or should I tell my installer to do it over?
Tile – Wall in middle of tile floor: grout lines don’t match
grouttile
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Don't re-grout, clean it! Talking with a Home depot guy last year about this and he was amazed I still had to use a brush. He shows me this stuff called oxygen bleach from Ajax. This was literally the easiest method I have ever used. Make a solution with just enough hot water to dissolve it, apply and let it sit for 15-20 min and mop off. That easy. I will never use a tile brush again. Once you get it sparkling white, you can upkeep it my adding a small amount every time you mop and you will have pearly white floors forever.
I used an oscillating multi-tool with a carbide circular blade to grind out the grout. I took it all out, and used a chisel to removed whatever remained. Re-grouting is a grueling task; I could not find anyone to do it.
Sounds like you need to thin that grout. Maybe some latex additive would help. Grout should be pasty but flowing.
When all else fails, I use tongue blades to smooth caulk and grout.
The right consistency grout will not leave bubbles and voids. It will flow and be heavy enough to sink to the bottom.
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Best Answer
This is indicative of a poor initial layout, perhaps due to inexperience. An experienced tile setter takes note of the areas where defects (like grout lines that can't line up, small or thin cuts, discolored tiles, etc.) would be most visible and makes sure things are perfect in those places, hiding the inevitable problems elsewhere.
If the tile had been properly laid out before setting it, the lines would be perfect across the open areas. Small differences in tile spacing are normal but are normally hidden by "pinching" or "spreading" the grout lines in places where it won't be noticed.
This is an example of why you should hire reputable contractors who are not shy of providing references, or hiring out of the local guild. You get what you pay for sometimes...