Tiler refusing to tile!

[BaggyAndWrinkled]

Help anyone.
I've bought rustic stone wall tiles with tumbled/rough/chiselled edges. They're all the same size in an oblong shape.

My tiler isn't happy about tiling with them as he reckons that the rough edge will be impossible to keep straight and is concerned that the overall look will be shabby. He also mentioned that the grout will be shabby.

The tile store are insisted that these are the tiles I need for my rustic bathroom.

I'm googling and YouTube'ing for such info but getting nowhere fast. Does anyone have any advice for me please?

Use a different tiler. He is doing a job for you not the other way around.

He can't be a professional if he can't handle it.

Have you got a link to the tiles? But yes, sounds like an inexperienced tiler - I'm sure nice flat square white tiles are the easiest to fit, but fitting what the customer wants is their job surely?

Since when does a tile shop demand what tiles you buy?

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz I worded that badly. I meant that they were insistent that I should stick to my guns as I'd sourced wall tiles from them for a rustic look.

I can sort of see the tiles point of view - if they're stacked the collective 'imperfect' tiles are not even at the bottom. But Ive just styled them in a brick pattern and they look great to me!

First photo is the tilers design, 2nd pic is my solution. I don't want perfect square symmetry! I like rustic and imperfect looking.

We need to see the tiles!

To be honest I do understand what he is saying, I expect he's had customers buy these sorts of tiles then complained about the look, or that the grout isn't even. If you are willing to risk this then explain you accept he's advice but want to go ahead at your own risk,

He's probably worried that the finished result will look shit and you'll blame him instead of the tiles.

Have you got a link to the tiles?

Sorry - just saw the photos. The first ones where the vertical and horizontal edges all line up are pretty poor, but the brick pattern looks fab!

Oh, I've seen your photos now. I agree that your brick pattern looks better. What colour will the grout be? Because some colours might make the uneven gaps even more noticeable. Would a light colour be best?

Are you hugely invested in these tiles? They look very bland.

The tilers design is shit. The tiles look ridiculous. You know more than he does.

Thanks everyone.
Happy to take advice on the grout.

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I've had a rough wooden washstand made, a freestanding bath, antique bronze taps - the floor is the same colour - it's all very calming. I have 2 green plants to go on the corner - even the towel rail is a pale cream ladder style.

I just love shabby French rustic. I think it works!

I understand his concern, but I'd never blame him for my choices.

brick pattern means they need to be cut.
have you seen in the display how they look cut? if they are red clay the cut will look 'dirty' with the red shining through.

Some of the tiles are slightly different in size. I think your tiler may think that he will need to use a bigger gap between some to even it out (even in the brick formation) and that will look a bit shit as there will be areas with wider grout gaps than others.

I'm with the tiler, sorry op!

He just doesn't want to do it because it will be difficult. He needs to tile with a wider gap to compensate for the difference in size and to keep them even. It's perfectly possible to make tiles like this look neat.

He needs to tile with a wider gap to compensate for the difference in size and to keep them even.
How does that work? Some gaps will be larger than others...

Here's a great demonstration of nice rustic tile tiling. You can see from the top line the tiles aren't straight, but the overall effect is still neat and not annoying on the eye.

Find a better tiler.

Tiling is not that hard! As long as you invest in a proper cutter and don’t skimp on the adhesive and the hand tools, it’s actually quite fun. If you want a ‘rustic’ look it won’t matter if they are a bit uneven, that’s how they would be if they were really old, before machine made tiles made everything exactly symmetrical. If you have awkward for pens top you could always add in some different tiles, or listello( very narrow).,.. I once mixed tiles with bits of wood to fit a funny space, it looked fantastic.

and when you lie in your bath you will feel the glow of achievement as you look at your tiles.

How does that work? Some gaps will be larger than others...

Errr, I don't know how to explain why it works. By having a thicker line of grout, the tiles don't have to butt against each other, so you have more space to form your horizontal and vertical lines? Like a greater space to compensate for the unevenness of the tile?

The tiles are uneven but surely all the cut edges are going to be very straight. Won’t that make it all look a bit odd?

I had this same issue with my grout colour choice & an equally opinionated tiler.

I simply said that... I don't need the opinion of anyone else without the imagination to visualise the finished tiles DH was already getting on my tits & if they aren't confident they have the skills to do a good job, I'll get another more experienced tiler to do it instead. He shut up after that & agreed it looked great when finished. I think it was telling he took so many photos of his finished work, as he surprised himself with how good it looked

You are the customer, they do it as you want it, that's why you pay them, end of