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Question:

In case you want to put in granite later check out www.doityourselfgranite.com You’ll save what money you might have lost by the removal. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Jim: Who is your builder and where is your house? > I’m in Orange County (So. California), and yes I have explored all options, > the builder will not allow any work by the buyer during construction, mostly > I think because they offer all these works at inflated prices.     I can’t even > NOT having something done, for example not having a kitchen countertop, so I > can put in my own granite later.  They will put in tile countertop, and after > escrow I can rip the tiles out. > My builder is California Pacific Homes, and they are particularly inflexible. > In fact they are so anal to deal with that other buyers I spoke with just buy > the standard stuff and rip things out after, even if it costs more.  It seems > like a big waste but the buyers are pretty fed up and angry dealing with > California Pacific. (Why not go elsewhere you may ask, we just happen to like > the location enough to put up with it through the construction) > I also spoke with a tile installer and found out that what I wanted to do is > done all the time around here for the same reasons.  People would close escrow > with standard tiles and cut them out after to put in decorative ones. > Apparently it’s the same for floor and wall, except for shower or bath walls > (any wet wall) you have to be careful not to damage the waterproofing backing > material. > Thanks all for the responses. > <snip> > I don’t know if there’s difference between removing ceramic tiles > from a wall vs. a floor, but I’ll tell you that it was not a job > that I would’ve enjoyed doing myself <G>.  It may be easier with > wall tiles that I guess may be smaller (e.g., 6×6), but it looked > like a major pain. > First, they had to remove the grout using a kind of file that fit > between the tiles.  Then, they’d crack the tile (with a hammer), and > then chisel out the pieces and the adhesive (or whatever) underneath. > The other thing that we were told before this was all done was that > with all of that hammering and chiseling, there was a possibility > that adjacent tiles would get damaged in the process. > Like I said, don’t know if the situation between floors and walls > are different, but hope this helps. > BTW, would it not be possible for you to negotiate with the builder > for you to install the special tiles yourself before their own workers > put in the regular tiles?  Seems to me that this would be a whole lot > less work, and then also, you wouldn’t have to worry about fitting > the tiles (I’m assuming that your tiles are at the edge of a wall > or countertop). > In our case, we installed a number of things ourselves, including > running our own data networking cable throughout the house, and as > long as we didn’t interfere with the builder or violate any codes, > the builder was ok with this… > Good luck, > Jim

Response:

Hi, Sorry to hear that the builder is so adamant.  The situation really sounds like such a waste. We’re in Northern Virginia, near DC, and our builder was a relatively small outfit named Prospect Development.  As you could probably tell, we had quite a bit of freedom in working things out here. Good luck with your house.  Hopefully whoever does the tile removal and replacement will be careful and not crack any of the existing tiles.  I know it’s a long shot, but you might try to see if the builder will at least provide you with a few spares from the same lot.  Apparently tiles do vary from lot to lot, and, as I think I mentioned, our builder gave us a spare box of each… Jim – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Jim: Who is your builder and where is your house? > I’m in Orange County (So. California), and yes I have explored all options, > the builder will not allow any work by the buyer during construction, mostly > I think because they offer all these works at inflated prices.     I can’t even > NOT having something done, for example not having a kitchen countertop, so I > can put in my own granite later.  They will put in tile countertop, and after > escrow I can rip the tiles out. > My builder is California Pacific Homes, and they are particularly inflexible. > In fact they are so anal to deal with that other buyers I spoke with just buy > the standard stuff and rip things out after, even if it costs more.  It seems > like a big waste but the buyers are pretty fed up and angry dealing with > California Pacific. (Why not go elsewhere you may ask, we just happen to like > the location enough to put up with it through the construction) > I also spoke with a tile installer and found out that what I wanted to do is > done all the time around here for the same reasons.  People would close escrow > with standard tiles and cut them out after to put in decorative ones. > Apparently it’s the same for floor and wall, except for shower or bath walls > (any wet wall) you have to be careful not to damage the waterproofing backing > material. > Thanks all for the responses.

Response:

Jim: Who is your builder and where is your house? I’m in Orange County (So. California), and yes I have explored all options, the builder will not allow any work by the buyer during construction, mostly I think because they offer all these works at inflated prices.  I can’t even NOT having something done, for example not having a kitchen countertop, so I can put in my own granite later.  They will put in tile countertop, and after escrow I can rip the tiles out. My builder is California Pacific Homes, and they are particularly inflexible. In fact they are so anal to deal with that other buyers I spoke with just buy the standard stuff and rip things out after, even if it costs more.  It seems like a big waste but the buyers are pretty fed up and angry dealing with California Pacific. (Why not go elsewhere you may ask, we just happen to like the location enough to put up with it through the construction) I also spoke with a tile installer and found out that what I wanted to do is done all the time around here for the same reasons.  People would close escrow with standard tiles and cut them out after to put in decorative ones. Apparently it’s the same for floor and wall, except for shower or bath walls (any wet wall) you have to be careful not to damage the waterproofing backing material. Thanks all for the responses.

<snip> – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I don’t know if there’s difference between removing ceramic tiles > from a wall vs. a floor, but I’ll tell you that it was not a job > that I would’ve enjoyed doing myself <G>.  It may be easier with > wall tiles that I guess may be smaller (e.g., 6×6), but it looked > like a major pain. > First, they had to remove the grout using a kind of file that fit > between the tiles.  Then, they’d crack the tile (with a hammer), and > then chisel out the pieces and the adhesive (or whatever) underneath. > The other thing that we were told before this was all done was that > with all of that hammering and chiseling, there was a possibility > that adjacent tiles would get damaged in the process. > Like I said, don’t know if the situation between floors and walls > are different, but hope this helps. > BTW, would it not be possible for you to negotiate with the builder > for you to install the special tiles yourself before their own workers > put in the regular tiles?  Seems to me that this would be a whole lot > less work, and then also, you wouldn’t have to worry about fitting > the tiles (I’m assuming that your tiles are at the edge of a wall > or countertop). > In our case, we installed a number of things ourselves, including > running our own data networking cable throughout the house, and as > long as we didn’t interfere with the builder or violate any codes, > the builder was ok with this… > Good luck, > Jim

Response:

I’m buying a new house.  For cost reasons I’m just getting the standard plain tiles from the builder (they want $250 just for ONE row of liner, labor only). I plan to buy liners or other fancy ceramic tiles and put them in afterwards, cutting out the standard tiles as needed, in the shower as well as around the counter splash. I’ve laid new tiles but have not renovated old ones before.  Is there a tool that will cut out the tiles I want neatly? without damaging the back wall?

Response:

They make special saws to cut through the grout.  Chiping out the tiles is then just tedious (and be careful not to chip the adjacent tiles in the process).  Of course, you need to find trim tiles that match your plain ones in both size and thickness.

Response:

Hi, We have ceramic tiles on both our kitchen (8×8) and foyer (12×12) floors in our house (about 2 years old).  After we moved in, we found a couple in both areas that were either chipped or cracked from the original installation.  Luckily, we found these during the warranty period, and the builder got the tile contractor to replace the tiles (we had gotten some extras from the builder…just in case). I don’t know if there’s difference between removing ceramic tiles from a wall vs. a floor, but I’ll tell you that it was not a job that I would’ve enjoyed doing myself <G>.  It may be easier with wall tiles that I guess may be smaller (e.g., 6×6), but it looked like a major pain. First, they had to remove the grout using a kind of file that fit between the tiles.  Then, they’d crack the tile (with a hammer), and then chisel out the pieces and the adhesive (or whatever) underneath. The other thing that we were told before this was all done was that with all of that hammering and chiseling, there was a possibility that adjacent tiles would get damaged in the process. Like I said, don’t know if the situation between floors and walls are different, but hope this helps. BTW, would it not be possible for you to negotiate with the builder for you to install the special tiles yourself before their own workers put in the regular tiles?  Seems to me that this would be a whole lot less work, and then also, you wouldn’t have to worry about fitting the tiles (I’m assuming that your tiles are at the edge of a wall or countertop). In our case, we installed a number of things ourselves, including running our own data networking cable throughout the house, and as long as we didn’t interfere with the builder or violate any codes, the builder was ok with this… Good luck, Jim > I’m buying a new house.  For cost reasons I’m just getting the standard plain > tiles from the builder (they want $250 just for ONE row of liner, labor only). > I plan to buy liners or other fancy ceramic tiles and put them in afterwards, > cutting out the standard tiles as needed, in the shower as well as around the > counter splash. > I’ve laid new tiles but have not renovated old ones before.  Is there a tool > that will cut out the tiles I want neatly? without damaging the back wall?

Response: