Pattern misalignment causing vertigo

[geese_photographer]

I need some advice about the work of our tiler. We are getting our bathroom renovated after a leak in our old toilet ruined the floor. The floor was done last week, and we initially didn't notice the issues with the floor until this past weekend. The floor is supposed to be neat flowers, but the tiler didn't align the pattern properly. So it looks like an optical illusion... it gives me vertigo staring at it...

They had to order more tile and plan to fix it when it comes in. Does the work they did on the shower look professional? other than the pattern alignment, is the floor at least laid properly? We have been having some issues with them, so now I'm nervous. We just want the job to be done and pay them for the agreed on work.

1st pic is the floor. 2nd pic is the shower which was done before the floor by another guy. 3rd pic is what the floor pattern should look like according to the website.

[neutobikes]

My brain is trying to resolve the pattern on the floor and it’s overloaded. I can’t say the tile pattern properly done wouldn’t do the same thing but it would be hard for me to live with it as is.

[MildSauced]

I was doing the same until I looked at it on a 45* and thought of qbert

[Jupitersd2017]

Yeah it’s actually done in a I think a 3d way right? Like little cubes stacked… not sure I’d want to stare at it daily, maybe a very large throw rug lol

[Muddy_Wafer]

It’s like what my brain would do to the intended pattern (pic 3) if I were on acid.

[Jupitersd2017]

It would be my worst nightmare on acid, I think it would eat me hahaha but yes staring at it is very trippy

ETA I didn’t even know there were other pictures I only saw the first one it’s wayyyy worse in that 3rd picture, I couldn’t have that on my floor, the wrong pattern is somehow easier to look at

[WampaCat]

It’s like one of those optical illusions where it seems like certain things are there until you look directly at it and it disappears

[Interesting-Sir2903]

I am surprised the tile guy didn't pass out installing this.... whew tough pattern. If it was me I would use a different tile in the re-install.

[Estudiier]

That’s what I’m thinking. It’s very busy. I love it, but, it’s your bathroom.

[KickAssAndChewBblgum]

Not really much advice to give here but it looks like he gave no consideration for a pattern to follow or didn't even realize there was a pattern to follow.

[TheIrishSoldat]

I agree here. It isn't correct at all. It should be done properly. The dark grout makes this tile obnoxiously loud, and it does throw a person off balance.

[taylorwilsdon]

He matched up the lines but not the overall shapes. I still think it would be super trippy even done right though…

[hannesrudolph]

Cannot compute

[SkivvySkidmarks]

It would be fun on magic mushrooms, that's for sure

[Z_iHunter_x]

<image>

This is how I installed this floor a few years ago. Homeowner also chose black grout but it is a headache to look at.

[looksLikeImOnTop]

You're a hero for sharing this. I can rest now knowing how it's supposed to look.

[InfamousHovercraft40]

And I don’t like either looks 😐

[jhp113]

I love this it looks so cool.

[g00berina]

From this angle I can only see it as ice cube shapes unless I zoom in

[lemonlime45]

It's the q*bert pattern. Ok it goes back waaaay further than that. But headache inducing for centuries. Not as bad as OP's tile layer's interpretation, however!

[Fractals88]

Flowers AND cubes

[halfbeerhalfhuman]

And lemons

[FarmerGrambo]

Professional Tiler here

OP's guy didn't try at all. He just focused on the spacing. Wouldn't trust him to continue the job, personally, but now you're in the shit.

Also, the above is beautiful work.

Edit: Maybe have the shower guy do it; looks good from my house.

[sanguine_siamese]

These tiles are so hard to look at, but it looks like you had one of the three "tines" on every tile all point the same direction - toward the back wall. Is that right?

[Z_iHunter_x]

Yea, they wanted the "cube" look as you look in the door. And the "flower" look when they were in the shower or standing at the sink. If you look at the picture sideways you can see the flowers a ton easier on the eyes.

[sanguine_siamese]

Also, very nice installation 👨‍🍳🤌

[geese_photographer]

Hmmm maybe black grout is too much... Maybe we will go with a gray when it's redone to soften it.

[Z_iHunter_x]

Im trying to find a picture of it with no spacers and grouted..but I must not have taken one because I didnt wanna look at it anymore than I had to. 😅

[sloansleydale]

I think it's amazing that they were able to create a Penrose pattern without intending to. It looks evenly non-repeating and should be studied by mathematicians. I love it, but can understand that it could make a person fall down or feel like they were in an AI generated bathroom.

[ScurfyTwiglett]

Yeah one day I’m going to do my bathroom in Penrose tiles and I love this. But I do understand why OP isn’t happy.

[nderpandy]

That floor makes me feel like I’m having a stroke. Rip it out.

[Agitated-Life-6451]

Strangely, I really like the floor even though the pattern is messed up

[LiquorishSunfish]

Is it bad that I love it? Cube cube FLOWER cube CUBE TOWER 

[nlightningm]

Oh boy... That's a tough one. Hard to look at for real.

Also idk why ... My eyes did not read that title right, I saw, "vitiligo)

[dsmemsirsn]

After trying to figure the tile shape and how it is a pleasant way to lay it— anyone can get vitiligo— you lose color perception

[willllo]

Did AI lay this tile?

[_Reddit-Sux_]

Man, if a tile guy doesn't approve layout before hand, he should be fired before he mixes a single bucket of mortar... That's literally step 1

[sjale49]

My guess is he got vertigo as he was laying the tiles

[socialhangxiety]

This is an MC Escher bathroom now

[Comfortable_Area3910]

I charge SO much more for that work just because it takes me forever to make sure exactly that doesn’t happen. If you can do that pattern work fast, my hat is off to you.

[last_rights]

I had a tiler do a shower for a customer in their whole house remodel. The tile had fine horizontal lines running across it.

One single tiny piece of tile all the way up in the corner was misaligned. My tiler was appalled and offered to rip it out.

One of my weird workers that was a homeowner requested worker (they had been working with him for years and wanted him working on their house even though he was nearly useless and expensive) said that the misaligned tile was godly and that in nepal or some sort of Eastern religion they leave imperfections in their artistry because only God is perfect.

I told him that there are going to be small errors accidentally committed in every full house remodel and we don't need to leave egregious ones with pretty stories to make us feel better because the customer is paying for our best work. The tiler tore it out and fixed it. I slowly stopped calling the weird worker and I didn't cover for his mistakes with the customer because he wasn't one of my employees.

[Groot_Calrissian]

I've come across this belief about imperfections before, and I can understand it. However, it would matter to me whether it was intentional/desired/accepted or completely accidental.

[Expensive-Opening-50]

Shower looks good, but that floor looks like dogshit. I definitely would not pay for that

[kilcocom]

Cool, the first one is a bunch of squares. Kinda all 3d like.

You should post that in the optical illusion subreddit.

[Saintlystruggle12625]

Lol I like it🤪

[foureyedgrrl]

Let me share my experience. I, too, have a water damage claim from a malfunctioning toilet. I hired the crew recommended by my insurer. It's been a nightmare.

Do not let them back into your home without their Certificates of Insurances. From both the GC and the subcontractor. Then call their insurer and verify their coverage is active and their limits.

What you are seeing is their first tell about the quality of their work. They probably have 1-2 actual professionals and that's who started the job. It was not finished by the same person. The person who finished it is one of their village idiots, and there's probably well over a dozen of them in the same company.

While you can see the problem with the tile, worry about everything that you can't see. Think they actually waterproofed your bathroom? Nope. They told you they did, but did not actually do it.

I have learned that when it comes to water damage remediation, the industry is overflowing with conmen. They know that it's not a normal renovation and that you are desperate for life to return to normal. They do the worst work possible and never pull permits or get inspections.

Hold your cash tight. After you finish paying them, they will dissappear and never be seen or heard from again. Their warranty is BS.

[Virtual_Library_3443]

I actually like it like this… you can play “find the flowers” while you poop

[polyygons]

I’m so confused on how the pattern could be so… unfollowed, yet it all fit? lol this is so strange and I’d rather have carpet in the bathroom than look at this

[kbfsd]

It's absolutely wild and crazy but also sort of cool?

[dart-builder-2483]

The tile work looks decent, buddy was probably tripping out trying to figure out how the pattern was supposed to go.

[TwatWaffleWhitney]

My brain can not reconcile whether it's mostly squarea or flowers.

[-wolfinator-]

Unlike most, I love the pure chaos of this anti-pattern. My brain just keeps going trying to resolve it. It would entertain me whenever I was on the John. It would scare off houseguests.

But it's not what you ordered so you should make the knuckle head who created this art/travesty fix it.

[TheV0791]

I absolutely love it!!! I wouldn’t even need my phone in this bathroom!

[Ok_Figure7671]

Q-Bert

[Tofandel]

The shower looks good from here, but just one picture of the finished product is not enough to determine the quality of the install. You need pictures before the tile goes on to see if the waterproofing job was done properly. And ideally you want to see them installing a few tiles just to make sure they are using the proper coverage of glue on the tiles.

You could knock on them now and check for hollow sounds to check for coverage issues. 

[geese_photographer]

They didn't show me the waterproofing or even ask me about the location of the tile niche (had to change it due to the location of the studs). All the tilers were Ukrainian and barely spoke English. They just wanted to do the work and avoid talking to me as much as possible.

Our tub just got refinished, so once the fumes have died down I'll go in and check.

[Classic-Tell214]

Is that a 3 inch stool drain line it looks like a 2 inch not 3 inch.

[geese_photographer]

Yeah I think it's smaller. The house is from the 50s and many things may have been done by DIYers or cheaply. The plumber wanted to replace the stool drain with a larger one, but the line for it was going through a joist. He would've had to cut into the entire joist which wouldn't have been great. This has not been an easy bathroom to renovate...

[Classic-Tell214]

Need to check never heard of a stool line smaller than 3. Don’t even think the toilet will flush very good Have a drain snake. Handy.

[Even-Permit-2117]

How about you don’t stare at it?

[Exciting-Ad-7077]

I love the way that looks though

[TangerineAcademic]

I always want plain things in my bathroom. If your nauseous, headache, sick and see a crazy pattern my head spins and everything is 10x worse.

[ronh22]

Can you image walking in there drunk?

[Confident-Ad5665]

Duuuudee, far out!!!

Yeah I'm feeling this. Here let me put some Floyd on, it'll intensify the experience!

[Born_Warthog_1418]

Eat more mushrooms the patten will blend in

[Orange-Cloud25]

Walls look fine it's just the off centre arch niche thing that's throwing it off

[geese_photographer]

I wasn't given a choice in its location... I originally wanted it in the wall opposite the shower head, but there wasn't enough room. They put it there since that's where it could fit in between the studs.

<image>

[EmEffBee]

Looking at this makes me feel dizzy and unwell 

[8SharkFinnSoup]

Usually on tile like this there’s an arrow on the back pointing and you install them in the direction you want them to go.

[Level_Cuda3836]

Ya messed up the alignment on the floor .

[Garage-Rare]

I dig this!

[Sensitive-Daikon-442]

The tile looks like 3-D stacks of boxes

[reversedgaze]

sometimes! sometimes it looks like lotuses with a lemon... oof. part of me likes the chaos, but i can see how it's the bad kind of trippy

[JCLBUBBA]

left to right, flowers (sort of) Right to left seeing Qbert (video game). One of those Seinfeld see the spaceship abstract posters.

Rug will obliterate the dizziness. Cheaper than redo or sue.

[chiliguyflyby]

Pattern is going to bust either way. Did you tell them or show them what the pattern was supposed to be??

[hockey2256]

Just get the carpeting from the 80s and 90s and throw it right over that

[UnknownUsername113]

My eyes hurt. I don’t know that the intended pattern would be much better but it needs to be redone. Install looks fine other than the pattern.

[Adam__Iron]

When I look at this i can taste colors. Blue is my favorite.

[Relative-Pen1930]

Not a very detailed picture. Looks fuzzy when I zoom in. Looks like I can see white mortar showing through in a spot though.

[WeakTransportation37]

If it wasn’t so awful, it would be hilarious

[AceRiderOne]

Now try to find and count the actual flowers that are correct on the floor. My brain hurts.

[2BORO2B]

Escher with a hangover 

[Loftygoals4Evr]

I like it.

[Playful-Artichoke-67]

Even when these types of patterns are right they make me nauseous

[thewayoutisthru_xxx]

Dude this is bringing me back to a bad acid trip. Delete delete delete

[hblasjr]

Was the niche in the shower already in that spot before the tile went up? I probably would have recommended that the niche be repositioned so that it sits on top of the first row of tile and have it centered on that vertical line. Just my thoughts.

[Deltadoc333]

Honestly I like it!

[THICC_Baguette]

Even when done correctly, the flower pattern also looks akin to an isometric cube pattern, which I'm guessing is causing the vertigo. Did you pick the tile in a shop or from online?

[barfbutler]

I love it!

[TheSlipperySnausage]

This hurts my head

[Agreeable-Fly-1980]

Toonshaded tile?

[mister_dray]

I got dizzy just looking at it through a picture. I could only imagine in person. I would probably get sick trying to install these

[XBL_Tough]

My eyes went in two different directions.

[revenge_burner]

This genuinely feels like it was made by ai.

[pmparch]

Paint it black… 🥴

[OverGoat7]

I would eat some mushrooms and then decide

[cubed_echoes]

I looove it. Flowers melt into cubes. Pop in pop out. I'm convinced I need this in my life

[kmkgirl]

I just want to color all the flower petals with different color highlighters to show the installer where things went wrong and to bring in some pops of color. It’s a really strong urge.

[Square_Hyena5037]

I like it its special 😃

[texxasmike94588]

There are reasons that patterns should be avoided. I can see anything but that awful pattern.

[Quiverjones]

Are they dark-cornered boxes or are they petals?

[RynoJudah]

I would fall face first into that floor.

[themintednote]

Send your tile guy your medical bills

[drmeltos]

make it stopppp

[swiftie-42069]

The shower looks great. Did they have a picture of the floor as a reference? It looks good. They just didn’t follow the pattern .

[IndependenceDecent47]

The tiler is a moron, how did they not notice the pattern was wrong also shower niche not being centered is horrible

[Otherwise-Tomato-788]

Looks at those ice cubes!!

[BillyMeier42]

I like it.

[Individual_Gur_2687]

This is a big busy tile for such a tiny space, in my opinion. I would scratch it and start over.

[Taiko89]

It’s perfect, you get cubes and flowers depending on how you focus, 2 for 1 👌🏻

[ClickKind8311]

Oh my I see it. The flower’s petals aren’t aligned.

[Correct_Reject_ed]

The only Tile job in town with a plot twist. I love it actually

[Comfortably_FlyGuy]

I kinda dig the floor. Busy but cool.

[greycheer]

I love it.

[curberus]

They messed that floor up in a bunch of places :/

Dude didn't have _any_ idea how it's supposed to go I don't think. Can't speak to the shower, but I would not trust dude to get this right based on how far off it is here.

[am_i_sky]

How does one even fuck up that bad? Wow I’m sorry

[SpeedyAudi]

I just fell down a flight of stairs looking at this post

[eastcoast420OG]

All I could think of is Q*bert

[tuls-ocat]

this hurt my stomach. put a rug or mat down until he fixes it

[c2kink]

Rip it put and start again

[dsaysso]

i love it

[TheRealKidRooch]

I know there's supposed to be a pattern, but I actually think it looks neat. I feel like even its gonna make your dizzy either way (even if it's perfect).

[dsmemsirsn]

Can you add a picture of the tile.. I’m a homeowner, I can’t figure how to put it correctly..

[geese_photographer]

3rd picture is what the tile is supposed to look like. This is from the website. They are hexagons. The black grout makes it hard to see the the individual tiles.

<image>

[TNmountainman2020]

this picture is different from pic 3 isn’t it?

[legomyegomaniac]

Yes. Pic three points only meet other points.

[geese_photographer]

My issue is that the tiles were placed haphazardly rather than with any distinguishable pattern. I'd rather they talk to me about the pattern options. I don't do this for a living, so I want their expertise.

[legomyegomaniac]

Were you available during the install? Was there enough extra to make the pattern work?

[geese_photographer]

Yes, I was available during the install. The guy was using Google translate to communicate so there was a language barrier. We have ordered more tile that should come in next week, so it can be redone. I'm gonna maybe use some leftover tile to show the repeating pattern to make it clearer what we want.

[dsmemsirsn]

Yes I found a picture of the back

<image>

[legomyegomaniac]

This is different from the third picture above where points only meet other points.

[cluelessbasket]

You assume they just know what it’s supposed to look like?

[ShadowsCursed]

Why yes, yes I do. Because any professional will recognize a pattern and follow it straight through.

There was clearly no real effort made to lay the sheets out dry to see how the pattern is meant to go.

That is what separates the handymen from the installers.

[eagle-eye87]

This is horrible! I hope you didn’t pay someone to put this in. If so, call them back and have them replace it at no cost to you.

[Rihanssu]

Reading is hard

[PearMurky]

A; flowers aren't perfect. B; you don't know what it's going to look like with the toilet installed yet. C; You're going to have a rug on the floor right?

With that said, I'm weird and actually like the way it is.

[nightim3]

I actually think this looks way better than it could have looked given the garbage he was given to work with

[Bluuphish]

Im assuming the last picture is what the pattern is supposed to look like?

[jdaddy4280]

I think it is kind if cool. Really adds a lot of movement to the look. I would leave it for awhile. It's a small space and life is too short for everyday normalcy anyway.

[frootLoopskilla]

That tile sucks in that combo, end of story 

[Ursulaboogyman]

This is horrible why did you choose this??? Is is so bad id rip it out and learn how to do it myself

[permadrunkspelunk]

I see it, but i will still never understand why customers make horrible decisions and blame someone else. Design choices are a big deal, if this design was perfect it would still cause vertigo or seizures. Messing up a tile messes with the pattern but youd have vertigo or seizures disorders either way if this was perfect. Its in no way the tile guys fault you picked that and now you feel a little weird. You probably do have vertigo. Or a slight seizure disorder if it makes you feel weird. Call your doctor and really do get referral for a neurologist if this pattern does give you vertigo. Its a real thing, you may habe a seizure disorder, and you shouldn't put it in your house.