Hi gang,
I recently re-did my upstairs bath/shower area. With the help of some awesome help from this forum, I did everything correctly in regard to squaring walls, using correct cement board, proper vapor barriers etc. I still lacked the confidence (and time) to do the actual wall tile. I did the floor and it came out great.

The walls are simple white 6 X 8 ceramic tiles and I wanted them laid out in the brick style.
I hired a guy (through a relative of course) that started the tile while I was at work. I should have made the time to to it myself!!!!!! He spaced the tiles where I have 1/2" pieces on the ends of each second row because he started the bottom row on center instead of off setting one way or the other. Also, the tiles don't sit flat on an even plane. Some stick up higher , some are lower etc.
It looks terrible!!!!
My question is, can I somehow knock that tile off and scrape or grind the thinset off the CBU and re-start? Or an I going to have to rip out the CBU and restart all over? I hope this isn't my only option.... I just got called back to work after a long lay-off and I just don't have time available to restart.
I KNOW I can't live with the way it is now!!!
After all my prep work (which I was quite proud of by the way!)I'm REALLY Pis*ed!!!!

Please HELP!!!
Thanks,
Bob

You don't mention what type of CBU you installed, but depending on how well the tile is bonded to it, it may be best for you to remove the whole thing and start over.

Tile that is not bonded well should come off relatively clean, but getting the CBU clean is a different ball game.

Personally, I would rather spend the extra 80 cents or so per square foot to replace it than to spend all that time trying to clean it. Getting it clean without damaging it would be next to impossible, and getting it clean without having to flash over it to smooth it out is definitely impossible.

Good luck with the redo.

Sorry to hear your story Bob. I recall your post some time back.

We hear this kinda thing all the time. Every body thinks they know how to install tiles and build showers. It's usually the result of people trying to get things done real cheap. I always say, "too cheap costs too much".

I recommend you bite the bullet and start fresh. Take everything to the curb.

Before you re install the CBU, I recommend you check the studs and make them in plane with each other so the finished walls will be flat. Also consider a different size tile since the multiple widths ended up about an inch short.

Jaz

time is of the essence. thinset takes about 12 to 24 hours to really bite. If you can peel the tile off within the first 12 hours it should go fairly well and the thinset should sand off with 40 grit paper.

Thanks for the replies guys. I just got home from work, and was hoping to read something different but kinda knew there wasn't much of an option!
I used durock for cbu by the way.
The studs are on an even plane... I sistered the really bad ones and was able to plane some high spots down on the ones that weren't too bad. The tiles aren't flush to each other because of the way they were set in the thinset I'm assuming.

And finally, the tiles were put up Saturday. Way beyond the 12 to 24 hr removal time frame.

I spent a ton of time on prepping the job...I am a toolmaker by trade...trust me, the walls were even and I double checked everything. For some reason, I just didn't have the confidence to lay the tiles myself. I could have done a better job myself....blindfolded!!

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Now, where was that 4 lb. sledge?!

since it's not grouted yet, try peeling a few tiles off see if it works. But if it proves that the backer can not be salvaged, then cutting along the grout lines with a recip saw and removing the tile and backer together in sections it the easiest.

Will do, Thanks.

I thought long and hard about just knocking off the top 3 rows and re tiling them and just living with it. I grabbed a once sharp wood chisel and hammer to see how well the tiles were bonded. I gave the tiles a few whacks, and it popped right off! Almost no thinset on the tile itself, all on the cbu. So I whacked again, and a tile 3 rows down popped right off...without me even touching it! again not a speck of thinset on the tile, but plenty on the cbu.
So that idea is shot!!
I went to grab the sawzall, then realized I have a brick pattern...no cuting between the grout lines here! LOL!!

Anyway, I knocked it all down now, and am re doing the cbu...like I know I should have anyway!

Another lesson learned.

...and one I'm sure you'll remember for a long time.

We've ALL been there.