On Wed, 20 Apr 2016 10:29:17 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:

On 4/20/2016 9:53 AM, Gordon Shumway wrote:
On Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:07:48 -0500, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

If this were a binaries group, I'd have no problem posting a picture
which would reveal just how bad/glaring the effect is. Unfortunately,
the only photos I currently have would do little to give anyone a good
look at the actual pattern, up close, to assist in finding a solution.

No need to post pictures here, just load them to some photo sharing website and post just the address here. Then everyone can
see what the tiles look like. Here is a site that has a review of many photo sharing sites.

http://photo-sharing-websites.no1reviews.com/



https://www.dropbox.com/s/7uv2utia4g..._6793.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w5z85nox1w..._6794.jpg?dl=0

And you're going to have to lean over the counter whenver you are
working on this. I would just leave it the way it is. Who's to say
there should't be dark vertical lines every so often.

These illustrate the situation and also, if you consider them carefully,
show that it's either a design or manufacturing defect (or "feature" if
you're so inclined) rather than an installation error.

I'm thinking that when I get there in person and see the field tiles
remaining (on the spare sheets), I'll find some lighter ones that will
be the same size as the darker ones which are causing the problem.

Then again, rather than get hung up on just one solution, I go back to
the question of: If this is a man made product (don't know) and the
material was dyed, would a bit of muriatic acid (or anything else that
someone might suggest) offer a "bleaching" alternative, or. . .?

On 4/20/2016 5:19 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 4/20/2016 1:10 PM, dadiOH wrote:
Unquestionably Confused wrote:

Then again, rather than get hung up on just one solution, I go back to
the question of: If this is a man made product (don't know) and the
material was dyed, would a bit of muriatic acid (or anything else that
someone might suggest) offer a "bleaching" alternative, or. . .?

Acid will eat them but not bleach them. "Eating" might work if the tile
surface was superficially colored in some way bu,t from what you have
said,
I doubt that.


Beats me. I was 1500 miles west of her when she did it. Same distance
when she realized what she was stuck with. I got off the plane at
6:00PM last night and haven't driven the 60 miles to see it in person,
nor will I for a few days to a week.

It didn't take her but a bit to do it, but it's gonna take a lot longer
to correct it - if it can be.

Any solution proposed will be test run on surplus pieces so eventually
she (and I) will learn what, if anything, will work.


Well, I managed to view the back splash in person today and the
solution, while time consuming and tedious, appears to be relatively
straightforward.

1) The individual pieces of stone are all of only three or four lengths.

2) The offending dark pieces can be removed individually without damage
to either themselves, the adjacent pieces or the underlying wall board.

3) Removing them will be no more involved than selecting those they wish
to remove and carefully breaking the bond to the wall cement with a
razor knife as pry tool.

4) The inoffensive pieces adjacent to the dark pieces will remain in
place to provide support, alignment and a "preview" as they mix and
match pieces to "lose" that hideous vertical "stripe."

I'm 100% certain that this plan will a) correct the problem and b) once
I turn over the tedious work to the kids after showing them exactly what
they need to do it will reinforce the "prior planning" aspect of this
object lesson.

Best of all, I've conned them into have me and the wife come in on a
weekend for their demonstration and instruction on this cure and that
means a free lunch or dinner and quality time with our toddler grandson!

Everybody wins.

Still not sure how we'll cure the dark top band over the sink area but
they have enough spare tiles to work something out, I'm sure.

On 04/27/2016 8:13 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

....[description of removing individual tiles and swapping elided for
brevity]...

I'm 100% certain that this plan will a) correct the problem and b) once
I turn over the tedious work to the kids after showing them exactly what
they need to do it will reinforce the "prior planning" aspect of this
object lesson.

Best of all, I've conned them into have me and the wife come in on a
weekend for their demonstration and instruction on this cure and that
means a free lunch or dinner and quality time with our toddler grandson!

Everybody wins.

Sounds at least feasible if they've got the patience.

Still not sure how we'll cure the dark top band over the sink area but
they have enough spare tiles to work something out, I'm sure.

I'd still be curious as to what the cause of the above is...unless
there's a similar shading at the top and bottom of subsequent sheets
similar to the edges and it only shows up there because there's the only
place where there's a horizontal joint? Might try laying out some
spares that way and see if that shows up. Otherwise, I'm at a loss to
the cause; the other is easy to see "why".

I'd also really, really like to know what the manufacturer/distributor
says of the appearance -- as to whether that's really the way if was
supposed to look or not. Of course, it's a moot point if they're
satisfied to deal with it on own and not seek any other redress for the
need if it is, indeed, a flaw not a feature...

--

On 4/27/2016 9:03 PM, dpb wrote:
On 04/27/2016 8:13 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

...[description of removing individual tiles and swapping elided for
brevity]...

I'm 100% certain that this plan will a) correct the problem and b) once
I turn over the tedious work to the kids after showing them exactly what
they need to do it will reinforce the "prior planning" aspect of this
object lesson.

Best of all, I've conned them into have me and the wife come in on a
weekend for their demonstration and instruction on this cure and that
means a free lunch or dinner and quality time with our toddler grandson!

Everybody wins.

Sounds at least feasible if they've got the patience.

Still not sure how we'll cure the dark top band over the sink area but
they have enough spare tiles to work something out, I'm sure.

I'd still be curious as to what the cause of the above is...unless
there's a similar shading at the top and bottom of subsequent sheets
similar to the edges and it only shows up there because there's the only
place where there's a horizontal joint? Might try laying out some
spares that way and see if that shows up. Otherwise, I'm at a loss to
the cause; the other is easy to see "why".

The other tiles are similar. No matter what you do, you're going to see
a dark area along the interlocking butt joint. What's really strange is
the dark bank along the top area. either the entire sheet she cut down
was a darker shade overall (she only used a horizontal strip 5 (?) tiles
high) or had a shading to the bottom. Pretty sure though based on what
she had left over it was darker overall.

I'd also really, really like to know what the manufacturer/distributor
says of the appearance -- as to whether that's really the way if was
supposed to look or not. Of course, it's a moot point if they're
satisfied to deal with it on own and not seek any other redress for the
need if it is, indeed, a flaw not a feature...

As far as I can determine it's a flaw. Nobody in their right (or wrong)
mind would opt for a pattern like that. I'm surprised (and somewhat
disappointed) that our daughter let it go to the point she did. She
realizes now the error of her ways. I'll do half of the first vertical
joint to show her how to correct it and then it's her baby. That will
ensure there will be no repeatg