Witnessed a critical mortar misstep at the library renovation during my morning route

During my usual run yesterday, I passed by the ongoing library expansion. The workers were tiling the exterior entrance with what looked like standard thin-set. From my experience, that mortar isn't suitable for the large porcelain slabs they had stacked nearby. This is a common error that causes tiles to detach over time, especially with foot traffic. It's irritating to see such a basic oversight on a public building. They're essentially creating a future repair headache for the city. As a tile setter, it's hard to watch without intervening.

3 comments

3 Comments

kareng201mo agoMost Upvoted

Saw something similar with a municipal pool project a few years back. They used the wrong waterproofing membrane behind the tile in the shower area, and the entire wall had to be gutted before the building even opened. The waste was staggering, but the bid had already been won. It's the special kind of frustration that comes from knowing the fix will cost ten times more later, funded by the same public money they were trying to save.

the_ben1mo ago

Ugh, my DIY project had that same 'COST-SAVING' logic. Brutal.

noah_brown1mo ago

Rushed timelines can be the real culprit in these scenarios... contractors often face impossible deadlines that lead to mistakes. In the pool project you mentioned, perhaps the membrane was specified correctly but installed under duress. I've seen cases where the procurement team orders the right materials, but field crews swap them out to save time. The waste is tragic, but blaming the bid process alone misses the pressure cooks these projects operate in.