How to judge tile lippage—don't just tear everything out right away.

When doing a kitchen backsplash, a client once looked at it the next day and said the tiles were 'sticking out.' It wasn't the whole wall, but a section of 3x12 subway tile near the window had noticeable lippage, and the shadows were very heavy under the lights. The root cause wasn't as simple as the installer not pressing them flat; the old drywall had local bulges, and the countertop…