Laying ceramic tile over parquet

16 years ago

We hired someone to lay ceramic tile in our kitchen/foyer/hallway (Dec. 2006). We had existing parquet flooring in the foyer and hallway and they recommended NOT pulling up the parquet, but instead, installing the tile over it.

We've had problems with the grout cracking and chipping in those areas (parquet). Is this something that we're going to continue to have problems with...possibly because there's too much give in between the parquet and tile?

We had an interior designer sub the work out, so it was a professional installation...we didn't do this ourselves. The designed had the installer come out about 5 months after installation to repair the grout and I've sent her another email that it's still a problem.

Advice needed please...thanks.

Featured Answer

jerry_t

16 years ago

This one is a complete tear out... sorry for your problems.

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Comments (10)

brusso
16 years ago
The wood parquet floor is still subject to humidity changes i.e. swelling and contracting. Anything installed over the parquet will also swell and contract. In this case it sounds like your tile is moving with the parquet, hence the cracks.
glennsfc
16 years ago
The parquet should have come up and an approved underlayment installed. I assume that the tile was placed directly over the parquet. If that is the case, then...yes...you will always have trouble with it.
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floorguy
16 years ago
Never lay tile and mortar over parquet, or any dimensional wood. It shrinks and swells too much, causing the tiles to become loose with grout failure everytime.

Since your floor was never installed to standards, the installation warranty has not even started yet.
bud_cline
16 years ago
Yup! Not a professional job. Any installer (or decorator for that matter) should know about this problem. Ceramic tile is NEVER to be installed directly over this type of wood product.:) I think the decorator should pay to have this floor redone totally. Repairing it repeatedly isn't the answer.
ceramictec
16 years ago
I agree with all of the others and have to agree to what Bud says about putting this on the Decorator to take the blame.

she should have had better knowledge on it before instructing someone to do it the improper way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ceramictec
heuerfrank_telkomsa_net
13 years ago
Is there not a product that will stays partly pliable, that would move with the parquet but still hold the tile and grouting in place. the reason I ask this is, I need to tile over an area that is part morter part parquet. I am a diy and just dont have the cassh to pull up the parquet.
Barbara Kavadias
4 years ago
Oh no, this is exactly what my husband wants to do. Does it matter that ) it is in a closet and 2) it is not solid parquet but a veneer over I think foam ( if I remember correctly) when I moved into the house 20 years ago, I took out these parquet tiles throughout the downstairs to put in wood flooring, but left them in my walkout closet because of all the built in shelving. We are replacing the shelving now but it list fits with the current floor, so my husband thought he would install them on the current floor then tile up to the shelves to match the bath tile.
SJ McCarthy
4 years ago
@ Barbara - regardless of where it is, you do not want to spend time/money/effort installing tile (it's hard enough to install properly let alone install it the wrong way = redo) over a substrate that is not fit to sit underneath tile.

If you are not sure what the parquet is (veneer over something) then remove it. It is a closet. It is a small space. Go ahead and remove the old parquet and then use cement backer board to RAISE THE HEIGHT of the floor to match what currently exists. It is that simple.

The 'easy install' will turn into an expensive 'second attempt' within a year. It isn't worth it.

For me, I would simply wait until my hubby left the house and then I would demolish the closet floor so there would be NO possible way the 'bad install' could happen. It would force the issue before it became an issue.

Do your marriage a favour - remove the parquet while no one's looking.
PRO
Footprints Floors | McKinney
4 years ago
it should have been removed, they could have screwed cement board down and maybe been ok, but yes that wood will have absorbed the water in the mortar, and it will keep cracking. a TCNA or flooring inspector would fail the installation, and put all the responsibility on the installer (I would have walked away)

Laying ceramic tile over parquet

jerry_t

Comments (10)

brusso

glennsfc

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Footprints Floors | McKinney

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