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Advice needed from Pros re Tiling (grout cracks)

9 years ago

About 1/3 of the floor on our first floor (foyer, kitchen, bath and in between) was tiled with 12x24 porcelain tile. In the foyer, the grout lines developed several lines of cracks about 1-2 months after the tiling was done. Tiling looks fine in all the other areas.

The contractor has come back, removed the old grout, and re-grouted not once but TWICE (first with unsanded and then sanded grout). And now just a few days later the cracks are back. I do hear a hollow sound when tapping on some areas of tiling. What do you think needs to be done now? Thanks so much in advance!

Featured Answer

PRO

Mint tile Minneapolis

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

You MOST likely have A Deflection issue with your subfloor and substrate not meeting proper preperation standards to accept A large format tile floor. The first thing that happens is failed grout, then popped/cracked tiles.....If you have hollow spots under tile thats A further RED flag of a bad install and would lead me to question everything from point a-z.

There is some mandatory math and proper preperation set by industry standards with tiling floors, it starts with the tile choice and its rating, followed by measuring the homes deflection rating and assessing the joist or structure and correcting the substrate ( slab on grade different prep) properly to accept the tile installation.

Do you have any pictures of the prep work done? the way in which the tiles were cleaned, buttered and installed and with what type of thinset? what is the deflection rating your subfloor was prepped for and how? these are the questions you ask your tile professional to verify....

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Comments (7)

millworkman
9 years ago
Sounds to me like the floor is not flat, which is why you are hearing hollow spots. The tile flex or move slightly due to this and the grout being the weak link cracks. If I am correct the only way to fix this is to remove the tile flatten the floor and have the tile reinstalled.
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
zargunn:

What is the construction of the floor?

Here in Florida, most homes are on a concrete slab and most tile setters tile right over the control joints in the concrete. Of course, control joints are designed to allow the concrete to move and when it inevitably does, the tile cracks or "tents".

If your tile setter has a grout line over a control joint, consider yourself lucky, but the hollow sound is no good. They must be reset.
PRO
By Any Design Ltd.
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"....What do you think needs to be done now? ...."

I think you need to remove some grout and pop out a few of the tiles. I would think you have a bond breaker issue where the substrates' tile prep has failed or the thin-set has failed. Often large tiles are set with the wrong setting materials.

you might discover a pre-mixed thinset like Mastic was used. This would of course be a bad idea and not the right choice for that tile size.

Your builders could have used construction adhesive and cement board as tile prep - that would be wrong as well.

Or maybe the thin-set was right but over watered and installed too thick.

So many things could have been done wrong. Removing a few tiles should point out what the problem was.

Do you know if the installer left room for expansion around the perimeter?

HOUZZ FEATURE IDEABOOK: [WHY BATHROOM FLOORS NEED TO MOVE[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/why-bathroom-floors-need-to-move-stsetivw-vs~16362005)

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zargunn
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks so much, everyone! We did not live in the house while the tiles were installed. So I don't have any pictures or don't know any detail of the installation.
PRO
By Any Design Ltd.
9 years ago
Then you best pop out a few tiles and take a look at what is going wrong.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
zargunn:

Before you move in, bounce a golf ball on each of the tile. On tile that large better bounce twice on each. Properly laid tile will make a nice "snick" sound, hollow tiles will "thunk". You'll hear the difference right away. Keep track of your "snicks" and "thunks" on paper and figure the percentage of bad tile. If it's too high, it's a do-over.

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