Help!: Cracked glass tiles

[kingborris]

Hi All,

I've recently had a new bathroom installed and had the shower cubicle lined with 20x20cm glass tiles. This work was done by an outfit doing a whole host of renovation work on the property. The work was completed and I was happy with the job done.

Around 2 months on, and before the shower has even been used, 4 of the tiles on one wall have cracked right across. The wall in question is at the front of the house and is therefore a load baring wall. It was a brick wall covered with plaster before it was tiled.

Does anyone know what is the most likely cause of the crack? Is this down to poor installation or is there something else likely to be the culprit?

Does the installation of tiles like this require any special techniques, as AFAIK, they just treated them like the regular ceramic tiles the rest of the bathroom has been tiled in? I've not had a problem with any otehr parts, just the glass tiles.

Any information / thoughts you have are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

KB.

[grumpygrouter]

Don't suppose you could post some pics showing us the problem could you. may help with some diagnosis.

[kingborris]

I'll get some pictures tomorrow, and post them up

[bigandy]

Also what type of tiles and adhesive used?

[Droopy]

What adhesive was used?
How long was the plaster left before it was tiled?

[kingborris]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses. No pics until tomorrow unfortunately.

The tiles were from the same range as these, just in a different colour:

Tile Range - Crystal

I'm pretty sure they used a granfix adhesive, but i'm not sure i could tell you which variety was used.

Oh, and the plaster on the walls wasnt new. the wall in question used to be a small bedroom we have converted to an ensuite. The plast originally had wallpaper over it, but itself probably is still the 50's original.

[kingborris]

Finally have some pictures.

Any comments welcomed.

[whitebeam]

Is this an old property, The first picture looks like movement behind the plaster which has related through to the tiles IMO, There's movement, dos'nt look like adhesive failure otherwise the grout may have cracked first. Is it brick not a light weight block.

[NETT Darren]

Hi Mate
There should be an expansion joint in the corner and filled with silicone, if the tiles have been butted together and there has been some movement in the house or walls then theres your problem, another cause could be the adhesive has shrunk as its dried which is normal when the water comes out and the glass tile cannot take the stress of it
There is two explinations

[GazTech]

It's sure to be background movement, transferred through to the face...Gaz

[kingborris]

cheers for the replies.

its a 50's brick built house.

if we replace the cracked tiles, is this likely to happen again? Would it take much movement to cause this? I'm a little concerned now as we had a full survey done on the property before we bought it, and there wasnt any indications of movement. we havent made any alterations to anything structural in the house, just removed a non load bearing wall in anotehr area and knocked a door through another non load bearing wall (actually the wall adjacent to the wall with the cracked tiles).

So i'm guessing the people who did the tiling cant be held accountable for this?

[LM Ceramics]

i usually silcone the corners from the pic they have grouted the corner nice tiles though by the way

[kingborris]

there is actually a bead of silicon on that corner joint. dont know whether they grouted the corner first however?

[whitebeam]

Any house has movement, The building technics of the 50's did'nt account for modern tiling. I would have dry lined the shower wall to take any movement from the brickwork. Alteration work, No matter what you do will cause some kind movement on the older propertys.

[LM Ceramics]

there is actually a bead of silicon on that corner joint. dont know whether they grouted the corner first however?

it looks like it has been grouted in the corner i must be blind

[Saltire69]

Did u have the wall tiled then knock the door through? If so it could have been that.

[kingborris]

Did u have the wall tiled then knock the door through? If so it could have been that.

nope, door first. the tiles were pretty much last.

so what about repairing? if i get the tiles replaced (I have some spares now), am i likely just get more of this occuring?

[whitebeam]

Only if you put the tiles on the same background, If comes to it take the tiles off and hack the existing plaster off and dot and dab plasterboard on, If there;s any movement it will happen behind the board rather than through to the tiles

[Branty]

Could be a lack of an expansion joint. It could also be an excessive adhesive bed. Causing excessive shrinkage of adhesive, and if there's a good bond with the tile, the tile to crack.

[kingborris]

Only if you put the tiles on the same background, If comes to it take the tiles off and hack the existing plaster off and dot and dab plasterboard on, If there;s any movement it will happen behind the board rather than through to the tiles

Aaarrrg! that sounds like a LOT of work and extra expense, as it would mean re-doing half the bathroom entirely

Ithink i'm just going to have to get the broken tiles replaced and hope it doesnt happen again

[Alberta Stone]

You could use a grout saw and rake the grout out of the corner joint and silicone it.

Looks like nice tile from what I could see of it.