Help!: 600 x 600 porcelain floor

[w.i.a.tile]

Hope you can help me with this one.

I bought a new house 2 years ago and had a 600 x 600mm porcelain floor installed, tile approx 10mm thick, total coverage 25m2.

All was fine up untill about six months ago when i noticed movement in the tiles when anyone stepped on them. The grout joint around the tile is about 1.5mm wide which i understand is small but i believe needs to be tight for the final finish with this type of floor.

Sounds bizarre but holes in the grout keep apparing all over the place.

No tiles have cracked but they do sound hollow when you tap them with someting.

the floor substrate is a timber floating floor which was then over laid with marine ply 18mm thick and fixed every 6 inches.

the tiles were laid with a serrated trowel bed as i watched the tiler from time to time and i was very impressed with the end result.

I am begining to suspect that the tiler may have used the wrong adhesive and or grout which is contributing to these problems.

please advise adhesive and grout choice for this floor tile and for this substrate.

all i want is to get my floor back to how it was, if it means rip out and start again then so be it.

please help.

P.S. if i do rip it out and start again i will probably install electric underfloor heating. Please could you advise if this will have an effect on adhesive and grout choice.

[medlar]

it sounds as though your tiler has used a non flexi addy and grout mate,also did he prime your floor prior to laying the tiles?
you can either use a 2 part or single part flexi adhesive,but make sure it is suitable for porcelain,also maybe the tiler did not use enough edhesive on your floor,i have seen that before

[GazTech]

A floating floor needs 2 part flexi adhesive, and flexible grout. Single part and rapid flex isn't flexi enough....Some tilers won't even tile them.....Gaz

[enduro]

I walk away from floating floors all the time, they will always be problems, and should never be tiled.

[whitebeam]

To many problems with cracking on these floors

[Eddie]

Excuse my ignorance but. what is a floating floor? How can you tell?

[Dave]

A floating floor needs 2 part flexi adhesive, and flexible grout. Single part and rapid flex isn't flexi enough....Some tilers won't even tile them.....Gaz

Before he does use 2 part gaz...Is there anything he should check first..?..

[enduro]

Excuse my ignorance but. what is a floating floor? How can you tell?

Basically its a chipboard floor laid onto jablite or similar insulation, and its glued together so its not fixed to anything it just sits on top of insulation so it a floating floor, these are only on ground floor, so if its a fairly new house and ground floor is chipboard it will more than likely be a floating floor...BEWARE

[Eddie]

cheers enduro, i'll be doing a floor on Monday that is chip board. bu
t the guy has already plyed it. is there any way to tell once it's covered.

[Dave]

cheers enduro, i'll be doing a floor on Monday that is chip board. bu
t the guy has already plyed it. is there any way to tell once it's covered.

check for movement at skirtings and external door ways etc.....or excessive bounce as you walk on it..

[Eddie]

Cheers Dave, will check that out tomorrow.

[graham31]

Hope you can help me with this one.

I bought a new house 2 years ago

Is this a new build?

[NWB Tiling]

So is the consensus, that floating floors should not be tiled on ?

Or if you do tile it, be sure the use 2 part Flex and flex grout over thick 20+mm ply and hope it doesn't crack !

Nige

[grumpygrouter]

So is the consensus, that floating floors should not be tiled on ?

Or if you do tile it, be sure the use 2 part Flex and flex grout over thick 20+mm ply and hope it doesn't crack !

Nige

Pretty much!

[protile.ceramic]

I'm a Tiler from Brighton and if you want I can come to your house and advise you on your floor tiling.

[pjc]

Before he does use 2 part gaz...Is there anything he should check first..?..

That its been screwed to the floor of else it will always move lol

[knightonthetile]

has,nt anyone ever heard of ditra mat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave]

has,nt anyone ever heard of ditra mat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ditra doesn't combat deflection....only expansion ( lateral movement)...

[pjc]

bal are the only peeps that i know that say you can tile it but cover there bums by saying that there cant be any movement which i cant see is possible have done it before with 10 mm backerboard put down with 2 part but it is not recommended and wouldn't put my name to it :Pete

[davy_G]

I wont tile floating floors. Walk away.
Lift the tiles and put wood down.