unstuck tiles

[halsia]

Hi, we recently had a around 25 sq meters concrete floor tiled with 60cm square ceramic tiles. These were laid over insulation boards and electric underfloor heating mats. After about a month we noticed that they started to sound hollow to tap and the grout has disintegrated.

I spoke to the tiler a few times and he has suggested lifting them and regluing but we think that this will ruin the underfloor heating.

Another alternative was to inject some sort of glue into the joins and regrout.

But since the tiles are so big can we actually do nothing? what will happen if we do nothing?

thanks, Ian

[Sir Ramic]

Get the tiler back to sort it out.

[whitebeam]

What adhesive was used to stick the insulation boards down

[Rob Z]

Hi Ian, tiles that have started to sound hollow have lost what little bond that they had when they were first set. I hate to say it, but a bit of glue injected and a regrout isn't going to solve this one.

[halsia]

the tiler is such a slob though and now we have finished the project we are concerned that he will wreck the tiles, the underfloor heating and the new kitchen.

Is doing nothing an option? What would happen eventually if we did nothing?

thanks

[whitebeam]

It would only get worse after such a short time to have problems

[halsia]

I think he mixed up his own flexible adhesive - he made such a mess - there was so much dust.

[halsia]

Will the tiles just come off and move around?

[Dave]

Hi Ian..where are you based.?..maybe a pro tiler from the forum might come and have a look for you..

[whitebeam]

The tiles you mention sound big for ceramic, porcelain normally comes in that size.

[Rob Z]

Ian,

It is possible to get these tiles off the UFH without damage, especially if the first installer didn't use the setting materials properly. Maybe you could hire one of the guys from the forum to come and give you an assist, and try to demo some tiles to see how it is going to come out with taking them out w/o damage to the UFH?

[Rob Z]

Hi Ian..where are you based.?..maybe a pro tiler from the forum might come and have a look for you..

Dave, buddy...SIMULPOST!

[faithhealer]

Dave, buddy...SIMULPOST!

not looking for plane tickets are you Rob

[dagger]

in my experience, this sounds like non flexi adhesive,
either in the insulation stage or after.

a lot of peeps think that you can stick the insulation boards down with anything.. its not so!

plus if they "sound hollow" they may be "DABBED?"

sorry for your trouble!

[halsia]

we are in Wimbledon, London.

I am here Saturdays if someone is kind enough to offer to take a look.

[halsia]

Forgot to stress that the tiles seemed to be stuck at the beginning (they didn't seem hollow then) but became more and more hollow sounding.

I guess that this could have been because the glue actually dried out.

One other thing is that we thought at the time that the tiler switced on the underfloor heating after only 1 day and everything we had read suggested 1 week or more....


Thanks

[whitebeam]

The adhesive would not have had time to cure

[garythetiler]

Forgot to stress that the tiles seemed to be stuck at the beginning (they didn't seem hollow then) but became more and more hollow sounding.

I guess that this could have been because the glue actually dried out.

One other thing is that we thought at the time that the tiler switced on the underfloor heating after only 1 day and everything we had read suggested 1 week or more....


Thanks

where did you find your tiler, did they come recommended and did you get references for this guy ,which type of ufh did you use ,did the tiler laytex over the cables first and then fit or did he stick straight onto the wires ,sorry to ask so many questions just helps to know when trying to give advice

[Fekin]

Even if the tiler has used propper flexi adhesive, it is recommended to slowly bring up the temp of the heating over at least a week in my opinion, to give the adhesive enough time to adjust to the temp change and ever so slowly flex with the higher temp.

[hillhead]

i met a man on a horse yesterday on the road,"must have been one of them numptys who think they are tradesmen !!!" lol.

[nudge]

a couple of tile manufacturers here in Oz about 20/25 years ago had a huge problem with raw materials supplied in wrong ratios, causing tiles to "grow" badly. this was such a huge part of the industry (millions of m2 )that a seperate industry developed for "repair" - this method was a particular latex from an old fashioned 2 part rubber - force injected under pressure via holes drilled into the grout which would then find all the voids or trowlling ribs under the tiles. there are still companies here that warranty this method of repair here for 10 years so it possible but i don't know if any equivelant would exist in UK.

[bluebob]

sounds like an expensive mess unfortunatelyi,m no expert in ufh but would guess tiles are separating from boards rather than boards coming loose.does anyone know why grout has disintegrated?

[whitebeam]

The heat has dried it out far to quick, even though it has set quick it needs the moisture for it to cure.

[365drills]

Sounds like a dot-n-dab job to me!

It'll probably have to come up and be relaid at some point.


When the tiler (sorry builder) was at work laying your floor adhesive did it look like this as he was working.



Or did he butter the tiles like he would a brick and then lay them.

You did ask what is the option of doing nothing. Well if you do nothing then maybe if the tiles are undisturbed not much will happen to them. But if you want the tiler to come back and redo them you have rights as a consumer.

[hunters tiling]

ive been calleed to see a job that had the same problem, managed to lift a tile and they were all dot and dab, it only got worse the longer it was down and once i'd popped one up the rest were easy. no underfloor heating but could of been solved if it was.