Help!: Can anyone advise (without looking) as to what I should do..?

[mytilingisruff]

Hi Everyone. We recently had a new kitchen fitted by a joiner (excellent joiner) but I'm far from happy with the floor tiles (porcelain).

The guy took my old floor boards up and put down new tongue & groove chipboard with a green colour to it (I've been told this is good as it is the proper stuff). He then fitted underfloor heating to which he added a dark grey screed to protect the mat when he tiled. He then tiled and grouted.

Having stayed out of the kitchen due to being asked to keep off the tiles whilst the adhesive set I then had chance to assess the end job.

The tiles are not at the same level where they meet up (seperated by grout as he used spacers), up to a point where the edge of one can be up to 2mm higher than the one next to it. The grouting has clearly been rushed due to it having a lot of air bubbles in it and even a 7mm piece of blue insulation from an electrical cable was found in one piece (I carefully dug around it 'Time Team' style to discover this. The grout has started to crack in several places and one tile is loose on one edge. I also managed to prise a tile up in one corner under a proposed dryer to find poor tile adhesive spreading methods which resulted in the tile only adhering and being supported for approximately 50% of the area (he clearly never prepped the floor as there is a large ridge of grey screed which protrudes up in amongst where he has run his tile spreader).

The last thing I want to is upset the apple-cart but I also don't want to end up with a poor floor some time in the future.

Thanks to you all in advance of your advice.

[GirlRacerRed]

did the joiner fit the tiles then? or did you employ a tiler to fit them?

whichever way around, you need to get the guy who did the floor to come back and tell him about the bits you're not happy with. unfortunately with UFH in the mix too, anything done to try and lift the tiles may damage the UFH underneath so this could be a whole rip out and restart.

[andy allen]

chip board isnt a suitable surface to tile to.....any pics we be a help

[tfs]

You need to get him out to look at it and highlight all the areas you are not happy with.

If you post some pics on here we can give you our opinions which may help you raise the issue with your Joiner.

[Dan]

Firstly tiles that are 'lipping' (one higher than the one next to it) isn't acceptable. And if the grout is cracking there's a big chance the joiner () grouted the floor with a grout that isn't flexible.

Sorry to say this but a tiler should tile. A joiner should stick to his wood which I'm sure he's brilliant with.

When was this completed? And how long was it before you first turned on the underfloor heating?

[jay]

sounds like you have real issues with the tiling and from what you have written it doesn't sound right might be best to talk to tiler and get his point as to your issues (pics would help) then if still unhappy recommend getting a pro tiler in to assess the work in mention

[timeless john]

Mytilingisruff - and by the sound of it your right!

It will be difficult to ascertain the real 'state' of the floor from a description and not viewed however the preparation is inadequate by tiling direct to the Green Chipboard and your problems are just about to start.
The future is now and I'd upset the cart straight away if you are not happy.
Joiners doing the tiling! and geting paid or not if you are sensible.
Post some photos if you'd like more replies.

[Rich]

Chipboard, UFH and a guy who clearly has no idea about tiling.
If you paid him to lay the floor for you then he needs to put it right or foot the bill for you to get it sorted by a pro. Im afraid this is a rip out and start from scratch job. Chipboard should never be used to tile onto and you need to get 100% coverage of adhesive on a floor. Any cracked grout you have now will get worse and to be honest I doubt any of those tiles will stay down long.

[grumpygrouter]

As per all the comments above but just as a thought, are the tiles rectangular and fitted "brick bond"? If so, it could be curvature in the tile that is causing the lipping, in which case they shouldn't have been laid in that style.

[mytilingisruff]

aaarrrrgggh.

The guy qouted us and said he did tiling and with me not wanting to question the guy's credentials I took it as read that he would do a good job.

I could offer people brain surgery but I wouldn't advise you take me up on the offer.

I'm miffed now.

I never gave it a second thought as he had an electrician to do the electrics, a builder to do alteration work to the door and window, a gas man to fit and connect the hob and a plasterer to do the plastering. I assume if he couldn't tile he would get a tiler in and as I suffer from 'Ups & Downs' I perhaps didn't question him enough.

The good news is that I asked him to leave the tiling splash back but am worried as to where to go now as the bodge job was only noticed when it was all down and grouted.

He advised us on the heating so we left it a full ten days then started it off on 5 degrees, turning it up by 2 degrees each day from then on.

Regards tiling onto the green board, he did put down the UFH and a dark grey screed over the top then tiled onto this.

I have had a troubled xmas due to this and Really Wish I'd got a Tiler to do it but you trust folk.

I think he was on a flier but am worried about my nice kitchen being a problem in the near future.

[mytilingisruff]

The lipping is caused by a poor job. It is done brick-bond style but I'm sure the tiles are not curved.

I have put a short spirit level onto the raised edge and in places it leaves a gap of approximately 2-3 mm above the next tile and there is one short tile (cut down) that is above the adjoining tile at one end and below at the other.

I can bet my bottom dollar that if anyone off this forum came to look they'd say 'Rip Up. Start Again.'

[timeless john]

If the grout is cracking now its going to get worse when the water gets in after washing it!

[mytilingisruff]

Thanks to you all. I'll get my snapper out and attempt to post some photos for you to peruse tomorrow.

Thanks again.

[mytilingisruff]

The capillary (spelling.?) effect with the floor mopping. O NO.

Gotta go as the guy forgot his horse and it needs feeding.

cheers to you all.

anyone tiling in the Hull/ Humberside area. HU14.??

[aph257]

yet again another tradesmen thinks he can do ours. sorry about that, but like all the commenats above, it'll all have to come up and start again.

[Alberta Stone]

Another sad story of a job gone bad.
Sorry to hear of it.
The contractor needs to sort this by getting it lifted including chipboard and supplying all the new materials to start with.
If he was paid the proper rate for the work done then he has to pay for the labor as well.

[Gazzatile]

Good advice I think the job will have to be redone

[Rich]

The capillary (spelling.?) effect with the floor mopping. O NO.

Gotta go as the guy forgot his horse and it needs feeding.

cheers to you all.

anyone tiling in the Hull/ Humberside area. HU14.??

You will need to send a private message to Dave, he should be able to put you in contact with one of the experts in your area.

[mytilingisruff]

Have had advice from several tilers and it was summed up as the joiner (Andy) should not have attempted to put a self levelling screed onto a chipboard base. The tiler who offered this advice (Kevin) stated that as a self levelling screed needs to be liquid to find it's level it doesn't go well with chipboard as it finds gaps around the edges and escapes. The joiner (Andy) will have mixed the screed so it is thicker to avoid this but it then means it has to be worked with a trowel therefore losing it's self levelling properties (the un-level surface meant that the tiles could not be laid perfectly flat). Andy had agreed to return and put right his poor work but would not guarantee the underfloor heating. We are unfortunately proceeding through the small claims court. Thanks for all your initial advice and thank you Kevin for restoring my faith in tradesmen.

[jay]

Thanks for the update any chance of some pics

lesson here is joiners join timber
tilers lay tiles

[Daz]

well said Jay.