Floor Lifting

[CJ]

Got a call to look at a job.......insurance job

Anyway.....the BIG kitchen (30m) has been down 8 years. No UFH

right across the kitchen 2 rows of tiles have just lifted up almost like they have been pushed together until they came up like a low pyramid. Never seen anything like it before.

Original tiler/builder had put them down on dots of sticky, which also was coming up easily.

Now after 8 years I doubt she can get the same tile or if they could?, the batch would no doubt stick out like a sore arse, so I recommended that the whole lot come up and be retiled. She is waiting for a insurance guy to look at it as well, so not sure wot is going to happen.

I have to quote for doing the whole job.

Lifting old, removal, Prep area and retile.............so


Have any of you lot seen a floor lift in such a way??????


Oh...........she was fit as well, which was a bonus

[whitebeam]

Would be interesting to see what's underneath, screed, floorboards or what thickness of ply, give us a few more details if you can cj. Don't sound to good for that kind movement. Never seen anythink that bad.

[CJ]

Sorry............forgot to mention that the substrate is concrete screed.

[Dave]

hi CJ.
This sounds like an expansion problem...either the wrong adhesive was used thus re-sulting in the tiles de-bonding as they have , or an expansion joint should have been installed in the tiling..its hard to say unless we have more details.. like

1. wot was the longest run of tiles.
2. Is it a floating floor ( concrete floors can classed as a floating floor if they are laid on kingspan)..
3. Were porcelain tiles used with the wrong adhesive etc...

let us know and we can help you more...

[alex1963]

i've seen this happen a fair bit ;its all to do with the tiles expanding and having no where to go.some of the old 70s tiles were very prone to and could build up so much pressure that they popped explosivly!! one of my floors did this lastweek ,dark porc 600s in the sun at the end of a 45 degree week,2 rows popped up in the air and yes i did use good glue with good coverage!!more expansion joints would have helped but it could just be a case of the wrong tiles in the wrong place

[GazTech]

This problem is known as [B]tenting[/B] it is an expansion effect,combined with tiles dotted into place,moisure forms in the voids and the tile will de-bond.Saw it most recently in the VW dealership in Preston .......Gaz

[pjc]

yes tenting often happens if there is no expansion joints and especially if its tiled tight around the edges of the room:Pete

[CJ]

Cheers for all the replys

6.5 metres is the longest run, on a solid concrete screed.

Cheapo looking ceramics as well.

This house is in the sticks a bit and the rather nice looking lady told me that on Christmas day the whole villages main drain blocked and the had a back rush of water in there drainage..........I did wonder if there are any pipes or drains under this part of the kitchen but she did'nt know.

Your talking a 30 metre floor here with no expansion joints...........I would'nt have thought it needed it. There are skirting tiles as well so proberly a slight gap under them...........not sure on cement used.

[Pawelzik]

Before you quote it depends on what the insurance says. 1. Is it an insurance matter? 2. Do they pay for a complete retiling? So you can quote for a complete work. 3. Do they pay only for the "tenting part"? So you have to/can quote only for that. In Germany the insurance companies often pay only for the damaged part AND with using the tiles of that kind that is laid, as the ins. comp. have relations to special tile dealers who collect & deal old style tiles. That is typical insurance business here and we have 2 big old style tile dealers where you can get tiles of former times.

[CJ]

The customer is waiting for an Insurance accessor to have a look?

I am going to quote for the whole job (Rip up old, mini-skip, make good and retile) and then just wait and see

Will need to look at expansion joints as well..........but there is not a big area for them and they can look chuffing ugly.

Longest run is 6.5m by about 2m

[Dan]

Have I got this right?

They've been fixed incorrectly, and have been down for 8 years?

If so, that isn't an insurance job. It should have been chased up with the original fixer as soon as the lady noticed as it's simply incorrect installation. Which I don't think would be covered on the insurance.

You want to tell her to break them and make up some story. As accidental damage probably will be insured.

It's only a couple of years of the common length of time the adhesive is guaranteed for.... usually 10 years. So they've not done bad really considering the floor is so big and hasn't had an expansion joint fitted.

I may have read it wrong though?!

[CJ]

The tiles have been laid on dots of cement Dan..............8 years ago. How many of US would insure a job for that length of time not chuffing me thats for sure.

I don't think she knows to be honest how long they have been down.

A fair few have been broken by some plumber thats was there for some reason or other