Massive problem involving chipboard flooring and underfloor heating.

[Boggs]

So this all occurred 18 months + ago?
Surely this has been rectified.
Why ask for advice now?

 

[Stan Rogers]

Not been rectified. He came to me about 6 months ago about it and basically looking at it then I could see it is riddled with problems, he wanted me to relay the loose ones and I basically said I would be doing the same again to relay so what's to stop it going pear shaped again, I basically told him the problem was probably bigger than simply relaying the loose ones.

We're at a situation where he's on about moving his family out of the house, the kitchen, skirting and all other fixtures removed, tiles and chipboard up and replace the lot. I'm thinking £10k guess. He also insists he will put it all back in the same way, same tiles onto chipboard, because the only cause of the problem is the amount of adhesive I put on (20mm).

I'm not rich £10k is unthinkable.

 

[One Day]

Freezing cold too? That's a major problem.
First - cement only really works well over 5c, and if the tiles were cold then warmed, thermal shock can break the adhesive bond which was likely very weak to begin with.

 

[LM]

If this isn’t a wind up then I kinda feel sorry for you in a way because you’re coming across so sincere but this is a perfect example of “stick to what you KNOW, not what you think you can do”. Most of us on here have invested years and years of our lives so that we can be professional in our jobs so in that regard I don’t have any sympathy, you shouldn’t have touched it knowing you didn’t know for sure what to do.
I’ve nothing to gain from busting your chops about it but as already said there’s so much wrong with this from the start. Hopefully you’ll get out of this without it going to court because if it does I don’t fancy your chances of a favourable outcome. The problem is once you charge money for a service your to be held account for the outcome and in this case it’s all been done wrong from the start.
I hope you get out of it without too much pain, good luck!

 

[LM]

 

[Andy Allen]

Is it a floating floor.....??

 

[Qwerty]

Thankyou for taking the time to post this on the forum. You have read the reasons for the failure and you have been very honest about it all. Sadly so many people (some tile sheds, builders & YouTube stars included) think your practices are acceptable and still maintain that they are.
I do wish you all the very best with it all and I too feel sorry for the situation you are in. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution to it. Do keep us updated.

Geoff

 

[Dumbo]

What size were the tiles . Just out of interest

 

[Stan Rogers]

600 x 600 tiles. I was thinking the same as one of the guys above, as a contributing factor the fact that the boards were stored and layed in very cold conditions, so your going to maximum movement in the boards when the heating comes on. Likewise the tiles were out in the cold open garage being bought in.

Sadly it's no wind up. I'm not trying to wash my hands of responsibility, there's just do many contributing factors here, I don't see why I should take the brunt of all of it.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Although my first post was somewhat ‘glib’ I wouldn’t hold my hands up and admit liability in court!
Their are reasons we don’t tile direct to chipboard, but primed and good adhesive will normally mean they stick!
When I’ve seen failures it’s usually cracking along a joint. There is a possibility that your levelling clips have pulled the bond away from the floor but the depth of your bed should have been enough.
From your info it’s the heating that seems to be the issue and it’s effect on your work. So again I’d say Don’t admit anything! Customers rarely follow the procedure for commissioning UFH and so most tilers now have it on their invoices under terms and conditions. You see the tiler/adhesive is always to blame.
Case history.
I did a stone floor 20 years ago. Old Manor House, thick floorboards, 15mm plywood screwed through to joists. Taped all joints ( no decoupling in those days). Got called to a site visit 6 months later for cracking tiles every 4-8 feet! I’am being asked to fix it ‘tilers fault’ , I tell them it’s not my responsibility. I suggest they get a Structural Engineer in to assess the floor which had dropped 18mm from the skirting and now had the equivalent of 3 tons of granite worktops inc a ton centre console.
We can fix tiles to the relevant British Standards but we have absolutely no control after we leave a job.