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Started By
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Ceramic tile over slab on grade being compressed. Any ideas?
Posted on 2/15/23 at 7:57 pm
Posted on 2/15/23 at 7:57 pm
Tiles are popping up like a teepee. Doesn’t appear to be moisture around baseboards, this is in a living room/hallway. Will check with moisture meter when I get back from vacation. Tiles have been installed for about 11 or 12 years. Within the past year several of the tiles have come loose but none have popped up in compression.
Any thoughts? Tree root, water leak?
Any thoughts? Tree root, water leak?
This post was edited on 2/15/23 at 8:00 pm
4
Posted on 2/15/23 at 9:23 pm to Mmackl1
Not an expert but I would bet foundation issue
Posted on 2/15/23 at 9:50 pm to dome53
I agree with foundation movement of some sort.
Posted on 2/15/23 at 10:21 pm to Mmackl1
That is known as “tenting”. Caused by no perimeter expansion joints, with the tile having been set too close to the bottom wall plate, or too close to the baseboards, and as the wood expands something has to give, the weak link being the bond between the slab and the tile. It can sound like a gun being fired in some cases.
Posted on 2/15/23 at 10:51 pm to 9rocket
Tenting is exactly what this is. It is the result of shrinking slab and improper install of the tile. FYI this is not typically a covered loss under a homeowners policy
Posted on 2/16/23 at 6:43 am to Mmackl1
My house has this same problem. At least once every 2 years, a new spot tents. It was from a crappy install job. Renovations are on deck and the whole floor is coming out. I'm reluctant to put something back down and have this happen again, or just go with a concrete floor and rugs. Still undecided.
Of which, does anybody have any suggestions of a flooring expert in the Northshore/Nola area?
Of which, does anybody have any suggestions of a flooring expert in the Northshore/Nola area?
This post was edited on 2/16/23 at 6:46 am
Posted on 2/16/23 at 6:52 am to WylieTiger
I certainly wouldn’t worry about the floor tenting again. It’s not that difficult to avoid, just be sure your installer knows what he is doing. Perimeter gaps of at least 1/4 inch and expansion gaps (or soft joints ) in the field in long areas. A lot of times the soft joints can be minimized or omitted altogether.
Posted on 2/16/23 at 7:42 am to 9rocket
Probably from a bad install
Mine did this because the tile couldn’t stick to the slab because the floor wasn’t cleaned correctly
They tiled over the wall texture over spray
Mine did this because the tile couldn’t stick to the slab because the floor wasn’t cleaned correctly
They tiled over the wall texture over spray
Posted on 2/16/23 at 8:49 am to Mmackl1
I just had this happen in my home the day after christmas. Most commonly occurs when the tiles are not installed well and a big temperature swing happens.
Once i removed the tiles all 4 had very minimal thinset adhered to the back.
Once i removed the tiles all 4 had very minimal thinset adhered to the back.
Posted on 2/16/23 at 11:15 am to PHNBK
quote:
Once i removed the tiles all 4 had very minimal thinset adhered to the back.
This showed you the weakest tiles, but this is not the cause of the problem. Over time the concrete slab of the home shrinks, without flexible joints, the compression puts pressure on the tiles till the weakest fail to release the pressure.
Posted on 2/16/23 at 1:10 pm to wickowick
quote:
without flexible joints, the compression puts pressure on the tiles till the weakest fail to release the pressure.
This. Also, the wood in the walls expands, creating the same effect.
Posted on 2/16/23 at 1:19 pm to PHNBK
quote:
all 4 had very minimal thinset adhered to the back.
I would bet the rest of the tiles have similar amounts of mortar on them. When some release it relieves some pressure on some others. All signs point to a substandard install.
Should be a minimum of 90% coverage on the backs of the tiles, but even with that coverage it won’t stop the tenting caused by the movement of your house.
You need perimeter joints ( can be left open and covered by the baseboards, and if you have a large continuous area with a lot of windows you will also need soft joints in the field tile. These are joints filled with a flexible caulking formulated to match your grout.
These are recommended every 12 ft or so, but without a lot of windows I usually go as much as 20ft or so.
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