Porcelain tiled kitchen floor - cracking after 2 days

[Lisa123]

Hi all,

Just after a bit of advice please. I had my kitchen floor tiled last week (porcelain tiles).
I think there is movement and cracking/crumbling grout in some of the tiles. I supplied the tiles and the grout. The tiler supplied everything else including the adhesive. I think he’s used the incorrect adhesive but I just want your opinions and advice on what to do. He’s coming back to look tomorrow (and has already suggested in a text that it sounds like it hasn’t
bonded right).

He used mapei fast set adhesive (I know as I cleared the rubbish once done). I looked at the bag and it says for ceramic tiles. Mine are porcelain. Is this the likely issue with my movement and cracking/crumbling grout? Does the whole tiling job need re-doing? Should the tiler fix the issues at no extra cost to me? Is it a big job?

 

[Dave]

Hi.
What substrate is your floor. ?

 

[Lisa123]

Hi.
What substrate is your floor. ?

Wood I think. The tiler said he was going to ply board and screw the floor to strengthen it.

He removed the vinyl and also the laminate under that. It was then down to what looked like a boarded floor.

 

[Dave]

Can you get the name of the adhesive please

 

[Lisa123]

Can you get the name of the adhesive please

It was this in the pic

 

[Dave]

Oh dear , wrong adhesive used. Needs to be min s1 flexible.. also is the ply he used min thickness stated in bs5385.

 

[Lisa123]

Oh dear , wrong adhesive used. Needs to be min s1 flexible.. also is the ply he used min thickness stated in bs5385.

:-( thanks for confirming my suspicions. I’ll
ask about the ply tomorrow when he comes to look.

Does the whole thing need re-doing or could he get away with re-doing the area that I seem to be having problems with? (I think I know the answer, I just don’t want to hear it).

 

[Dave]

Imho. It needs to come up and re-done. Let us know the outcome

 

[Trigger]

Does this person advertise as a professional tiler? or are they an oddjob/handy person? It is odd that they don't know what materials to use.

 

[Lisa123]

Does this person advertise as a professional tiler? or are they an oddjob/handy person? It is odd that they don't know what materials to use.

A tiling and plastering company apparently…

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

Did he check the existing floor for movement before over boarding? Loose floorboards won't be strengthened with plywood. Which is now not widely accepted as a suitable substrate to receive tiles. He should have fixed a cement board to overlay the existing solidly-fixed flooring (presuming it's wooden). Then used an S1 or S2 flexible tile adhesive.

 

[Lisa123]

Did he check the existing floor for movement before over boarding? Loose floorboards won't be strengthened with plywood. Which is now not widely accepted as a suitable substrate to receive tiles. He should have fixed a cement board to overlay the existing solidly-fixed flooring (presuming it's wooden). Then used an S1 or S2 flexible tile adhesive.

I hope so but its not sounding likely is it :-( Definitely no cement board was used. He came the other day to re-lay a couple and did use the correct adhesive after
i pointed out he had used a C1F previously (but i’m still having issues with others so will be calling him back). I’m a little worried he may have used the dot and dab technique - I took a pic when he went out for lunch - attached. I’m no expert by any means but there looks to be a big gap to me?

Its not all of it i’m having issues with at the moment (its one section - which I feel was rushed as it was the last bit and he was here until around 7pm as he had another job the next day. ).

Just all a bit of a disaster really. Wondering if I cut my loses and see if I can get someone to fix it (although I don’t have a clue where to start with that).

 

[Dave]

What’s the PVA there for ?

 

[Lisa123]

What’s the PVA there for ?

I was hoping somebody might be able to tell me? :-( They seemed to remove the tile(s), put some PVA on and then go get some tile adhesive and re-laid a couple.

 

[Dave]

Pva is a no no , this so called trader isn’t a tiler and needs to be stopped. The whole job is a bodge.

 

[Lisa123]

Pva is a no no , this so called trader isn’t a tiler and needs to be stopped. The whole job is a bodge.

:-( so frustrating as they have allegedly good reviews (god knows from where though!).

I think i’ve enough input from you all to just cut my losses and accept the whole thing needs re-doing by someone that actually knows what they are doing.

Hands down this has been my worst experience with using a tradesperson.

 

[Dave]

:-( so frustrating as they have allegedly good reviews (god knows from where though!).

I think i’ve enough input from you all to just cut my losses and accept the whole thing needs re-doing by someone that actually knows what they are doing.

Hands down this has been my worst experience with using a tradesperson.

I’m afraid it happens, make sure you fully check the next tiler or even ask for a tiler in our find a tiler directory.

Find a Tiler - Find Trusted Tilers

Questions and tiling advice in the Find a Tiler - Find Trusted Tilers - TilersForums.com has the most professional wall and floor tilers in the UK. Over 6 thousand members on the forum, nearly all wall and floor tilers. If you're looking for a tile fixer in the UK, then this is the place you...

www.tilersforums.com

 

[Lisa123]

I’m afraid it happens, make sure you fully check the next tiler or even ask for a tiler in our find a tiler directory.

Find a Tiler - Find Trusted Tilers

Questions and tiling advice in the Find a Tiler - Find Trusted Tilers - TilersForums.com has the most professional wall and floor tilers in the UK. Over 6 thousand members on the forum, nearly all wall and floor tilers. If you're looking for a tile fixer in the UK, then this is the place you...

www.tilersforums.com

Thank you, will do. Thank you for all your help too - very much appreciated.

 

[eddcottee]

One saving grace is that tiles may well come up without too much difficulty and be able to be cleaned up and re-used. Sorry to see you have had this happen. It's shocking really that people can operate like this. Best of luck with getting it sorted out.

 

[Trigger]

Don't believe all of these trade review sites. It is easy for people to falsify reviews. Try and get a recommendation from friends or family. That way you may be able to see the traders previous work.

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

I hope so but its not sounding likely is it :-( Definitely no cement board was used. He came the other day to re-lay a couple and did use the correct adhesive after
i pointed out he had used a C1F previously (but i’m still having issues with others so will be calling him back). I’m a little worried he may have used the dot and dab technique - I took a pic when he went out for lunch - attached. I’m no expert by any means but there looks to be a big gap to me?

Its not all of it i’m having issues with at the moment (its one section - which I feel was rushed as it was the last bit and he was here until around 7pm as he had another job the next day. ).

Just all a bit of a disaster really. Wondering if I cut my loses and see if I can get someone to fix it (although I don’t have a clue where to start with that).

Hi Lisa,
This sounds bad to me unfortunately. If the sub-floor was not prepared properly to receive tiles (cement board on top of a solid wooden floor) then tile failure will happen.
Perhaps ask for a refund from this person who is not a tiler and call up somebody who is qualified?

 

[Huddersfield Tiling]

:-( so frustrating as they have allegedly good reviews (god knows from where though!).

I think i’ve enough input from you all to just cut my losses and accept the whole thing needs re-doing by someone that actually knows what they are doing.

Hands down this has been my worst experience with using a tradesperson.

Dot n dab is also not acceptable as a means of fixing tiles. It’s used in putting up dry walls and laying outdoor paving slabs, but in tiling it’s not acceptable at all.
For tiles to be fixed on a surface, it required the surface to be flat +/- 4mm over 2m as a general rule.
So, if a tiler has built-up your floor using a blob of adhesive, he hasn’t prepared the floor beforehand. He’s created weak voids beneath your tiles which makes them prone to damage.
He should have levelled and made the floor flat using a self-levelling compound prior to tiling.

 

[davidjohnsir]

It would do you good to redo all the tiles as it is most probably the issue regarding the wrong kind of adhesive. It would be better if you scrape them when its still soft as it would be much easier.

 

[ElliotM]

I've bought myself a bespoke hand painted kitchens, now I have to put tiles on the floor and on the wall to finish my kitchen. The idea is I bought some cheap tiles to put them under the kitchen, you won't see them and you don't use them at all so there is no point to buy an expensive one. But the tiler is sick now and I don't know when he will get better, as I heard he is in covid section so now I am looking for a new tiler, any suggestion for Croydon region?