Cracks in newly finished bathroom metro tiles - Tile Advice

[Roadrunner]

Hi I’d be very grateful for advice. I had a bathroom fitted a couple of months ago and have just noticed that many of the metro tiles have spidery cracks in them. There is no pattern to them - some cracks run up through a couple of tiles but they’re not all adjacent. I’m sure they weren’t there when they were put up. My tiler can’t explain it. It is just on one wall. We have a new cast iron bath in that room which went in after the tiles were laid as did a new velux window. But there are no new visible cracks in any other walls elsewhere in the house. I assume we’ll have to have it all retiled but I’d like to understand why it happened so it doesn’t happen again.

 

[Dave]

Morning, looking at how the glaze has popped it looks like vibration/ stress but unusual to be solitary tiles, Remove a tile and see what’s underneath

 

[Roadrunner]

Morning, looking at how the glaze has popped it looks like vibration/ stress but unusual to be solitary tiles, Remove a tile and see what’s underneath

Thank you for the advice. How do I stop it happening again if we retile?

 

[Dave]

Thank you for the advice. How do I stop it happening again if we retile?

You need to see what’s happening behind the tiles first

 

[Roadrunner]

You need to see what’s happening behind the tiles first

Hi again. The builders have removed the tiles. The plasterboard underneath (which they didn’t replace so is old) clearly shows the same cracks (picture attached). They’ve now removed this and have suggested the vertical joists may not be sufficient (picture attached). Grateful to know what others think here please.

 

[eddcottee]

Shouldn't have tiled onto that in the first place as that plasterboard is clearly nackered. They should have stripped it all out and installed tile backer boards instead and then tiled onto those. That way you won't suffer from the movement and cracking you have seen.

Having said that, I'm still surprised the tiles have cracked in the manner they have and others on here who are more experienced than I am, may be able to offer further/ better advice than I can.

Hope you get it sorted.