Marble cracking after installation on plywood wall

[PWS]

I would be grateful for advice on appropriate remedies for the problem described below.

My installer has used WPB plywood as the backer board for 16"x16" marble wall tiles. 4 weeks after installation, two floor-to-ceiling cracks have appeared, each roughly following the line of a join between plywood sheets. The sheets are attached to a stud wall.

The installer is proposing to replace only the affected tiles. Is this likely to be adequate, or does the symptom suggest that further problems are likely in the future?

Many thanks for any advice, and any pointers to industry standards that apply to backer boards for marble tiles.

 

[DHTiling]

Expansion in the boards......this could be thermal or moisture expansion , or a bit of both...An anti fracture tanking membrane would have prevented this...

On another note...How thick are the tiles...?..Coz plywood does not hold a great amount of weight...





P.s ...welcome to tilers forums...

 

[PWS]

The tiles are 10mm thick.

Thanks for your very rapid response!

 

[White Room]

Personally don't like ply on walls

 

[CJ]

How thick was the installer.

As mentioned, expansion or movement due to a number of things. Studs not being braced, Too thin a ply etc etc.

 

[DHTiling]

The tiles are 10mm thick.

Thanks for your very rapid response!

Should be ok...Ply( wbp) holds around 30kg per sqr mtr...

Personally don't like ply on walls

I second that.....expansion is a nightmare for ply on stud work...

Personally i would use plasterboard and tank or backer boards...

 

[BDS]

I`m with whitebeam and dave on this,the only time i use ply in any of my installations is on floors (18mm) and thats it dont like it.

 

[Sharon5000]

Not a professional tiler myself, but recently had a problem with water penetration in my shower - problem was 1 solid wall overlaid with ply and one false wall was from ply. The water had penetrated to a height of approx 3ft and grout was turning brown. I have removed the ply and replaced the false wall with plasterboard - using the existing solid wall without a false layer.

It seems (from the advice I have recieved on this site), that plywood is not good for walls.

I have tanked the shower walls (see posts by Wetdecs, he is the man to speak to regarding tanking and you can buy product from him) and now re-tiling.

Wetdecs will give you all the info you need - these guys are my hero's, as never heard of tanking until I came on this site.

You will find all the info you need regarding tiling on this site - hope you resolve your problems soon.

Sharon

 

[wetdec]

Not a professional tiler myself, but recently had a problem with water penetration in my shower - problem was 1 solid wall overlaid with ply and one false wall was from ply. The water had penetrated to a height of approx 3ft and grout was turning brown. I have removed the ply and replaced the false wall with plasterboard - using the existing solid wall without a false layer.

It seems (from the advice I have recieved on this site), that plywood is not good for walls.

I have tanked the shower walls (see posts by Wetdecs, he is the man to speak to regarding tanking and you can buy product from him) and now re-tiling.

Wetdecs will give you all the info you need - these guys are my hero's, as never heard of tanking until I came on this site.

You will find all the info you need regarding tiling on this site - hope you resolve your problems soon.

Sharon

Why thank you young lady :smilewinkgrin:



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[boxer1van]

:ban:
I`m with whitebeam, dave & BDS on this,the only time i use ply in any of my installations is on floors. In past have removed plywood (I also install bathrooms)and replaced with plasterboard. On one occasion found that there was very little support behind plywood which would probably have given me major problems by way of possible remedial work.