Please Help! Problem with Porcelain Floor Tiles - Wobbly

[Milly]

Hi,

I had underfloor heating and large poreceain tiles fitted a few months back and a month after they were fitted, some of the tiles became wobbly - they literally wobble when you stand on these, or walk across them. The grouting between the tiles also came out in a lot of the tiles.

I called the tiler back and he said that it was a fault with the floor as the builder should have levelled it before he began his work. He didn't tell us this at the time and I am unsure if he is just trying to blame the builder to get away with it. The builder had nothing to do with the flooring, tiling or the underfloor heating. These taks had been commissioned to the tiler.

I even pai him extra for some floor boards as he said he needed to buy them to 'level' the flooring; so I don't understand what the issue is.

Also - the underfloor heating in part of the area does not work. He is now (with a lot of pushing), arranging for the underfloor manufacturer to come and test the underfloor heating to see if i is a manufacturing fault.

Do you think this is the tilers fault or something to do with the floor? Can I take the matter further? I paid a lot for the work and a lot of the tiles move, grout between tiles has come out, and part of my underfloor heating doesn't and hasn't worked since he fitted it.

Please can you help shed light on this, I'd be grateful!

Thanks!

 

[DHTiling]

Hello Milly and welcome..


Can you tell us what type of subfloor you have under this tiling etc..?

 

[nybor62]

before we start blaming the tiler what was the floor substrate , you mentioned floor boards he used to level the floor , what prep work did he do with the floor , did he ply it or or use insulation boards ,was there any slc used to level the floor , by the sounds of it there is far to much movement in the floor , or wrong adhesive and grout used

 

[Scott]

Hi and welcome to the fourm.

What is the floor laid on? We really need more information on whether its concrete, timber floorboards or chipboard etc. Also what the adhesives and preparation were.

Im assuming it electric under floor heating (UFH) when you say part isnt working.

 

[Scott]

Beat me to it ^^

 

[nybor62]

Beat me to it ^^

sorry pal

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

As above, more info on sub-floor please:welcome:

 

[Milly]

Thanks everyone for such prompt comments.. ok:

1) Yes, electric underfloor heating.

2) The tiling is from the hall to the kitchen. The hall area had wooden floor boards and in the kitchen there is half concrete and half wooden floor boards.

3) I gave the tiler plywood for the levelling as he requested.

4) Ref. grouting etc - I have no idea what brand and method. When the work was being carried out, I wasn't in the house (had not moved in yet) and he had asked for the key, so I had just given it to him to compelte the work. I did once see that he used the cement type adhesive on the back of the tile before pressing it down onto the floor though.

 

[Milly]

and thanks for welcoming me to the forum 🙂

 

[DHTiling]

So where the mixed subfloors meet.. did he just tile over this section / joint..?