Ceramic Tiles Lifting after 7 Years

[clareewilliams]

Can anyone give any advice please.
We bought a new house 7 years ago and lived in it for 5 years and then rented it out.
After 2 years with the same tenants they called us to say that some of the kitchen tiles were lifting.

Our immediate thoughts were subsidence or water so we rushed down to check it.

There are 14 tiles that are lifting and so we pulled one up to see what was underneath. There was no sign of water and no sign of cracking in the the concrete below.

I have noticed that the tiles are pretty close together with not much grout between.

Can anyone think of what could have caused this.

The problem we are faced with is that the tile has been discontinued and so we could either patch it up with a different shade of tile but this would not look great
as it is in the centre of a large kitchen or we will have to replace the whole lot. If the insurance company gets involved they need to know what has caused it.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[The D]

any pics will help

 

[Diggy]

NHBC?

Diggy

 

[Alan.P]

Hi and welcome.

As said above, pictures speak volumes.

When you say not much of a grout joint, can you measure it or give a guide in a pic with say a coin on edge, could be deflection / movement, might be something else, do you know what materials were used to fix and grout at the time ?

 

[Gazzer]

BS say 3mm minimum joint on floor.
Is this a heated floor ?
How big is the area and are there any expansion joint either through the tile or around the perimeter ?

 

[clareewilliams]

BS say 3mm minimum joint on floor.
Is this a heated floor ?
How big is the area and are there any expansion joint either through the tile or around the perimeter ?

Thanks for your response.

The floor doesn't have underfloor heating just normal radiator central heating.

The area is approx 4m x 9m.

I am going down to the house shortly with a tiler so I will ask him about the expansion joint etc.

 

[clareewilliams]

Thanks for your response.

I am going to the house shortly with a tiler so I will take some photos.

I don't know what materials were used to fix and grout and our builders aren't being very helpful.

 

[Alan.P]

On a floor that size I would have put one in, see what you find when you get there, and some pictures would be an advantage, also see what your tiler has to say.

 

[Gazzer]

Is this a localised area where the tiles have debonded or are there any other areas.
Its hard to say which materials to use before knowing the cause .

 

[clareewilliams]

It is a localised area where the tiles have lifted. Pretty much the centre of the room.

 

[Gazzer]

Sounds like no expansion and tiles have tented up.

 

[Andy Allen]

see if the floor has any slc, i had one a couple of months ago, house was about the same age, the slc had failed where the builders hadn't primed the floor, the tiles were stuck to the slc but it was coming away from the floor, and the first areas to fail are the main bits that are walked on..

 

[clareewilliams]

Thanks for your advice. I will see what the tiler thinks when he looks at it but my feeling is that you are probably right.

 

[clareewilliams]

Thanks for all your responses they have all been really helpful.
We have just had a tiler to look at the problem and he said there were 3 issues:
1. The tiles were too close together 3mm at the top but at the bottom they would probably be closer
2. The grout did not look like flexible grout
3. There was not enough adhesive

Phoned NHBC who said they don't cover anything but structure after 2 years.
Going to try the insurance company but don't rate my chances.


I will think before buying another Anwyl house and only buy new if I can see the house finished!!