Cracked Tiles

[Dan]

I'll link you to some dot and dab threads. Not many tiles lasted.

http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/dot-and-dab-tiles.67138/
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/dab-and-dot-best-adhesive.29150/
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/dot-dabbed-porcelain-tiles-job-in-progress.51902/
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/help-please-tiles-falling-off-wall.67830/ - Pictures in this one.
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/shower-enclosure-problems.55768/ - This one's a shower similar to yours. Haven't read the whole thread though.
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/dot-dab-quandry.20305/
http://www.tilersforums.com/threads/please-help-problem-with-porcelain-floor-tiles-wobbly.45834/ - This is a floor job but the same issue really.

Doesn't take long to get the gist. They all needed redoing much earlier than they should have really needed to be done. Tiling should outlast a persons lifetime easily. Yet they wont if they're dot and dabbed.

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

Thanks for all your good advice, am so grateful for all the information on here, just wish I'd looked before I started the job.
One other question, the tiles were bought from B &Q, is there any reason to think they are poorer quality than those sold elsewhere?

 

[Dan]

Not always. You have to note that B&Q are the largest importer of tiles for the UK. So consistency isn't always great, and they perhaps don't always manage to get the cream of the crop when ordering 500 container loads of one type of tile or whatever crazy qty it is.

You tend to be able to find a lot of feedback about B&Q tiles. Not always good. But the fact is somebody who has a bad experience will tell 10 times more people than somebody who had a good one. And with them selling so many tiles, it's easy to find bad feedback.

I'm not defending them here, some of their tiles are warped, different sizes in the same batch numbers and other shocking things tilers have to try and put up with.

Without seeing the tiles I wouldn't guess myself.

Perhaps you can get some extra light on the tiles and use a good camera to try and show the cracking to us?

Does it run through the grout too? Does it seem to be following a line throughout a while bunch of tiles?

If it does it might be substrate issue that's coming to the surface. Hard to understand how if they've been dot and dabbed but maybe.

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

Not always. You have to note that B&Q are the largest importer of tiles for the UK. So consistency isn't always great, and they perhaps don't always manage to get the cream of the crop when ordering 500 container loads of one type of tile or whatever crazy qty it is.

You tend to be able to find a lot of feedback about B&Q tiles. Not always good. But the fact is somebody who has a bad experience will tell 10 times more people than somebody who had a good one. And with them selling so many tiles, it's easy to find bad feedback.

I'm not defending them here, some of their tiles are warped, different sizes in the same batch numbers and other shocking things tilers have to try and put up with.

Without seeing the tiles I wouldn't guess myself.

Perhaps you can get some extra light on the tiles and use a good camera to try and show the cracking to us?

Does it run through the grout too? Does it seem to be following a line throughout a while bunch of tiles?

If it does it might be substrate issue that's coming to the surface. Hard to understand how if they've been dot and dabbed but maybe.

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

I have managed to add some photos, the affected tiles are shown with crosses.

 

[Dan]

Yeah your tiles are cracking fully I think.

As they're already shot, and the job needs to be redone, would you feel comfortable perhaps pushing one of the tiles on a breaking point and see if it comes off? Perhaps do the bit not in the shower?

Only do this if you're comfortable and this suggestion isn't going to cause more issues.

I'd like to see if you can confirm the tile is broken right the way through. That doesn't appear to be surface crazing of any form. I think they've broken.

Funny how it's near the pipes where heat is too.

 

[Dan]

See the white dot in the middle of this to the left, where two cracks meet? It's chipped off. Can you feel that with your nail?

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

See the white dot in the middle of this to the left, where two cracks meet? It's chipped off. Can you feel that with your nail?

 

[Dan]

Not sure if that was meant to say something ?

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

Not sure if that was meant to say something ?

Some of the tiles were removed yesterday, they are bowed and weren't like that before they were fitted. The tiler doesn't know why but has covered the wall in something that looks like cement and is coming back next week. I have taken some photos of one of the bowed tiles, but looks to me like there is far too much adhesive, what do you think.

 

[Dan]

Some of the tiles were removed yesterday, they are bowed and weren't like that before they were fitted. The tiler doesn't know why but has covered the wall in something that looks like cement and is coming back next week. I have taken some photos of one of the bowed tiles, but looks to me like there is far too much adhesive, what do you think.

Where are the new pictures?

 

[White Room]

What tiles are they, just read through the whole thread and no mention of what material they are made of.

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

View attachment 73242

They are ceramic tiles

 

[Mrsbarwocle]

Where are the new pictures?

Sorry, hadn't posted them!