cracked travertine

[Ajax123]

I think the screed should be a minimum 65mm with fibres....

Correct. Although with ufh would expect 75mm screed

 

[ms.tiles]

The job ive got to do is a 75mm screed over ufh on block and beams,plumber said no wood all concrete, screed has been down atleast 8 weeks but ufh heating hasnt been turned on yet,shouldnt be long before the system is ready to be filled up and turned on to test and see how the floor reacts. its a new build so nobody in there for a while.
The customer is worried if he goes with travertine his floor will crack like his fathers. i probably wont go back to the house with the cracked tiles now. some of them look like the tiles are dipping down into the cracks.

 

[jay]

Bingo..

 

[ms.tiles]

Hi All

The customer with the cracked tiles would like me to put in writing what i think is wrong with the tiling.
They have said only if im ok with it as they need to go back to the tiling company with something worth while saying.
Im not sure what to say, if i took up a tile which is cracked and there is no decoupling matting and no crack in the screed then could it be that its caused by no decoupling membrane? Also could they blame the tilers?? im not sure i want to put anything in writing against a tiler.
If i managed to take up a tile and took some photos would it help to answer the problem or could there be loads of things causing the cracking.
I dont want to start a argument between a tiling company and my customers father with me in the middle but i'd like to know what has happened there.

Your advice will be very helpful and please be honest, if you think im wrong to help the customer and stitch up a tiling company or doing the right thing just say so. im really stuck on what to do.

many thanks

 

[White Room]

If this ended up going to court do you feel qualified to give evidence, the TTA can do a report but it can be expensive....

 

[Discount Tile Supplies]

Hi All

The customer with the cracked tiles would like me to put in writing what i think is wrong with the tiling.
They have said only if im ok with it as they need to go back to the tiling company with something worth while saying.
Im not sure what to say, if i took up a tile which is cracked and there is no decoupling matting and no crack in the screed then could it be that its caused by no decoupling membrane? Also could they blame the tilers?? im not sure i want to put anything in writing against a tiler.
If i managed to take up a tile and took some photos would it help to answer the problem or could there be loads of things causing the cracking.
I dont want to start a argument between a tiling company and my customers father with me in the middle but i'd like to know what has happened there.

Your advice will be very helpful and please be honest, if you think im wrong to help the customer and stitch up a tiling company or doing the right thing just say so. im really stuck on what to do.

many thanks

Are u qualified architect or surveyor? If not why should you give free advice? Its not up to you to give the advice, surely, you never laid it. Why hasn't the previous contractor sorted it out? So many question marks!! Sorry! I would not get involved. If you do best of luck.

 

[ms.tiles]

Thank you

The original tilers have been back and replaced some tiles, the photo with the foot in it was replaced by them, cracked again!!

Ive not qualified to give any info that probably would stand up in court if it went that far. i probably wouldnt put anything in writing then as you've both made very good points and i appreciate it.

i do feel bad for the customer as it is really bad there and he just wants some help. i will mention the TTA to them.

 

[Discount Tile Supplies]

U could give urself a big bag of poo for telling it how it is!

 

[White Room]

Thank you

The original tilers have been back and replaced some tiles, the photo with the foot in it was replaced by them, cracked again!!

Ive not qualified to give any info that probably would stand up in court if it went that far. i probably wouldnt put anything in writing then as you've both made very good points and i appreciate it.

i do feel bad for the customer as it is really bad there and he just wants some help. i will mention the TTA to them.

I can appreciate your concern for the customer and wanting to help and not being able to give the answer they want to hear,if it's cracking tiles at that rate this could be a rip out but does the client want to hear that, probably no...

 

[ms.tiles]

yeah thought i might
i'll let it be and concentrate on my customers actual job. He's now having marble as the cracking has put him off travertine.

 

[Discount Tile Supplies]

yeah thought i might
i'll let it be and concentrate on my customers actual job. He's now having marble as the cracking has put him off travertine.

Im guessing ur not making a joke with this line?

 

[ms.tiles]

hi
im sure they dont want to hear its a rip out job but if the tilers did wrong then im sure he'd get them to redo it, i think he needs a proper surveyor to check it out and get a report that will stand up in court.

could he even get them to redo the work or could the courts actually make them pay for it?? The company has been brought out by a bigger known company now so does that change things aswell.

ive got a meeting on thursday with my customer so i'll let him know about the TTA then he can inform his father and go from there.

Thank you everybody for the input, been very helpful and appreciated

 

[ms.tiles]

no not joking, everywhere he's been (tile shops,friends) are all putting him off travertine and seeing how his dads has cracked so badly he's just looking at other tiles now.
i told him id lay anything he wanted and do it right, he said ive come highly recommended and took my word that travertine would be fine but i suppose once his head has been turned theres no going back.

 

[bugs183]

Marble will be no different to Travertine.
If you want to be sure on this job get a spec from Schluter, and also from an adhesive manufacturer, i've always found Bal and Mapei very helpful, you can pass this to the customer, and give them more confidence.

 

[Discount Tile Supplies]

Google marble and then travertine. Its natural stone, very similar !!!! and quite weak (wear wise no). Porcelain is stronger and may not have cracked so easily. But we will never know!

 

[kilty55]

i wouldnt get involved with the dads tiling issues unless he is commiting to using you to rectify the whole job