Dark patches appearing on limestone floor tiles after laying and sealing

[jburnett]

Underneath the ceramic is a screed over block and beam suspended floor.

 

[Stewart]

Have you contacted your tiler yet.....?

 

[jburnett]

I have. He's keen to see if the patches will fade over the next few days.
He says he's laid hundreds of natural stone floors using spots of adhesive rather than a solid bed without any problems.
I've asked for the floor to be replaced. He says he'll do that if it is the only way of sorting the problem.

 

[Stewart]

Replacing is the only way to sort the problem as it's been dot n dabbed. It's incorrect fixing methods and doesn't meet brittish standards. Even if the patches fade away, your still gonna have problems in the future due to the dabbing. The minimum you should expect is a complete replacement at his expense or I would prefer a refund and extra to cover the cost to rip up and replacement of the floor by a professional tiler.

 

[Bolter]

4. dot and dab fixing is not a recognized method of fixing and a tiler that uses this method is ether to thick to know better or is using it to get over an uneven sub-straight instead of doing the correct preparation.

...which also probably costs more in adhesive than buying couple of bags of latex. Its just lazy tbh.

 

[enduro]

This is what happens with Dot & Dab tiling. This is a tile that a hole appeared so the tiler went back and filled with Silicon (the white bit on the floor) I had to go and replace it for the customer, as you can see white adhesive used and a solid bed...got a few more to do now as they keep cracking due to not fixed correctly. The said tiler will not do anything about it.

 

[Rich]

It is horrible when we get threads like these. I cant really give you any more advice then has already been given, the guys are totally right, every single stage of this job was done wrong. The tiler will do everything he can to get out of sorting it out, Im sure he has done hundreds of installations like this and Im sure that he has done a runner with the money on every one of them.

Please do not let this cockroach get away with it, this floor WILL crack and lift in time even if the stains do dry out.

I really hope you get this sorted, can you keep us posted on how you get on?

 

[jburnett]

Just heard that the tiler has agreed to replace it all at his cost and to lay the new tiles on a solid bed of adhesive this time.
I'll have him remove the ceramics to make sure the moisture can go downwards as well as up.
It is worth pre-sealing the tiles before they are laid?

J

 

[DHTiling]

Are you sure you have confidence he can get it right... There is a bit more to it than just solid bedding.

 

[Daz]

I'd want to see some of these "hundreds" of floors and make sure that they are not cracked or shadowed before letting him anywhere near a repair.

I think you are better off getting him to pay for a proper tiler to redo the floor.

 

[hillhead]

Shocking work and practice !
I'm surprised he has agreed to lift and replace with proper methods but what a turnaround if he does.
He needs schooling, tell him to join us here.

 

[Aqua Tiling]

If he werent sure, he should of come on here first.

 

[The D]

Just heard that the tiler has agreed to replace it all at his cost and to lay the new tiles on a solid bed of adhesive this time.
I'll have him remove the ceramics to make sure the moisture can go downwards as well as up.
It is worth pre-sealing the tiles before they are laid?
J

That is fantastic news at least it will not cost you anything to get it redone. in my humble opinion it will be a good thing to pre-seal both sides of the tile. i have in the past dipped tiles that where problematic with staining and don't let him use Grey adhesive this time.

 

[Rich]

Great news! Well done!

My only worry now is that I dont think he has the first idea what he is doing. Tiling with natural stone is no job for a DIYer, there is a lot you need to know. Maybe it would be worth looking at getting a real tiler in to redo the work (at his expense of course).

Either way, your best bet, whoever repairs the floor, is to come on here before each stage of the project and make sure that the tiler is doing it the right way

 

[widler]

ok,its easy to slag of someone else's work,the tiling LOOKED fine at 1st,obviously he D&D it,which is wrong,BUT,he obviously has tiled before,the cutting looked fine,the tiling looked flat and level,maybe its prob easier to do flat with D&D,i don't really see how though.

so give him a chance to put it right,he said he would,and do it right this time:hurray: