Tiles Cracked On All Hardiebacker Joins

[Bathfix Bob]

Its a shame, I'm not trying to get out of it or anything, I'm going back next month to sort it.

They are white ones with a non slip glaze.

 

[Unused Account 1]

Hi guys ,ive done maybe 500 floors on ply ,not one come back or problem ,all the new ideas good but seem to get more probs ,

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I've been tiling 43 years and today I've scrabbled a anhydrite screed, primed it with tile master 1:3 primer, fixed Ditra with tile master anhydrite adhesive and tomorrow we fix porcelain with a cement based adhesive - also by tile master.
Why - because that's the best way to do it. It's called progress and keeping up with technical advances in our trade.
I can count the no of issues I've had with floors on one hand since I started tiling, from sand /cement through ardion 90 admixes and now the all in one super adhesives of the 21st century.
It's just about doing the job right and not doing it because you've always done it that way.
Today's plywood isn't nearly as good as 30 years ago when that was the norm. 40 years ago I fixed quarry tiles with sand /cement on chicken mesh and waterproof building paper over t&g floorboards. 40 years ago I wasn't fixing limestone of 15-20mm to a new screed, with or without under floor heating.
Tiles crack for a reason. In this thread I believe it's the quality of the tile not being able to have the tensile strength to take a wooden substrate.
But what do I know.

 

[moomarine]

I agree that it is more likely the tiles. I also only use plasterboard tape and never had problems. The only thing I do different is use non flexible adhesive between the hardiebacker and the floorboards as I'm sure I read on the hardie website that ur supposed to use non flexi because it's to create a solid non flexible bed under the board and the main part designed to hold it down is the screws? Correct me if I'm wrong though?

 

[Bill]

I've been tiling 43 years and today I've scrabbled a anhydrite screed, primed it with tile master 1:3 primer, fixed Ditra with tile master anhydrite adhesive and tomorrow we fix porcelain with a cement based adhesive - also by tile master.
Why - because that's the best way to do it. It's called progress and keeping up with technical advances in our trade.
I can count the no of issues I've had with floors on one hand since I started tiling, from sand /cement through ardion 90 admixes and now the all in one super adhesives of the 21st century.
It's just about doing the job right and not doing it because you've always done it that way.
Today's plywood isn't nearly as good as 30 years ago when that was the norm. 40 years ago I fixed quarry tiles with sand /cement on chicken mesh and waterproof building paper over t&g floorboards. 40 years ago I wasn't fixing limestone of 15-20mm to a new screed, with or without under floor heating.
Tiles crack for a reason. In this thread I believe it's the quality of the tile not being able to have the tensile strength to take a wooden substrate.
But what do I know.

X7 and ardion 90 would still be hard to beat for sticking strength....I think I still have some stuck on my hands!

 

[Stef]

I agree that it is more likely the tiles. I also only use plasterboard tape and never had problems. The only thing I do different is use non flexible adhesive between the hardiebacker and the floorboards as I'm sure I read on the hardie website that ur supposed to use non flexi because it's to create a solid non flexible bed under the board and the main part designed to hold it down is the screws? Correct me if I'm wrong though?

You are correct, the adhesive is only designed as a gap filler but if I'm fixing to a wooden substrate then I use a flex adhesive as it sits better in my head.
Try ripping Hardie back out after it's been fixed & see if it's only the screws that hold it in place, it ain't budging.
Hardie is not a new product, been around 20years roughly, it may be a new product to some but not others.
I've never had a failure with Hardie & ive lost count of the number of boards I've fitted & tiled to.

 

[Spud]

hardi is a good product and the amount I have fitted sq metre wise and to only have 2 recalls is an excellent percentage rate

 

[Bathfix Bob]

When I get round to sorting this I need a plan of action.

The first will be to somehow get the cracked tiles up (never done this on Hardie) and then to maybe try some aluminium mesh on the joins and basically retile and hope for the best.

Or to rip everything out and start again with different tiles. Its about 4 msq but it won't be an easy job.

I need to ring British ceramic and ask them why they are selling such soft floor tiles which I expect are only suitable for concrete/screed floors mainly but how was I to know this?

Am i supposed to refuse to fit these tiles again?

 

[Stef]

I would advise the customer to change the tiles.
Rip them up slc if need be & retile.
I would be getting a rep out from BC to look at the floor & take it from there.

 

[Chalker]

If everything else was done correctly, then it can only be the soft tiles. I would change the tiles to eliminate this.
I too have only ever had a couple of floor fails. ( don't do as many as the rest of you on here) but one of them was on Hardie, onto timber floor.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Eliminate any movement, fit Ditra and your good to go.
My concern with these tiles is moisture getting in the sides and discolouring them.
Too soft for classification as floor tile and I doubt if they will take any responsibility as its your call where you use them.
Just got an Architect to change them in a wet room.

 

[Bathfix Bob]

Thanks Guys, I'll get in touch with BC.

 

[Joseph Kover]

It's the tiles!
30x30 British ceramic that state they are suitable for no shoe floors!!
They are a soft glaze/wall tile biscuit that IMHO should not be used on floors.
Even if there is no movement in the floor ( and in this case there must be a small amount) they will crack on these seams. I'd insist I would only fix these over Ditra in a bathroom.
Unless you got a disclaimer it's still your fault.

I know those tiles, fitted twice. Since then whenever customers want to buy that tiles I speak out of it. On the box says crack resistant, however only during the fitting 6 of them were cracked. Poor quality, sometimes there is up to 2mm difference in tile sizes. Dont buy ever