G
gubbins
Hi everyone
I'm a gutted customer looking for some professional advice on a flooring problem that's developed on my recently renovated / new build property.
I've a number or large rooms (biggest is 11m x 8m) where lafarge was poured over a water fed underfloor heating system. Flexible adhesive (think mapei) was then used to bed 600mm x 600mm porcelain tiles and subsequently litochrom starlite grouting, the work was all completed a few weeks back and looked stunning.
Ive only been in a few days and already there is a some minor tile movement, fissures along the side of the grouting on some other tiles and 'dull or sharp' popping' noises from under a couple of tiles, worse in the high stress areas, which also happens to be where the UFH pipes enter that room. In the one room without underfloor heating ,but everything else the same, there isnt any problem (yet...).
The builder/ project manager reckoned it was must have been due to the tiles being walked on in the stress area before the adhesive had completely set (a lot of trades coming and going) and was prepared to take up and relay that area but now its happening elsewhere that doesn't seem plausible as the only reason. He's not yet aware of the wider problem as i'm only just aware myself but very soon will be, hence why i want to educate myself beforehand.
So whats gone wrong and how do i go about getting it put right which I suspect its going to mean taking up the whole lot and redoing it and the thought of that makes me feel sick. I've not paid any retention fee as yet and have no intention of doing so until this is put right. The heating engineer tested the system before the lafarge went down and put it on again in the period before it was grouted (was cooled ++ before grouting). Only thing that worried this layperson is that with the second test he left it on over a weekend set at minimum on the control / manifold but 27C on the room thermostats then didnt return for about 4 days. Has he weakened the adhesive? What else could it be? Any help is most welcome.
Many thanks
I'm a gutted customer looking for some professional advice on a flooring problem that's developed on my recently renovated / new build property.
I've a number or large rooms (biggest is 11m x 8m) where lafarge was poured over a water fed underfloor heating system. Flexible adhesive (think mapei) was then used to bed 600mm x 600mm porcelain tiles and subsequently litochrom starlite grouting, the work was all completed a few weeks back and looked stunning.
Ive only been in a few days and already there is a some minor tile movement, fissures along the side of the grouting on some other tiles and 'dull or sharp' popping' noises from under a couple of tiles, worse in the high stress areas, which also happens to be where the UFH pipes enter that room. In the one room without underfloor heating ,but everything else the same, there isnt any problem (yet...).
The builder/ project manager reckoned it was must have been due to the tiles being walked on in the stress area before the adhesive had completely set (a lot of trades coming and going) and was prepared to take up and relay that area but now its happening elsewhere that doesn't seem plausible as the only reason. He's not yet aware of the wider problem as i'm only just aware myself but very soon will be, hence why i want to educate myself beforehand.
So whats gone wrong and how do i go about getting it put right which I suspect its going to mean taking up the whole lot and redoing it and the thought of that makes me feel sick. I've not paid any retention fee as yet and have no intention of doing so until this is put right. The heating engineer tested the system before the lafarge went down and put it on again in the period before it was grouted (was cooled ++ before grouting). Only thing that worried this layperson is that with the second test he left it on over a weekend set at minimum on the control / manifold but 27C on the room thermostats then didnt return for about 4 days. Has he weakened the adhesive? What else could it be? Any help is most welcome.
Many thanks
