What the heck has happened to my tiles?!

[stumperchov]

at the end of July I paid for my bathroom to be fully tiled - it was worth doing as I must say it makes the whole bathroom experience that much more pleasurable.

however, having a shower one morning I got the huff cause I thought the mrs hadn't been doing the cleaning properly as i thought i could see cobwebs on the opposite wall.

on closer inspection it wasn't cobwebs at all, instead 7 tiles (next to each other) had cracked - some with only one crack but 3 or 4 had completely bowed and shattered!

Obviously I got the tiler back in for him to detect the problem but unfortunately having removed the 7 tiles he is none the wiser! There are was no blasts in the wall or anything.

There are a few things to consider:

1) Out of the four walls tiled this was the only one not reskimmed.
2) The wall slopes away at the top, meaning more flexible tile adhesive was used and even an extra tile in the corner (not on one of the cracked tiles) was used to pack out the space.
3) On the removal of the tiles the adhesive came away from the wall rather than the tile away from the adhesive.
4) The wall plaster is pretty old ie the bits of it that did come away were powdery and mixed with hair.

The tiler, who I have to say did an excellent looking job, is baffled as to what has happened.

Can anyone offer any advice - I am worried if we just retile the same thing will just reoccur in a feww months.

thanks

tom

 

[doug boardley]

can you post us some pics stumper?

 

[Gazzer]

Is this wall an outside wall by any chance ?

 

[stumperchov]

no its the wall from bathroom to my bedroom.

i can post a pic later today from home

 

[jay]

Re: Hello from WGC

hi bit more info please type of adhesive structual backround stud or solid is there grout in corners did tiler use tanking or waterproofing and last is there crackes in plaster a picture might help thanks

 

[stumperchov]

Re: Hello from WGC

hi Jay,
What I can answer:
1) flexible floor adhesive used... powder mix
2) no cracks in plaster.
3) Solid wall not stud
3) pic can be provided later
4) grout in corners? what do you mean? 2mm of grout between tiles and ceiling.

 

[jay]

Re: Hello from WGC

hi internal corners were tiles meet each other or shower base and any tanking or waterproofing

 

[Gazzer]

I would say that it could be the extra moisture from bedding out the tiles with extra adhesive.
Its hard to say without seeing the area really, pics may help but nothing better than being there.

 

[stumperchov]

Re: Hello from WGC

ok. Grout in corners yes - no cracking or coming away here.

I was told that the walls were treated prior to tiling, I assume but may be wrong, this was done with a tanking and waterproofing product.

The cracking seems to have shattered a couple of the tiles completely, although these were still fixed solid to the wall. The tiles also seemed like they had been pushed from behind, creating a curve in the tile and those further donw the wall were worse than those at the edge. The epicenter if you like seems to be coming from the two most severely cracked tiles, then worked its way across and up.

 

[Gazzer]

Re: Hello from WGC

You should have a Silicon gap in the corners not grout. Sounds like movement to me.