Top 5 Reasons You Need Floor Tile Repair
1. Tile is Loose
When tile is loose, mostly it is because it wasn’t properly installed. To avoid tile repairs in your future, know 7 requirements that experts know:
1. Tile back must be clean
2. Floor must be free of dust and soil
3. Thin set used for tile must match the substrate
4. The correct trowel type and size specification
5. Proper coverage (covering over 85% of the tile in non-wet areas)
6. Back Butter the tile (not always required)
7. Movement joints (at wall, doorways and in assembly)
Any one of these not done, can cause you to need a tile repair.
2. Tile Was Not Set Properly
Some of the reasons to properly set tile are mentioned above. And you may never really have the need for a tile repair. Just understand, installed tile, done by an unskilled professionals, can cause you problems down the road. It’s just that it’s not as easy as people think it is. Here’s one story that we will never forget.
Upon moving into her new home in a new housing development, this client had a safe brought into her home, which was rolled across her floor by movers. Afterwards, she noticed that there were 2 grooves in her tile all the way from the front door to where the safe was installed.
After calling us, we determined, with a little help from the builder, that the tile used on her floor was not intended to be used on a floor. That right. Tile is rated in the USA and every manufacturer will tell you if the tile can be installed on the floor, wall and even in a wet area (shower).
The tile repairs needed for this client, was for an installation, not even a month old.
3. Movement Under the Tile
The substrate (floor, wall, ceiling, etc.) move. Unfortunately, even if we build these area to withstand a hurricanes, they will still move throughout their life.
The biggest reason is expansion and contraction. When materials heat up and cool down, they move. Some materials like wood studs in your walls will expand more than say your cement foundation. But everything will move just enough to cause you problems.
Learning tile installation is a mind bender when understanding how to protect tile installations from failing. The good news, is that there are tile products that help mediated movement, but like anything they too have tolerances. That is, they can’t withstand movements to limits beyond their ability.
Some of the products used to protect against movement are uncoupling and crack isolation membranes. They help stop the cracks from moving upward to your tile. But do cost more and add to the cost of a tile installation.
So, if you see a tile that is cracked on you wall or floor, it’s likely because of some movement in your home. And in order to conduct a proper tile repair for these areas, we would need to find the problem and address it first.
4. Tile has Cracked or Chipped
Tile can crack and is usually for the reasons stated above, movement. But if your tile is cracked, it could be because your tile is loose or something had dropped on the tile.
Also, accidents in your home, like dropping something, can chip tile. Some tile, when installed correctly, can take more abuse we give them. And if you have this problem, let us know, we can help you with this tile repair.
5. Tile Showing Signs of Wear
Tile wear does happen, mostly for stone and soft tile for the following reasons:
1. Rugs and rug under mats rub the tile’s surface away.
2. Door thresholds, from the underside of the door, rub the tile’s surface away
3. The tile was a poorly manufactured tile
4. Wear from traffic (foot, automobile, etc.)
5. Wrong tile was installed for the environment
6. Man-made or organic products etched away some of the stone
Many of these can be fixed, but the most important thing to remember is that, when having tile installed, always keep extra tile. You never know when you just may need them for a floor tile repair.
