Who or what to blame?

[Jack Peterson]

So G & G's, we are laying in bed last night about 10.30 I guess when the Dogs were a little noisy Up she gets and say that there are small bangs,

Hmmmmmm  Fireworks ? (Well it is Fiesta time in our Area) But NO it is the Floor tiles in our Sala (Lounge) Popping and banging in the Walk area to the Kitchen this morning I have some 11 Blown tiles, The House is 5 years completed and we did have this problem in the guest room about this time last year. I sit and wonder is it bad work or is it a result of settlement ( The Floor sounds very Hollow and Gives) or the Hot Weather we are having just now.

 According to my Wife our Tiler told her that if the fixing adhesive (Concrete in the sala) is not Good it can Blow under extreme heat.

 I don't know but it is a problem that I can do without just now.

 Anyone got any Ideas ?

 

      Jack 

 Morning All

 

[scott h]

1 minute ago, Jack Peterson said:

fixing adhesive

In a prior life I did some tile work. I will ASSUME they used a latex (water based) adhesive, and the concrete just plain sucked all the water out of the adhesive. Happens all the time. The best solution that we used in the states is seal the concrete prior to using the adhesive. If these were those self stick tiles they go even faster. 

 

[Jack Peterson]

 

9 minutes ago, scott h said:

The best solution that we used in the states is seal the concrete prior to using the adhesive. If these were those self stick tiles they go even faster. 

These are Italian Ceramic Tiles but I can only say they laid them in Concret and I never bought any seal that we can find in the House Purchase inventory. The Engineer in charge is coming later to see I will ask him a blow by Blow event of this job as I am not a happy man. I know things can go a little haywire on new house build But this one has got to me. That Sala is damn near Half the House size it is some 45+ sq mtrs 

  

Edited April 29, 2018 by Jack Peterson

[scott h]

2 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

Ceramic Tiles

The same drying out applies to ceramic tiles to some extent Jack. IF they mixed up the concrete adhesive and applied it to the back of the tile then set it. The more water they use (thinner the mud) the faster it might dry out. 5 years seems a bit fast though with mud adhesive. Our house is also 5 years old and no indication of any problems like yours (so far lol)

If these tiles are in random locations it might be that the mud was not applied uniformly and left pockets. If clumped in one area it is most likely a sub surface problem of some sort

[Dave Hounddriver]

One thing I have noticed, Jack, is that in the past year or so you have been using aircon in the sala but not all the time.  Now in Canada we do not use tiles in a spot that gets hot and cold a lot as the temperature change cracks them loose, (or so I was led to believe when I asked about it years ago).  Could it be that cooling down the room and then letting it heat up is doing the same thing in your house?  That said, I am already starting to think I am wrong because my upstairs tiles have not budged (touching wood now) in 4 years of extreme daytime heat and nicely air conditioned nights.  So that's not likely the problem.  Sorry for mentioning it but I'll post my thoughts as one more thing to eliminate as the cause.

[Jack Peterson]

10 minutes ago, scott h said:

most likely a sub surface problem of some sort

 This my Though at this time 

[Jack Peterson]

6 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

So that's not likely the problem.  Sorry for mentioning it but I'll post my thoughts as one more thing to eliminate as the cause.

 All Ideas are appreciated believe me 

[Jollygoodfellow]

10 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

But NO it is the Floor tiles in our Sala (Lounge) Popping and banging in the Walk area to the Kitchen this morning

When you say popping does it look like they pushed up because no expansion or room to move with the building ? Also being Italian Alien tiles, did you renew their visas? 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Jollygoodfellow
pooping and popping are different, spelling

[Jack Peterson]

33 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

When you say popping does it look like they pushed up because no expansion or room to move with the building ?

 SubFloor has Dropped. Up they come and a Refill is needed

[Gary D]

Sounds like usual filipino workmanship. Fill the floor with loose earth and flash over with an inch of cement. The tiles will likely just be set in cement, not any type of tile adhesive.