New floor, potential problems!

Discussion in 'Tilers' Talk' started by IanEagle, Jan 10, 2020.

  1. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Hi everyone

    I recently had a small extension built and at the same time, new kitchen/diner floor and kitchen fitted.

    There were remnants of an old water leak under the old floor, it was completely ripped up back to the concrete then a new sub floor put in, beams, 120mm celotex, ply and chicken wire, then Mapei Keraquick rapid-set flexible tile adhesive used and grouted with Mapei Ultracolor Plus Grout for the high quality 60x60 Italian porcelain tiles.

    It was completed at end of August 2019. I'm getting clicking noises on some tiles, a few tiles don't look quite flush with the others and I'm getting some cracking in the grout.

    Some pictures of the new sub floor and the tiles, cracks etc at this link: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1INnkaP_A5XgTGl0GTpcNI_Cr6iMFQOT2

    All the work completed by the same builders and guaranteed for a year. What would you suggest I do and what do you think the cause and fix is?

    Thanks!
     
  2. rogerk101

    rogerk101 Screwfix Select

    Your tiler was rubbish, and this needs to be rectified ... although it's difficult to decide whether to get the same incompetent person back to do yet more bad work, or whether to bite the bullet and get a real tiler in to do the job properly.
    Clearly the tiles were not laid properly, causing them to rock/move, which is both making the clicking noises and causing the grout to crack.
    Perhaps he cut costs by using expired tile adhesive or adhesive that set too fast for the speed at which he worked, but he used it anyway. Possibly he didn't use flexible adhesive and flexible grout, perhaps the subfloor wasn't solid enough ... many possibilities, but all should have been picked up and addressed by the tiler.
     
  3. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    The adhesive was flexible and new, I supplied it. Yes that's the conundrum I'm having; do I get him back to fix it badly, or do I pay for a new tiler. It's £2k work of tiles, can they be pulled up and reused?
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2020
  4. rogerk101

    rogerk101 Screwfix Select

    Not without a huge amount of hassle - they'll be a ***** to clean and then a ***** to lay unless they're completely clean.
     
  5. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select



    So to clarify, is the ply floating over the celotex ie not fixed down to it, a floating floor construction?
     
  6. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Yes as far as I know.
     
  7. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Oh balls!

    Also I noticed, under the kitchen cabinets where the tiles are laid to the wall, they are not grouted. Is that normal?
     
  8. Jord86

    Jord86 Screwfix Select


    Then I’d be amazed if it was a suitable substrate for a tiled finish. Who suggested tiling that size a tile over what you have?
     
  9. jackelliott07

    jackelliott07 Active Member

    When tiling a kitchen there's really 2 options, on the one hand you can tile the entire floor which allows for future alterations to layout/units etc without having to replace entire floor (best option)

    Option 2 is to only tile just past kickboards and save however many £££ on the cost of tiles.

    To tile underneath the units and NOT grout them makes no sense, and just seems lazy.
     
  10. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    The builder knew which tiles I wanted on the floor, I ordered them and they were here before he started the floor. We knew the old floor may need ripping out, and I paid extra on top of original quote for that and for the new substrate.
     
  11. masterdiy

    masterdiy Screwfix Select

    Then, the only solution is to get the fitter back & see what his response is.
    But agree with others, looks a poor job all over.
    As Roger has stated "whether to get the same incompetent person back"
    I would go for a return of Labour monies, & get a tiler in.
     
  12. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Thanks for all your help so far folks, it really is appreciated, my first foray into this kind of thing and learning quickly!
     
  13. masterdiy

    masterdiy Screwfix Select

    Also one point to remember next time......
    Lay the floor tiles first. Then fit the kitchen.

    Ps. Dont forget to get the builder back.
     
  14. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    That's what they did, the tiles went in first.
     
  15. Abrickie

    Abrickie Screwfix Select

    Poor tiler is taking a lot of flack but if he works directly for the builder he’s only doing what he’s paid to do. Whatever idiot came up with the “floor” is at fault, check out the ‘nailed’ joint to the right of pillar in pic2 then try a find what it’s nailed to in pic1. It all needs coming up and starting again
     
  16. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Builder and tiler same guys!
     
  17. Abrickie

    Abrickie Screwfix Select

    In that case wtf was he thinking
     
  18. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Could you explain for me a bit more what is wrong? I need to confront the builder with it all and it's hard without knowing exactly! I know hardly anything about this stuff
     
  19. Abrickie

    Abrickie Screwfix Select

    Google floating floor images and compare them to yours, it’s not a floating floor! On top of the insulation it should be t&g chipboard glue together and then as it’s being tiled ply fixed on top of that, you are missing the t&g and to add insult to injury some of the ply is nailed to the insulation
     
  20. IanEagle

    IanEagle New Member

    Thanks! I think some nails are holding the chicken wire down?
     

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