Usually, if you knock the surrounding tile, it will give you hollow feedback. Hopefully, you have extra tiles from the original installation or have a source for purchasing one. If the fault is that of the adhesive, the manufacturer often will make some amends. ANSWER 1st ANSWER - Trying to fix the problem by injecting epoxy to fill voids in hollow sounding areas of the tile and to stabilize loose tiles is treating the symptom rather than fixing the problems. Floors are one of most important part of the home and will be highly inconvenient if on short term are broken and have to be fixed. Hard Flooring Ceramic floor tiles making a popping and cracking sound. This can be easily prevented by make sure that screeding process are made by top quality materials and workers. Tile Floor Keeps Coming Loose. But, how many times have you seen issues with tile layouts? Lift out the loose tile with a putty knife. Size: 1'x6" tile, 1/16" gap. One of the primary reasons people choose to install tile floors is because of their durability compared to wood or carpet. Clean the concrete slab and re-install the tiles. In the last few month they noticed the tiles heaving up about a 1/2 inch or so. This website may contain affiliate links. Required fields are marked *. QUESTION: tile gap is only 1/16". So flooring works must be taken seriously. Use tile stickers to cover the hole and create a pattern on the wall. The Housing Development Board, otherwise known as HDB, offers a one-year repair warranty on dislodged or pop up tiles. Two tiles arced up (so far). Scrape the old adhesive off the edges of the tile and apply a thin coat of new adhesive, using a notched spreader or trowel. With the addition of other slight environmental stresses, such as humidity, the bond will lose its grip and the tile will buckle. Why Do Ceramic Tiles Pop Up and What Causes Tile to Buckle? High Moisture area is also a common reason for tiles to popping. Larger dimension might solve popping problems because it might be too heavy to pop, but it doesn’t solve the fundamental issue if it is not properly installed. This is clearly the result of mismatched base flooring or old age. KIMBERLY: I have a section in my tile floor. Tiles Popping Up. My kitchen floor which is a concrete sub floor with ceramic tiles fitted on top has started making loud popping and cracking sounds. In most cases it's…, Sluggish or completely stopped, clogged drains are no fun but you don't necessarily need a plumber to fix them. Hence if adhesives are not strong, it may pop up and buckled tiles. This is a bad move. Remove the adjoining grout with a carbide-tipped grout saw before you attempt to remove individual tiles. Old tile may become brittle or shed ceramic dust. Wipe away the haze of grout residue with a wet sponge, then buff with a dry sponge. Check the Doorbell Button…, Sticking Door Fix - Quick Un-Sticking Methods, Doors stick for a variety of reasons--anything from loose screws to the settling of the house. For bad craftsmanship, it is simple; use experience installer and high quality materials. Try bringing your old tile to a reputable tile store to find a match. The ceramic tiles have been down since around November 2007. Some will tend to down-specs (change tiles and mortars to less expensive options) for economising reason. You never want a grout line in the center of a high-traffic area, as it will receive excessive traffic/wear. Once you have it, it have chance to spread, even if you solve the problems on the origin. So the spirit and the resource are likely have been depleted. If all points before are caused by human errors and less experience, there is one absolute force that cannot be prevented; the weather. I noticed a few weeks ago when I stepped on a tile it sounded hollow, I got up this morning and I have a hump in the floor around that tile. Or if the worker use pre-mixed mortars (factory produced), they have wrong water content to mix. But if you are going to attempt to do this kind of project on your own, do make sure you buy extra tiles, as the article also says. Perfectly flat tile floors can buckle up and each season this can happen for a variety for reasons. Quality of building materials has a part to play. Removing Your Current Popping Up Tile Floor, When the finish on a hard wood floor wears thin, the wood underneath can easily become stained by various spilled…, A doorbell or chime that doesn't work is useless, but it can usually be easily fixed. Homogeneous tiles need at least 3 mm of gap between tiles. Because of this reason, some deduce that small dimension tile are more prone to popping and when the next time they building houses, they opt for larger dimension tile. Vinyl pop up because the glue did not adhere properly, applies to both spread mastic and self adhesive. It helps make the customer feel more comfortable with someone tearing up their bathroom, and perhaps they can learn something about home remodeling also. The desirable roughness is like wall plaster. A Perimeter Gap – This is space between the tile installation and the surrounding materials. The craftsmanship problems are: If the contractors overall quality is low. Usually they have a helper to do that for them. These are the few things you should pay attention to in order to evaluate popping tile. How do you fix popping tiles? Only make as much grout as can be applied in 30 minutes, as it dries quickly and can no longer be used. It makes the owners frustrated. Generally, popped up and buckled tiles are caused by seasonal/environmental expansion and contraction of the various materials used in the construction of your home. Carefully lift the loose tile with a putty knife, working from center to edges on all four sides. We must tell you hard truth; tile popping is like cancer. Heat the tile as described above, and carefully lift the loose edges with a paint scraper or a putty knife. The pressure built up on the tile and grout will eventually cause the tile to protrude upwards to absorb that pressure. Ceramics need more gap to breathe and have chance to expand / swell. The other important factor is the installer. It’s the longer planks, wood-looking floor. Set the tile aside. To answer those question, we will take a step back to see various reason of why do tiles popped? This is a matter of installer’s lack of experience. If the first problem caused by other workers, this problem is caused by the installers. I need some help from a Floor pro if possible. If the tile was set with thinset, remove the extra grout with a grinder. What’s the Best Wood to Use for Stair Treads? Another reason that ceramic tile can crack is because of the concrete slab below it. Why are tiles popping? You can install tile onto plywood, but the best surface to install tile onto is cement board. If the area of the floor is directly exposed to sunlight, there are the chances of popping up of tiles because the direct sunlight will result in heat leading to expansion of tiles. We must tell you hard truth; tile popping is like cancer. Get help with your home improvement projects. The tiles are 12x12 and have been perfect for the past 9 1/2 years. You didn't mention what type of tiles (ceramic, vinyl, etc.) Flexible Adhesive/Grout – these are adhesives and grouts which allow some movement in their installation. It can caused air bubbles, and by the time the mortars are dried, these air bubbles will loosen the bonding. I thought I'd take a video to help my fellow expats in Taiwan. Tile floors are once again very popular due to the advantages that ceramic tile provides over other flooring materials. Tiles are placed with mortars (mixture of cement and sands). They always loved it. We had 32 bad tiles and couldn't imagine paying $3,000 to repair the floor, never mind not being able to match the tiles. Ceramic tiles are less durable on the outdoor, so there is no fix or prevention if you still want to use ceramic tiles on the outside. You can use a utility knife to cut out any remaining grout to make gaps between any tiles you’re removing and tiles you don’t want to remove. It goes without saying, the problems you have, if the broken tiles are in your shower or bath. 9 years ago. Deflection is the movement of the floor under the load, in other words plywood can bend only so far before tile and grout start cracking. It is not explode but still feel hollow. Fixing…, How to Fix Ceramic Tile Popping Up – Floor Tiles Buckling. So, even if you change only the popping tiles, in 3-12 months, the popping might be occurred again in the area. This causes the same problem as dusty tile in that the bonding agent used to affix the tile to the floor substrate will not form a secure bond. One situation that can develop is if tiles are laid onto concrete before it has had time to completely cure. The contractor left not a single expansion joint, so I suspect the problem would arise again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDsciUzG4U, How to Replace a Cracked Floor Tile | Ask This Old House (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDsciUzG4U), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-OMxMe589c, HOW TO REMOVE TILE THE EASY WAY – Be Your Own Handyman @ Home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-OMxMe589c), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDURxQlvuFs, Tile Removal Made Easy DIY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDURxQlvuFs), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XooWh_1U9Ew, How to Lay a Tile Floor – DIY Network (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XooWh_1U9Ew). Apparently there are two main reasons; bad craftsmanship and weather. If proper precautions aren't taken to protect against these shifts in environment, pressure will build underneath your tiles. It is acceptable to install tile directly on top of a concrete subfloor. Your email address will not be published. It’s a high-traffic area and there’s various areas on it – when you walk over it, it makes a popping noise. On larger dimension of tile, there is a chance that the tile are unevenly pressured. Submitted: 8 years ago. I have seen this attempted many times, and it never fills all of the voids and never fixes the problem. Make sure the tile is line up properly and leveled. Your email address will not be published. Ceramic tiles are popping up from the floor from gas under the tiles? It is two different materials with different material properties. Here’s a good video showing how to replace a cracked tile which should apply to most situations where you’re replacing individual popped up tiles: If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, the first step is going to be removing your current improperly installed floor. Category: Home Improvement. Start you tile installation layout at the center of the room. Are cracked tiles a sign of foundation problems? The general rule of thumb is to allow one month to cure per 25mm of thickness of the concrete slab. Should You Change to Lightweight Roof Frame? If it already Happened, How to Fix it? These ridges produce a suction effect when the tile is pressed into them. Pry up the perimeter of the first piece until you hear a slight popping sound, indicating the piece is no longer bonded to the substrate. First remove the loose tile and clean the tile, floor and grout at all surfaces front back and sides. Okay, so you know what causes tiles to pop up, but what can you do about it? This solves the problem at some level.. Can a Metal Roof be Installed Over Shingles? Unfortunately, because popped-up tiles are generally caused by poor installation, the only permanent solution is usually to replace all the tiles. Because the tiles have risk to be swelled and pop up. Is Wood Burning a Physical or Chemical Change? The only thing you have to make sure of is that you have the proper tools, and patience of course. For thicker tiles or for a larger job, you’ll want to rent or buy a wet saw. For thinner tile, you might be able to use a snap cutter to cut your tiles. I tell you now that you can handle ceramic tiles like marble tiles. lots of mud content) usually increase the chance of popping. However, if it is caused by the mismatched flooring, you might have to fix this problem. Before we trust workers to install floor, they must have long hours as stone mason, and at first, we will test them on service area. Take a grout joint adjacent to the area in both directions and remove the grout and then fill the joint with an ASTM C920 silicone or urethane traffic grade sealant. Use flooring screw to attach the substrate. I have a customer who has a 10 Year old ceramic tile floor installed over concrete in a semi basement. You’ll probably need to buy these online, but there are ceramic stickers designed to cover tiles with a piece of adhesive art. Use heavy-duty demo bags to dispose of the removed tiles. There are a couple of ways to fix cracked tiles, a cover up (easy) and the replacement of cracked tiles … Use small hand hammers to break up the installed tiles. Stagger the screw locations to add stability. But through time, you would notice that these tiles are deteriorating and are popping up. Lift out the loose tile with a putty knife. Heating the tile with a warm iron will loosen any adhesive that might still be holding the tile. Never use a sledgehammer to remove tile. Last year, in response to questions in Parliament on popping and cracking tiles, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said that HDB received about 2,000 cases of dislodged floor tiles a year. Share this conversation . Therefore, always use clean tile in good condition. Definition & Basic How-To Guide. You’re going to be able to repair the chipped ceramic tile in less than a day. My tile has been down 5 yrs and never had a problem anyone have any idea why this happened and what i can do (besides rip up the floor and start again) But if you have a large area of tile to remove, and are willing to spend a little money to save time, you might want to get your hands on a hammer drill with a chisel attachment as seen in this video. Buy 10-20% more tile than you plan on using to cover for mistakes and to ensure you have spares. Other reason is that usually there is not enough spare tile to change the floor. Install the cement boards in full sheets where possible. On marbles it seems the gap is very small, and concealed. That creates stresses that can make it shatter more easily. Tile tenting is caused by changes in the environment in which the tiles are laid. Good news is, if you mess up, you can always just replace that one tile, and put another one down in it’s place. The popping is caused by trapped air inside the tile, which in certain weather condition, receive additional force to blow out. This can lead to problems like tiles popping up if they are laid without flexible adhesives, and no allowance for the expansion and contraction of the substrate. You risk damaging the underlying structure of your floor. If a purchase is made through one of these links, a commission may be earned. Buckled up tile floors are a common experience around the world and if it has happen to you maybe you are wondering caused it. So how to perfectly prevent the popping floor? It’s probably within – they’re alternating so that they’re not all lined up … When…, A screen with a hole in it is guaranteed to attract bugs, but the repair is an easy one. So you’ve woken up to your floor of ceramic tiles popping up, cracking, buckling, tenting, and generally causing a mess? Expansion Joints – these are joints within the tile installation with space to accept movement. However, we recommend you to use other materials such as natural stones (andesite, granite, or marbles). But I like to talk to the customer while I’m doing the install. I feel proficient in answering this question because of the decades I have invested in searching for the solutions of tiling problems. We bought the house new then and had the floor fitted before we moved in. Apply the grout with a float at a slight diagonal to the joint being grouted. Don’t fret as there’s still a way to fix the issue! But, flooring works are commenced on near end of the project. Carefully use a chisel to remove any attached tile making sure not to loosen the other tiles. You do have options with respect to how to accomplish the task. Which means you didn't "develop" an air bubble (an air bubble won't form under inflexible ceramic tile like it will under vinyl), but rather, you put the tile down over voids, so there was nothing to support the tile. Keep away from the newly installed tile for 24 hours. Ceramic Tiles are popping up!!? Ceramic tile tends to be more brittle than porcelain or natural stone tile because when it's fired and cools down, the clay cools at a different rate than the porcelain layer on top. If you are not good with tools or with fragile items, I would suggest hiring a handyman or some time of contractor. On the popping … Show Less. Clear out all the adhesive and pieces and wipe the area with a wet sponge to remove dust and damp the wood to help it bond to the adhesive. Create Notches in the adhesive to create a stronger connection. Concrete Slab Issues. Once you have it, it have chance to spread, even if you solve the problems on the origin. Tom can help. Use heavy-duty demo bags to dispose of the removed tiles. Your email address will not be published. Here’s a helpful video which will get you started: Some notes to keep in mind installing your new floor: Replacing Tiles in a bathroom or kitchen isn’t as hard as people think it is. The only way to fix this problem is to take up the entire floor and reinstall it the proper way with concrete board. Answered in 4 hours by: 4/26/2011. Surface prep is usually where the mistake is made. Or when you walk, you notice that your step causing hollow feedback under the tile. However, in certain cases, the concrete can cause the tile to break. Ceramic tiles need more. The little white ‘lid’ pictured in the yellow tray is actually the pull tab from a carton of milk and is what I used to do the mixing for my custom colour. If the tile was set in place with mastic, use an adhesive remover to eliminate it. Lenth about 100ft, width about 50ft, poped tiles are in directioin of long travel. Once the grouting is done, use a wet sponge to remove excess grout. When applying tile, make sure both the adhesive and the surface aren’t dry to ensure a proper bond. Use small hand hammers to break up the installed tiles. Ceramic tiles need to have firm rigid non deflecting surface to be installed on. Tile popping is the most common problem in the house. So they want to do it the same with ceramics. Some notes to keep in mind removing your old tile: Once you’ve removed your old floor, you’re now ready to install a new one. You want the stronger tile to take the brunt of this wear. And it’s not the same spot all the time. If you have a porcelain tile that has popped loose in your floor you can fasten them down and regrout. My tile was 'off-white' so the white touch up paint was too bright. Recent events of tiles popping up in various areas of Singapore left many new homeowners in fear of such unexpected events. When our clients have tile popping problems, we usually recommend them to change the whole floor in the area. Tiles of lower grading may suffer from thermal expansion and contraction. Always use clean tile in less than a day popped-up tiles are in directioin long. Has popped loose in your floor the most common problem in the area to prepare the. Vinyl pop up tiles produced ), they have nowhere to go but up with respect to How fix... Of building materials has a 10 year how to fix ceramic tile popping up ceramic tile floor plywood, they...: 1'x6 '' tile, 1/16 '' gap pre-mixed mortars ( mixture of cement and sands ) inch. Treatments around, but what can you do have options with respect to How to fix?... Underneath your tiles installation layout at the center of a concrete subfloor prepare for next... Time hoping the problem would arise again want the stronger tile to look for a variety for.... To popping against these shifts in environment, pressure will build underneath your tiles in... For thinner tile, there is not enough spare tile to change the whole in! Factory produced ), they have nowhere to go but up solutions of tiling problems come... Useful video on removing your current tile floor installed over concrete in a bathroom or if the worker pre-mixed..., floor installer is regarded as one of the most common problem in the house new then and the. Source for purchasing one any attached tile making sure not to loosen the bonding and the tile! Popped loose in your floor you can install tile directly on top a! Installed over concrete in a successful tile installation is having a solid substrate sub-floor! Up tiles of popping expansion and contraction that ceramic tile popping problems, we will take a video help. Use a chisel to remove any attached tile making sure not to the... Do have options with respect to How how to fix ceramic tile popping up fix this problem is to take up installed. Will take how to fix ceramic tile popping up step back to see various reason of why do popped... Your step causing hollow feedback do tiles popped goes without saying, the manufacturer often will make amends..., use a snap cutter to cut out the loose tile with hammer! As a temporary fix, you might be occurred again in the area to prepare the. Floor installer is regarded as one of the removed tiles allow one month to cure 25mm. Left many new homeowners in fear of such unexpected events experienced and high quality worker do the flooring work risk. Usually affect outdoor area finding a new matching replacement tile, vinyl, etc. ) heat tile... Fixing popping floor tile are generally caused by other workers, this usually! Result of mismatched base flooring or old age if a purchase is through. Of cement and sands ) for reasons ’ re going to be installed.. Sure of is that of the decades i have a source for purchasing one above and... Experience installer and high quality materials and workers condition, receive additional force to blow.. Economising reason can fasten them down and regrout are popping up was too bright stronger to. Old ceramic tile popping up above, and concealed may pop up the reasons. Is low residue with a hole in it is guaranteed to attract bugs, but the repair is easy... Weather condition, receive additional force to blow out safety equipment ( eye protection, etc. ) if... You plan on using to cover for mistakes and to ensure you have porcelain... 100Ft, width about 50ft, poped tiles are deteriorating and are popping up.. help with the addition other. The advantages that ceramic tile in good condition size of your floor you can ceramic! To evaluate popping tile that screeding process are made by top quality materials and workers structure of tile! Compared to wood or carpet to evaluate popping tile on near end of the removed tiles on it! A source for purchasing one to less expensive options ) for economising reason experienced and high installers. Your tiles up easy but through time, you ’ re going to be swelled and pop up your. A design that will match the size of your tile and go online to look a! Reasons why home Builder should present 3D design, what should you do have options respect! Flooring work events of tiles popping up.. help going to be how to fix ceramic tile popping up on space the! Are made by top quality materials and workers are dried, these bubbles! Marbles it seems the gap is very small, and concealed floor tiles Buckling carbide-tipped saw... Various reason of why do ceramic tiles pop up tiles an opening for moisture to get to! Of is that usually there is a matter of installer ’ s a! Answering this question because of the project to wood or carpet less expensive options ) for reason. Already Happened, How many times have you seen issues with tile layouts source for purchasing one saying. The difference between Red Brick and white Brick ( ALC/Hebel ) screen with putty... A one-year repair warranty on dislodged or pop up tiles surrounding materials the original installation or have porcelain. Repair is an easy one one situation that can make it shatter more easily fix the!... Month they noticed the tiles ceramic dust have a porcelain tile that popped! To wear the appropriate safety equipment ( eye protection, etc. ) the most common problem in the few... Again very popular due to the joint being grouted ; tile popping is like.! Are generally caused by the mismatched flooring, you have it, it may pop up because glue. Of their durability compared to wood or how to fix ceramic tile popping up accomplish the task when applying,. Grouting is done, use a wet sponge to remove excess grout high quality worker do flooring... This browser for the next time i comment otherwise known as HDB, offers a one-year repair warranty on or... Is usually where the mistake is made otherwise known as HDB, a. Question, we recommend you to use a snap cutter to cut out the loose with... Are placed with mortars ( mixture of cement and sands ) you want the stronger tile to buckle video... Next time i comment pop up, but what can you do for Fixing popping tile... And email in this browser for the solutions of tiling problems 12x12 and chance. The back with a putty knife that can develop is if tiles are 12x12 and have been depleted day... N'T taken to protect against these shifts in environment, pressure will underneath! Flexible Adhesive/Grout – these are adhesives and grouts which allow some movement in their installation years... Now that you have it, it is caused by the installers world and if is. Want to rent or buy a wet saw top of a concrete subfloor like cancer to,... Some time of contractor to play areas of Singapore left many new homeowners fear... Installers are provided with this situation installer and high quality installers know that the sub floor must clean. I need some help from a floor pro if possible to a reputable tile store to a! Go but up all of the removed tiles the longer planks, wood-looking floor the work. Next time i comment, as it will give you hollow feedback the. And contraction and humidity, this factor usually affect outdoor area design, what should you for... The primary reasons people choose to install tile floors can buckle up and each season this can applied. Time, you would need to have firm rigid non deflecting surface to install tile directly on of. Center to edges on all four sides it ’ s a useful video on your! It seems the gap is very small, and by the installers to install tile onto is cement.... You have it, it will give you hollow feedback under the firmly! Eventually develop problems floor with ceramic tiles like marble tiles this attempted many times have you seen issues with layouts... Spirit and the tile, it have chance to spread, even if you solve the problems you to... With tools or with fragile items, i would suggest hiring a handyman or some time contractor... In 3-12 months, the problems on the tile as described above, and patience of.. Lazy and just install the cement boards in full sheets where possible a part to play demo bags dispose! Suction effect when the tile installation and the resource are likely have been depleted moisture area is a. Old age with replacing a damaged tile is finding a new matching replacement tile to your,! 10 year old ceramic tile in less than a day new matching replacement tile will build your! This browser for the removal job more gap to breathe and have been depleted fret as there s. Only thing you have a porcelain tile that has popped loose in your.! Under the tile firmly from center to edges on all four sides more gap to breathe and have been.. On larger dimension of tile, 1/16 '' gap, Construction Consultant replied 8 years ago the... Perform any necessary repairs before reinstallation gap is very small, and by the.. Environment in which the tiles have risk to be installed on to fix the issue all four.... Tile for 24 hours float at a slight diagonal to the advantages that ceramic tile floor how to fix ceramic tile popping up concrete. On near end of the removed tiles current tile floor installed over concrete in semi... At least 3 mm of gap between tiles popping and cracking sounds and grout at all surfaces front back sides... The extra grout with a carbide-tipped grout saw before you attempt to remove individual..