Tile install problems?

[jason4656]

Hi all, I've finally had my new tiles fitted, after the previous ones all came loose, hollow. Over time I've spoke to so many surveyors and learned a little about tiling. 

 

I ended up tiling the whole of my house a long with some other work, the job was speced by a surveyor and sent for tender to a few builders the company have been great and only a small part of the large sum owed has been requested.

 

6 weeks post install I have 20% hollow tiles already.

 

They are plank style but not cheap ones, they were put down with a full bed on a screed, and the ufh was off for weeks before, and was not put back on for weeks after. The adhesive was the correct flexible one and the gap was 3mm on the grout. The screed is laid on top of concrete. The tiller used some type of clamp on the corner of each tile to make sure they were lined up, to be honest it's ok but not brilliant there are some discrepancies.

 

my wonder if if is the same thing is happening as before what else could be up? And is the fact that about 20% of them sounding hollow at this point a problem, do I need to wait and see if they loosen more or should I be asking for it to be resolved, refitted? The surveyor should be taking this up with the builder..I just wanted some info before I speak to the surveyor thanks 

 

 

[slick132]

Hi Jason,

 

You refer to a builder doing the work but I hope it was a tiling specialist.

 

Given that you have underfloor heating, it's important that all the correct materials were used and I hope the Surveyor sourced an appropriate specialist.

 

The Surveyor needs to see the work, speak to the builder and then speak to you.

 

Keep us posted please.

[BankFodder]

Can you give some values here please. What is the cost of the tiles – what is the cost of the installation?

Have the tiles been supplied by the same people who have carried out the installation?

As suggested above, you will certainly need to get the work inspected by the surveyor but I would suggest that you also need to get another independent assessment.

[jason4656]

Hi, the tiles were £40/sqm and the installation was £45/sqm. Yes the builder is the company who did the job, they brought in a tiling company to install, they sent me to their tile supplier and I picked the tiles paid the shop directly. thank you. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by jason4656

[BankFodder]

Thank you. That makes life a lot simpler. When people buy an item from one place and have it installed by somebody else – he always causes problems because each party tends to blame the other.

You haven't given us any time lines for when this happened or when the false developed et cetera. I think you should do so in a bullet pointed chronology – without too much narrative.

Your position now is to get independent expert reports who can assess the problem with reference to the quality of the tiles, the quality of the installation, how this might have been impacted by your underfloor heating – but of course I expect that the supplier/installers would have been aware of that and so you would be entitled to rely upon their expertise in addressing any problems that are raised by that system of heating.

Get the expert reports and then come back here. They may well cost you money – but it is important to get good quality independent reports and if they both find that it was a problem of either supply or of installation then things will be moderately straightforward.

I would suggest that you obtain one expert report and if that expert report finds in your favour then send it to the supplier and tell them that you are commissioning a second expert report from another completely independent source. Invite the supplier to carry out their own independent inspection if they wish but put them on notice that if your experts are agreed that the problem is caused by some failure on their part – this applies part – then you will be looking to them to provide a suitable remedy and also to meet the costs of reports and any other incidental expenses.

Who are the supplier/installers?

[jason4656]

Hi by independent report, do you mean another surveyor? I am guessing it makes sense to speak to my own surveyor first to see their position on it. IE they may not be happy with it either who knows. 

 

The tiles were installed late Jan, the heating was not turned on till 3 week post install, I noticed the fault a week ago, 8-10 weeks I guess in total. - I do not have dates sorry. 

[slick132]

Given that you already have your own Surveyor who specified the requirements for the tiling, he needs to view the work to determine if there actually IS a fault, and how it can be rectified.

 

If you fail to find a remedy through this process, then an independant specialist will be needed.

 

What was the approx cost of the tiles and of the installation, as we have no indication of the overall cost.

[jason4656]

Hi Thank you, I have arranged a call, but just wanted to be armed with the facts in advance, my main point of question is, 

 

1 should there be a hollow sound - I guess not, but if there is, does it constitute a fault on the installation, and to rectify does it need to be done again, or can it be fixed?

 

if they are to be fixed, at what point do you remove everything presuming it will get worse and was not done right, or just spot fix 20 tiles out of 120 ? 

 

thank you 

[slick132]

I would be concerned at a hollow sound under any floor or wall tiles but I'm not an expert.

 

If there's a fault, I would expect the job to be redone in it's entirety, or at least in any room where the hollow sound is found. It may be possible to reuse the tiles but, if not, they should be replaced at the builder's cost assuming that is who you paid.

 

Maybe an expert tiler will offer comment.

 

If not, let us know when your Surveyor has viewed the job.