Tiles Cracking On Concrete Floor

Wearing rubber gloves to protect.

Tiles cracking on concrete floor. For a concrete subfloor the most effective thing to do is add steel reinforcing bars when the concrete slab is poured. Then prime the concrete see photo 2 with the recommended solution consult the membrane manufacturer s literature. Cracks are nothing out of the ordinary. However cracks wider than 1 8 inch will eventually transfer to the tile it notes.

Applying tile in these situations is really quite simple. Take these precautions to prevent tile cracking in the future. Cracks mean movement and a tile floor isn t meant to. Once a tile is cemented in place with mortar if the floor cracks that crack will radiate up through the tile.

Rather than using cement boards cbus the favored method is to use an uncoupling membrane. While these materials will not insure a crack free slab they will hold the concrete together such that small harmless hairline cracks occur instead of cracks in excess of 1 8 inch or more. Cracks in concrete are a sign of a structural problem. Generally hairline cracks in the concrete will not present an issue to the tile floor above.

For small narrow cracks that do not show signs of moisture use concrete filler which can be purchased in a tube in vinyl epoxy or latex to fill the crack. Cracks in a concrete slab are a problem that i run into frequently. In some cases i ve seen cracks that are almost 1 4 in. Let the primer dry and then apply the membrane photos 3 and 4.

Even though concrete seems like the perfect substrate for tile it carries its own unique set off problems. This will prevent formation of cracks in the concrete which lead to reflective cracking of the tile. Tom meehan a tile installer and owner of cape cod tileworks in harwich massachusetts replies. If you attach the tile to concrete you need to take special precautions by uncoupling the tile from the concrete.

Skip this step and we guarantee your new tile will crack right over the cracks in the concrete. A tile floor is only as strong and as stable as the subfloor on which it is installed. Cut the membrane so it s 1 1 2 times the width of your tiles. Tile s concrete substrate has cracked over time it is not unusual for concrete basement floors driveways or patios to have a long crack or two running through them especially if the concrete is several years old.

You can prevent cracks in ceramic tile that is laid over concrete in any number of ways. The first thing to do is add steel and fibers to the concrete slab. Finally tile floors installed over a concrete subfloor are the most susceptible to cracking because the concrete itself is prone to cracking the geeksonhome article states.