Effective Solutions for Broken Tiles
We’ve looked at several different instances of tile used as finished surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms, here on our blog and website. This past week we looked at an example of penny tile which is often used as a flooring in historic bathrooms, but in some cases can also be used as a decorative finish and somewhat functional finishes as well for bathrooms or other rooms in the house.
Today we’re looking at a relatively common rustificated 12-in X 12-in ceramic floor tile set in a randomized pattern with severe cracking and damage. A lot of this damage may be related to the use of the floor, but also one of the root causes is of the cracking and damage of the ceramic tile is also related to the substrate and substrate preparation.
The next picture below shows the cracking a little more closely. Some other details about this floor are related but not necessarily central to the cracking itself. The grout lines are set at between 3/8 of an inch to half of an inch and some of the widest locations.
There’s more variation in the grout lines and the sizing of the grout lines in this particular installation than the average or most common typical norm. Normally grout lines between 12-in x 12-in tiles are set between 1/8 of an inch and a quarter of an inch. In fact the dimension of 3/16 of an inch is relatively common. Grout spacers can be purchased which are pre-manufactured at the sizes and then use to set the spacing uniformly or at least close to uniformly between each of the individual tiles.
The substrates, for example in the case of flooring, the subfloor, and the trueness of that subfloor will dictate the applicability for a tight grout line. In other words, if the subfloor has significant variation, larger grout lines must be used to accommodate and hide the deviations and inconsistencies in the subfloor. Without larger grout lines, significant lippage will occur between individual tiles which will be a nuisance for foot traffic and other types of usage on top of the floor.
Here, the next picture below, you can see one of the crack areas very clearly. This is a close-up view of the same tiles that were looking at in the wider angle views above. These deep cracks occur not just at a few isolated locations, but at up to 6% of the total tile used between the two rooms where this tile is installed. This rooms are both kitchen and dining areas. Often tile work will be installed specifically related or isolated to a kitchen or bathroom type area because those areas generally have higher degrees of moisture and water usage.
Where substrates are loose and or uneven, a fracture isolation membrane can help deter cracking because a fracture isolation membrane can essentially isolate tike work from the substrate flooring in a way that bonds the individual tiles to each other. If ceramic tiles are installed directly to wood subfloor sheathing, it’s almost guaranteed to crack significantly. There are some exceptions, depending on the type of tile and the type of mortar bed, but especially at joints between the sub flooring, we’ll often see differential movement lead to cracking at the surface of the tiles.
You also may notice that with this particular tile there is lots of porosity or surface texture deviations. These elements are not actually true porosity. Porosity occurs in several types of rock and stone. However, this ceramic tile, like many other types of ceramic tiles intended to look or resemble natural stone work. It’s actually a kiln fired ceramic tile with a glaze at the surface. Nonetheless, the deviations at the surface of the ceramic tile make it appear more natural or more similar to natural stone work.
The black marks shown at the surface of the tile are not actually part of the finish or the ceramic tile glaze, they’re actually just deep deviations that are part of the tiles manufactured aesthetic. However, in this particular case, the pock marks look particularly dark because there is a layer of dirt inside of that faux porosity.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project. If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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