There are few things more frustrating than watching a tiling job start to fail after you recently had a reovation job done.
If you went with a trusted Perth tiling company like gibtilingperth.com.au you are unlikely to find yourself in this position, but for those who did not, the consequences can be costly.
A cracked tile here, a hollow spot underfoot there and before long you are pulling up work that cost real money and real disruption to get done.
The thing is, cracked and lifting tiles are almost never random.
There is always a reason and most of the time it traces back to something that happened before the first tile was even laid.
The preparation done before the tiles are laid down makes a world of a difference. Whether your tiler told you or not.
Some cheaper jobs may seem great when you get the invoice, but if everything starts cracking and failing soon after, a new job to fix it will end up costing you more than if you just got it done right the first time.
The substrate was not prepared properly
This is where the majority of tile failures in Perth homes start.
If the surface underneath is not flat, stable and properly primed before installation begins, the tiles have nothing solid to bond to.
Small variations in the substrate create flex points. Those flex points put stress on the tile and the adhesive.
Eventually something gives, usually the grout joint first and then the tile itself.
Good substrate preparation means checking for high and low points, allowing new renders and screeds to cure properly and using the right primer for the surface type.
Rushing any part of this to save time on a job is one of the most reliable ways to produce a result that looks fine for a year and then starts moving.
The wrong adhesive was used
Not all tile adhesives are the same.
Large format tiles need a high coverage adhesive applied with the correct trowel to achieve full contact across the back of the tile.
Patchy adhesive coverage leaves unsupported sections that crack under foot traffic or point loads.
In wet areas the wrong product can also break down with sustained moisture exposure, which is how tiles end up debonding from walls and floors that looked perfectly fine when they were first installed.
If you have steamy showers it’s important a proper and durable ahesive is used or your tiles will start peeling back sooner than you’d hoped.
Movement joints were left out
Perth summers are genuinely hot and the temperature swing between seasons puts real thermal stress on tiled surfaces.
Tiles expand and contract with those changes and without movement joints at the right intervals that expansion has nowhere to go.
The tiles push against each other until something cracks or lifts. This is most common in outdoor tiling and large format floor runs where the thermal movement across a long installation adds up.
A good tiler factors movement joints into the layout even in situations where they are not strictly required by the standard.
The waterproofing failed
This one is particularly frustrating because the damage happens behind the tiles where you cannot see it.
Water gets through a compromised grout joint or a crack in the membrane and sits against the substrate.
The substrate softens. The render breaks down. The tiles gradually lose their bond and start to move.
By the time tiles are lifting in a wet area the water damage behind them has usually been building for a while.
This creates even bigger problems than just having your tiles redone. This can lead to substrate damage, cracks in your walls and roof, and dangerous mould growing.
It is why waterproofing in wet areas is a legal requirement under the National Construction Code and why it needs to be inspected before any tiling begins.
A tiler who understands waterproofing as part of the overall system is a different thing to one who just lays tiles on top of whatever is there.
The grout was never sealed
Grout is porous. In a shower or bathroom that sees daily use, unsealed grout absorbs moisture and starts to break down.
Once the grout joint goes the tile edges become exposed to movement and water, which speeds up cracking and eventually tiles start working loose. Resealing grout in wet areas every couple of years is simple maintenance.
Most homeowners do not think about it until the damage is already there.
Perth soil makes things more complicated
Western Australia has some of the most reactive soils in the country.
In suburbs with clay-heavy soil profiles, seasonal moisture changes cause the ground to swell and contract in ways that transfer movement up through a slab and into the floor above it. It is more of a factor in some parts of Perth than others.
An experienced local tiler knows which areas it is worth accounting for and adjusts the substrate preparation and joint specification accordingly.
If your tiles are already moving
Cracked grout lines, tiles that sound hollow when you tap them, edges that are lifting slightly. If you are seeing any of these it is worth getting someone to look at it sooner rather than later. In a dry area a few isolated tiles might be replaceable without pulling everything up.
In a wet area it is rarely that straightforward because you cannot properly assess the substrate or the waterproofing without taking tiles back. The earlier you catch it the less work is usually involved.
GIB Tiling has been repairing and renovating tiled surfaces across Perth since 2005.
Garry and the team cover bathroom renovations, leaking shower repairs, regrouting and full retiles north and south of the river.
If something looks off with your tiling, get in touch for an honest assessment.