Why floor tile crack

The result is a visible split in the tile surface. In most cases, you can repair tile cracks without having to shell out on a complete refit. Certainly with minor hairline cracks, you can use an epoxy filler to repair the tile surface. For bigger, more visible cracks you may need to remove the entire tile and replace it. Repairing small, hairline cracks is relatively simple with the right tools for the job.

Instead, your best bet is to remove the tile and replace it with a spare tile in the same design, colour and size. However, keep in mind that tile batches can vary even with the same model, so there may be a difference in colour or finish than the original ones. As tile fixes go, this one is a little trickier to pull off than the above. We want to take care of your tile needs so that you can enjoy your beautiful floors for years to come.

See our grout and tile cleaning services for more information on how we can help maintain your floors. And if you are ready for a properly installed tile floor or need help fixing already cracked tile, contact us for a free in-home estimate and demo.

See details and all offers. March 12, Groutsmith Tulsa Beautiful tile can stop looking so beautiful if it lifts or cracks. What Causes Tile Floor Cracks? Without proper subfloor preparation, your tiles can crack. This can happen because the subfloors are either left uneven or dirt and large debris still cover its surface as the tile is laid. Concrete Settlement— Concrete is porous. It absorbs water and expands and contracts due to temperature changes.

Tile is rigid and does not expand and contract in the same way. When the tile is adhered to concrete, its lack of give can cause it to crack during concrete settlement. Control Joint Installation— Because concrete is prone to cracking, it is poured with premade cracks called control joints. These joints help keep any potential fractures that form from spreading across the entire foundation.

In general, these types of cracks will be found near the periphery of the floor, not the center. Did the refrigerator's dead weight cause the tile to crack? This is possible. In this test, floor tiles are run through a machine that exerts loads on an unsupported 1-inch square area.

As long as the tile does not break under pounds of pressure, the tile is considered to be compliant with these standards. Most tiles meet the pound minimum. Some specialty tiles greatly exceed the minimums. For example, Durabody brand tiles from the manufacturer Interceramic have a breaking point of pounds per square inch.

A sizable refrigerator such as a 22 cubic foot side-by-side model weighs about pounds, representing about 75 pounds per square inch of breaking force on each of its four legs. This is far less than ASTM standards. However, keep in mind that this is dead weight. Should an errant mover let a fridge, table, dishwasher, or cabinet land too hard on the floor, this is considered a sharp blow and could easily crack the tile.

Control joints in concrete are essentially preplanned cracks. Since it is almost certain that concrete will crack at some point in the future, control joints allow you to place those cracks in a predictable fashion. Control joints are intended to create a weakened area in the concrete and regulate where cracks will occur, normally as a straight line, rather than chaotically.

It is not prudent to use tile to bridge a line that you know in advance will expand. With tile, the less deflection, the better. Wood is flexible; tile is rigid. So, if you have a floor with flex, you are attempting to mate two dissimilar materials. Think back to the last time you could have dropped something heavy. Was it a piece of furniture you were moving in through the entryway, a plate or ceramic bowl?

The iron in the bathroom? Did you accidentally drop a cast-iron pot while you were trying to wash it? All of these things may only show a small dent at first, but the damage can spread over time if the area sees continual pressure like constant foot traffic. Also, keep in mind that certain rooms in your home may be more vulnerable to cracked tile flooring from a drop. For example, your kitchen tiling can become cracked if heavy pots and pans drop onto your tile flooring and when you have people constantly moving in and out of the area.

You may be looking to remodel your bathroom if a crack is forming and continues to spread from moisture. This means that you can depend on your tiles to be made out of quality material.