Expert Answers in cracks

ANSWER –  First of all, tile applications installed on shower walls should not bow or crack.   What you describe sounds like it is a shrinkage problem in the floated wall mortar bed.  You didn’t…

ANSWERS – it is not acceptable to spot bond tiles on floors.  For residential dry area applications, tiles are suppose to have at least 80% thin-set contact with full support at all edges and corners.…

ANSWER –  If only the grout is cracking, and not the tile, then normally grout cracks due to excessive movement in the tile assembly for one reason or another.

There are many different types of tile assemblies,…

ANSWER – The fact that there is a squeak under the tile suggests that the wood underlayment subfloor is moving to some degree.  I doubt that it is the tile assembly itself moving independent of the…

ANSWER – The photos clearly show that the vein separation is a fissure, which naturally occurs in some stones.

By definition of the American Geological Institute a fissure is an extensive crack, break, or fracture in…

ANSWER – As the “Hollow Sounding Tiles May Signal Installation Problems” article stated, tiles can sound hollow for different reasons.  In some cases hollow sounding tiles are not likely to result in any problems.…

First ANSWER – Just because a slate tile sounds hollow doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem.  It might be a reflection of the configuration of the tile assembly or substrate beneath it.  Although on…

ANSWERS – If the crack is a structural crack in the concrete slab, which is a crack that has vertical displacement from one side of the crack to the other, then a crack isolation membrane…

ANSWER – Travertine is normally resistant to water.  Although it can develop staining from being subjected to floods, but it can normally be cleaned.  Cementitious backer boards are resistant to water too.

ANSWER – Porcelain tile, which is a type of ceramic tile, can crack for a variety of reasons, although if installed correctly it should never crack.