QUESTION

We recently cleaned our ceramic tile grout with a Zep 32 Oz Grout Cleaner product # Zu104632. In our kitchen/family room area we now have approximately 12 tiles, which by sound tapping, are no longer attached to the underlying concrete foundation. Also 6 of these 12 tiles are raised about 1-2 inches above the adjacent fully bonded tiles. There are also areas of the grout surrounding these tiles that have no grout. This product based on its label contains hydrochloric acid. Could this Zep cleaner be the cause what we are experiencing with these unbonded and raised tiles?

ANSWER

ANSWER - A ceramic tile floor should be able to withstand cleaning with water or any type of an appropriate grout cleaner.

The cleaner itself normally can't cause the tile to become debonded.   If in fact the cleaning process somehow contributed to the tiles becoming unbonded, it would be more likely due to the water rather than the cleaner.

Water by itself should not cause ceramic tile to debond, but the water can cause a tile to expand.  If the tile was not bonded well in the first place, then in theory the tile expansion could have caused more stress on the adhesive attachment than it could resist.

Chances are the tiles were not installed correctly in the first place for one or more reasons.  The tile bond is probably less than it should be and there probably are not movement joints installed to mitigate potential stress in the tile.

The fact that some of the tiles raised up suggests that the tiles were in compression before they were relieved by becoming debonded.  The missing grout suggests that the tiles have been loose for awhile.