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How can you determine if ceramic tile that was in flood has been damaged?
QUESTION
My basement flooded and had about of inch of standing water for 3 or 4 days. I have about 600 feet of ceramic flooring on a concrete floor. Should I be concerned about mold long term? How can the adjuster determine if it needs to be replaced?ANSWER
ANSWER - If the ceramic tile was installed correctly and the water wasn't contaminated, then the tile should not have been damaged from the flood incident.Since the tile is installed over a concrete substrate then exposure to moisture should not cause microbial grown if it is cleaned dried promptly. Microbial growth needs organic food, moisture, and a temperature of at least 35 degrees F. Concrete has a high pH and is not a friendly environment for mold unless there is organic material on it.
It is possible that if the ceramic tile was not installed correctly and didn't have movement joints to mitigate the stress from the tile expanding from absorbing the water, and that the resultant stress was greater than the tile bond strength, then that could cause tiles to debonded and tent (lift up).
Depending on the state and the insurance company, they may or may not cover the failed tile installation. Generally speaking, regardless of whether the tile was originally installed correctly or not, the insurance company will cover the claim if the damage is the result of the flood incident. On the other hand if it is pre-existing conditions/damages, then the insurance company will not cover it.
To determine whether or not damages were incurred from the flood incident would require an expert such as www.CTaSC.com to evaluate the situation.
9 thoughts on “How can you determine if ceramic tile that was in flood has been damaged?”
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Ian brought 11 ft of black water and mud into our unit w old tile w thick porous grout. I am worried about future health issues,etc if we don’t replace it. Can this be dangerous?
If your tile and grout is very porous and if the water was considered category 3 meaning the water was grossly unsanitary then that can justify for an insurance company to pay for the removal and replacement of the tile floor.
To determine if the floor is contaminated and if it is releasing unhealthy microbial spores into the air you can have your house test by an Industrial Hygienist.
A 2nd level comode over flowed and water continuously ran for several hrs. I had a small river flowing from living rm thr the kitchen. Everything was cleaned up and air handlers and dehumidifiers ran for days to dry the walls and tile floor. I have alot of ceramic tiles that are hollow and sounds loose when stept on. Do I need to have the floor pulled up and replaced? We took up a few pieces already and came up very easily. The ins co is balking on whether if should replace a 10 yr. Old floor and if the floor was water damaged. The tile cant be matched. I respect your opinion. Thank you. MeM
If the commode water was a category 3 grossly unsanitary water then it could have absorbed under the tile and that could be a legitimate reason to replace the tile. After the fact the only way to know if it was a category 3 water is to have an industrial Hygienist to test for it.
Water should not harm the tile installation unless it wasn’t installed correctly. Normally the insurance company will pay for the repair or replacement of a tile floor if there was resultant damages from the water loss event. If the conditions were pre-existing then they won’t cover it. Experts like CTaSC can perform forensic investigations and can find evidence to discern whether the damages are pre-existing or not.
My basement ceramic floor was flooded. 8 inches of standing water for up to one week. Ceramic over concrete base. Water source was from a failed sump pump. Open edges around the perimeter. Concerned water could have entered under floor through trowel notch lines as it appears so water is bleeding through grout lines. Insurance does not want to investigate issue. Advice?
Water should not harm the tile installation unless it wasn’t installed correctly. Normally the insurance company will pay for the repair or replacement of a tile floor if there was resultant damages from the water loss event. If the conditions were pre-existing then they won’t cover it. Experts like CTaSC can perform forensic investigations and can find evidence to discern whether the damages are pre-existing or not, but of course there is a cost to having an expert evaluate the floor.
We recently had a flood under our kitchen island after a home warranty repair. The water was category 2 water discharge, It was leaking at least 5 weeks until we noticed swelling in the cabinets. The tile is on concrete but there is no tile under the island so the water had nowhere to go but under the tile. the framing and drywall were all covered in mold and had to be removed. The restoration company has removed the cabinets and are drying the small amounts of framing. While they were drying I had them test for moisture under the tiles and it showed moisture was underneath. The readings in the dry areas were 3 and the readings near the island where water got under were readings of 4 and 4-1/2. Should I be concerned with this moisture under the tile? is there anything that can or should be done?
Thank you for any guidance.
They must be using a wood or floor covering moisture meter with those types of readings, or they are reading the wrong scale on the moisture meter. Normally Tramex and other moisture meters have a tile or masonry setting and the calibration goes from 0 to 100. So it is a relative reading and not any percentage.
If the ceramic floor tile was subjected to the floor then we would expect it to have a relatively high moisture reading for some time depending on the absorption of the tile and the substrate.
If the tile was installed correctly, then the water will not caused damages to the tile or the cementitious adhesives or substrates. Tile is often used in showers, pools, and fountains without problems. In fact when the mortar gets damage in continues to hydrate and become even stronger over time. You might get some whitish efflorescence staining in the cementitious grout joints, but it can be cleaned up and once the underlying mortars are dry the efflorescence should subside.
Now if the tile wasn’t installed correctly and there were no movement joints installed or the tile is very porous, it is possible for the tile to expand and debond, which could be considered resultant damages from the water loss event assuming there is clear evidence supporting that.
thank you for the thorough and quick response! You have a great website.