QUESTION

Indent Fracture in Stone - I had a travertine tile floor installed in my kitchen in the late summer of 2006. It was hard to see at first, only when the light hit it in a certain way, but there now appears to be a long, serpentine, wavy DENT crossing right through the tiles and going down the whole length of the floor! Some of it is actually cracking in the dent in places. I am horrified. What has happened? And will this get worse?

ANSWER

ANSWER - What you have described sounds like a condition we see in some stone floors called “indent fracture.”   Many times you can’t see it unless light shines on it from a certain angle and normally you can’t feel it either.  These fractures can result in an actual crack if there is enough movement in the floor.  This condition is typically caused by excessive shrinkage in the either the thin-set adhesive or the mortar bed under the tile during the installation for a number of possible reasons.  Grinding the travertine might minimize the condition, but you may need to replace those tiles and repair the area under the tile if necessary.