Floor Movement Ceramic Tile

If your floor tiles are moving underfoot this can cause some problems.
Floor movement ceramic tile. Hard surfaces such as tile or stone will crack with the floor s movement. With 33 long floor i should definitely use a movement joint but i am reluctant to put in the middle of the kitchen. Photos courtesy ceramic tile and stone consultants. For a good.
As long as the tile does not break under 250 pounds of pressure the tile is considered to be compliant with these standards. This cause is more common than you would think and can also cause tiles to crack and sound hollow. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material. If the floor is uneven high spots can be ground down or low spots filled with a floor patch.
Various tiling membranes both sheet and semi liquid can improve longevity of tiled floors over any substrate but every manufacturer of such membranes will specify that movement joints be. Most tiles comply with astm c648 breaking strength standards. The best floor types for shifting foundations are those with some flexibility. These changes cause the concrete floor to heave resulting in an uneven and changing surface.
Floors that are not glued to the cement also offer more flexibility. The grout surrounding the tiles might crack or the tiles themselves could crack if enough movement and pressure is placed. Troubles with tile and stone this author has seen tile floors that did not have adequate movement joints where a portion of the floor was tented i e. Wooden tiles will have a small grout gap under 1 8 so joint will be noticeable.
A little known reason behind your loose floor tiles. If the floor system has too much movement it should be reinforced before installing floating tiles. Cement backer board for example is an excellent base for ceramic tile when the board is properly installed but movement joints must still be provided. Every 20 25 feet on the interior and every 8 12 feet for exterior and interiors in direct sunlight.
There should be movement joints in your tile floor. Without one even slight movement of a subfloor can cause grout lines to crumble and tiles to crack good underlayment also provides a waterproof barrier between the tile and the subfloor. In this test floor tiles are run through a machine that exerts loads on an unsupported 1 inch square area. Most tiles meet the 250 pound minimum.