Cracked Floor Tile Causes

In areas with cold winters porous tiles like terracotta contract at freezing temperatures and then expand during mild spells eventually leading to cracking.

Cracked floor tile causes.

In many cases the crack is not the result of an inferior tile. Concrete substrate did not cure. If the tiles are on your patio a common cause for cracking is the freeze thaw cycle. If you have ceramic glazed tile and cracks here is an easy fix.

Cracks in concrete substrate. Knowing what can cause cracking can help to troubleshoot cracked tiles and lead to a better tile floor. This is known as reflective cracking and often causes multiple tiles to crack. Cracked tiles on floors and walls is a problem because it can be difficult to track down the source of the crack.

To discover the cause of your tile s crack you ll need to carefully inspect the crack s size and pattern. When tile is bonded directly to concrete and that concrete happens to crack so can the tile layer above. In many cases cracked tile floors are signs of foundation issues it s possible that soil movement or water has caused your foundation to shift move or even be pushed in an upward direction. If you notice a crack that extends across multiple tiles this is a sign that the concrete underneath has cracked.

While most types of tile can handle a lot of abuse they are not indestructible and hairline cracks may occur. To prevent cracks from forming in the first place we recommend you ask your contractor to install a crack isolation membrane during tile flooring installation. Natural circumstances such as moisture penetration pressure changes or aging can also cause cracks. In far more instances the crack was caused by anomalies under or around the tile.

Ceramic tiles should not crack under normal usage and when they do it is almost always due to improper subfloor conditions or improper installation. Cracked floor tiles aren t cause for immediate panic. Sometimes hairline cracks in tile floors are one of the first tell tale indications that soil or moisture is affecting a foundation.