Slate floor tiles cracking after 3 days!!

[Longshanks]

Hi

We bought real slate tiles from Homebase and contractor put them down. It appears that they are developing hairline cracks after a few days. I know they have contours etc but I don't recall seeing these lines when they were first laid.

Does it sound possible that they would develop cracks so soon or are they just the contours that were always there?

Thanks

 

[Karis]

Tiles can crack very quickly if a suspended floor has too much flex, is not prepared correctly, the wrong adhesive is used or it’s not applied correctly.

What type of floor is it? What sort of adhesive did the tiler use & how did he apply it?

 

[Longshanks]

Hi

Slate tiles from Homebase (30mm*30mm). Used fast setting adhesive as he was doing another job in conservatory at same time.

Don't know how he bedded in exactly or what grout was used.

Will provide photos in album. He's coming back this week to have a look but I just wanted a second opion.

Thanks

 

[Maxsys]

As per Karis, what type of floor?

 

[Karis]

Still not enough info; what type of floor is it? What type of Rapidset did he use & which make?

Floor tiles must also be laid on a solid adhesive bed, not dot & dabbed.

 

[Longshanks]

Screed floor which had dried out completely. No idea which species of fast acting glue as I didn't project manage to that extent.

Thank you.

 

[Karis]

Sorry even my crystal ball won't provide any solutions without more detailed information!

 

[tictic]

The ...screed.....was it sand/cement 70mm+ thick...?
Or a gypsum based screed 40mm thick...?....

Do you have ufh system fitted....?

When tapping the tiles....do they sound hollow...

 

[Longshanks]

Sorry even my crystal ball won't provide any solutions without more detailed information!

Tiles were bought from B&Q and would have been standard width, not specialist tiles. Sorry but I didn't get the standard deviation or degree of skewness.

I'll give up now and just hope these cracks are just the contours on the tiles that were there all the time.

Thanks

 

[Longshanks]

Appen I've uploaded photos of offending tiles to my album. Anyone care to take a butchers?

 

[joe-90]

Looks like grout to me.

 

[libby lou lou]

Agree with joe, give them a proper clean.

 

[Longshanks]

Hi

Certainly not grout. Hopefully just contours that were always there.

Thanks

 

[libby lou lou]

They are contours, but filled with grout.

 

[Steve]

One post says Homebase, one says B&Q. My mum bought a very expensive italian bog from Homebase, it had major design flaws, which meant it wouldnt flush when fully assembled. It consisted of a plastic cistern tank, with a ceramic cover with the pushbutton on top, but it was fixed, and had no adjustment. The button didnt reach the flush mechanism in the plastic cistern! They failed to admit to the design flaws when we returned it to store and insisted that it wasn't returnable (partly because they had to order it in and as such was not a stock item for Homebase). It also came without British fittings, and was a complete cow to fit the waste. We ended up getting £400 back in vouchers.

Lesson: Dont buy anything major / technical from Homebase.