How long should ceramic tile last? - Maintenance & Repairs Forums

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Author	Message
WildFlower Members 382 posts Location: Turkey Occupation: Moneylender Age:	#177703 2008-05-20 22:20 GMT
	The tile on our bathroom floor was replaced about 2.5 years ago. Most of the grout now is cracked and the tiles have shifted and are very uneven. Should I go after the contractor who installed it or just replace it? It seems a little soon for grout to be cracking.


MyGrassIsGreener Members 350 posts Location: Wales Occupation: Entrepreneur Age:	#177704 2008-05-20 22:38 GMT
	There are tile floors that were installed in ancient Greece, that are still beautiful today. They should last a really long time. If the tiles have shifted, and are uneven, I suspect the tiles were installed using mastic. A bathroom floor can be a very wet application, and mortar should always be used. There is probably no going after your contractor, since it is over a year. I never hurts to call, and inquire about warranty work, politely. You can lure more flies with sugar, than vinigar.

Sheepish Members 344 posts Location: Bahamas Occupation: Loan officer Age:	#177705 2008-05-20 22:39 GMT
	i would definitely call the contractor.you can take out the grout and regrout it .if there are a lot of people using the bathroom,shower,wet floor etc constantly could have an effect on you grout (which wouldnt be contractors fault) with no grout or cracked bad your tile have no support so they may have broken loose.floors-thin set.....walls-mastic

BlueBreakfast Members 369 posts Location: North Korea Occupation: Police inspector Age:	#177706 2008-05-20 22:41 GMT
	to late to be going back 2.5 yrs for it.....sounds like maybe the sub floor was not nailed properly or wrong type wood used .....so walking on it caused the grout to loosen....maybe floor was not sealed good enough and water got under to cause the wood to warp....need to seal the grout

Borat Members 358 posts Location: Denmark Occupation: Weaponsmith Age:	#177707 2008-05-20 22:46 GMT
	In an inconspicuous place in your bathroom insert a screwdriver in one of the cracks and see if the tile will lift out. If it does the contractor used the wrong thin set or didn't prepare the underlying surface properly. If it's a reputable company they should come back and fix it.

Kara Members 333 posts Location: Bahrain Occupation: Exotic dancer Age:	#177708 2008-05-20 22:52 GMT
	I am not sure how large you bathroom is but it would probably cost money and time to hunt down the contractor to be responsible. It sounds more like a underlayment issue than anything else. Get two estimates from you own town people who do this work. They are hungry also, they do not need bad word of mouth spredding from costs or service. good luck.

StarGirl Members 363 posts Location: Luxembourg Occupation: Distiller Age:	#177709 2008-05-20 23:04 GMT
	In a word, forever. In more detail, a tile installation, excluding the possibility of structural problems, excessive wear or defective material, should last as long as you want to keep it. Over time the grout can be discolored (even when sealed) or the tile itself can lose a bit of luster. But a typical residential bathroom, the wear should be minimal. If the grout is cracking and the tile has shifted, odds are the bond has failed. To test it, simply tap your knuckles on the tile. You will hear the difference between a hollow sound (loose tile) and solid sound (well bonded) Your installer may at fault. Or the materials or structural problems. I suggest you contact the contractor, but be civil. If you start off by being overly demanding, the situation will quickly be adversarial. Then you can't unring that bell. The odds of the contractor even attempting to fix the problem just went down. After two and half years, the contractor will probably be reluctant to fix it, and you may not have a case anyway. But give him a chance to fix it. Later, you can use other resources such as reporting him to the BBB or even small claims, but I doubt you will get far with that. Like I said, it may not even be his fault, but than likely it is. Point is after this amount of time, the best course of action is to politely get him to look at the job. You aren't likely to get anywhere if you start this as an adversary, rather than a customer with a concern and a possible referral. If you can get him to look at it that way, you may have a shot at a repair.

Scorpion Members 341 posts Location: Belize Occupation: Escort Age:	#177710 2008-05-20 23:11 GMT
	Sounds like it was not installed properly. You will probably not be able to do anything with the contractor after that amount of time, workmanship warranties are usually only for a year unless he gave you a longer one. You will need someone to remove the tile and properly install new tile. After the new tile is installed make sure you use several coats of a good grout sealer so it prevents water from going through the grout into the thinset or subfloor and to prevent mold or mildew from growing in the grout. Grout, properly installed, should last for a long long time.