Do tiled floors need to be replaced?
Sometimes we have clients in the store who have had a bad experience with tiled floors. They explain that they have tiles that have loosened or cracked over time and their grout has become quite discolored.
Experiences like this should not occur with a proper tile installation. A properly installed tile floor should last a lifetime.
Things to consider prior to Tile installation:
Reinforce the subfloor:
In order to prevent cracked tile or grout you may need to reinforce your floor. If using a plywood subfloor, it would need to be a thickness of 1-1/8". Another option is using an uncoupling membrane such as Ditra (Schluter Systems).
Choose the proper cement:
We never recommend using mastic on the floor. Choose a latex-modified thinset for installing over a wood subfloor. When using Ditra you may need to use a combination of both a latex-modified and non-modified thinset depending on the substrate you are tiling over. We can offer a more detailed process in-store.
Grout:
Things to consider prior to Tile installation:
Reinforce the subfloor:
In order to prevent cracked tile or grout you may need to reinforce your floor. If using a plywood subfloor, it would need to be a thickness of 1-1/8". Another option is using an uncoupling membrane such as Ditra (Schluter Systems).
Choose the proper cement:
We never recommend using mastic on the floor. Choose a latex-modified thinset for installing over a wood subfloor. When using Ditra you may need to use a combination of both a latex-modified and non-modified thinset depending on the substrate you are tiling over. We can offer a more detailed process in-store.
Grout:
Do not overwater the grout. If you add too much water to the grout mixture it will wash out the portland cement which will weaken the grout.
Concrete:
Make sure to inspect a concrete floor for any signs of cracking prior to installation. If you notice some cracking it is recommended to install a crack-isolation membrane. These membranes separate the tile from the concrete surface.
Caulking:
Oftentimes if you grout an area where the floor meets the tub it can eventually expand and crack. To avoid re-grouting these areas consider caulking them with a color that matches your grout.
We offer professional tile installation.
For more information don't hesitate to give us a call.
Concrete:
Make sure to inspect a concrete floor for any signs of cracking prior to installation. If you notice some cracking it is recommended to install a crack-isolation membrane. These membranes separate the tile from the concrete surface.
Caulking:
Oftentimes if you grout an area where the floor meets the tub it can eventually expand and crack. To avoid re-grouting these areas consider caulking them with a color that matches your grout.
We offer professional tile installation.
For more information don't hesitate to give us a call.
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