The mystery of the cracked tiles - pls help to solve!

Bub

Hi!

The case so far...
The tiles along one kitchen wall (between wall and floor cabinets) have horizontal cracks through them, affecting around 90% of tiles. Wall seems to be bulging out but same wall in rooms behind seem normal (flat). Same wall in room above has horizontal crack in paint extending across the whole section between two doorframes (around 80cm).

My first suspicion of the cause is a leak somewhere making the wall swell - would that cause the cracks?

Or given the other crack, could it be subsidence (I'm in an area where it's quite possible).

Do you mind commenting too on if anything needs to be done and if so, who to call in (eg. Builder or insurance assessor)?

Thanks so much!

ariba10

If it only affects one side of the wall it is unlikely to be subsidence.

It could be that the render on the wall that the tiles are fixed on, has come away from the wall.

Try tapping the tiles that are affected to see if it sounds solid.

slbhill

We had a horizontal crack appear in the bathroom tiles above the bath. On further discussion "we" discovered the crack had appeared when my OH put his scuba kit in the bath to rinse it. The sheer weight of the kit in the bath pulled it down a bit, and apparently the sealant around the edge was very good - so the weak point was the tiles. Ooops. It is possible that something similar has happened to your kitchen - is the back of the worktop fixed to the tiles?

I'm not sure that explanation fits with the crack in the room above though. I would say you need a reliable and trustworthy builder to be sure! But if you don't know one already that could be an issue. Can you do a basic check - tape something like a piece of paper across the crack, leave it for a week or 2 and see if there is any change? If there is no change then redecorate and hope for the best, if anything moves then you know you have to bite the bullet and get a professional.

Bub

Thanks for the helpful replies!

Ariba10 - I think it is just chipboard behind the tiles. I googled, but couldn't get a good definition of what render is

Slbhill - I started wondering if I climbed onto the countertop - but I would think that it wouldn't explain it as the cracking is in all of the 4 rows of tiles (and just about every tile). I understood your cracking to be at the point of weakness when the tug of war between the heavy bathtub and the tiled wall took place - which then shouldn't happen all down the wall, or all the way across, as on my poor wall!

Just another thought - if it is the chipboard swelling (I'm pretty sure it has), would you expect it to have cracked/buckled between tiles, rather than the tiles themselves cracking? It's not the tile quality as they are on two other walls and those are fine.

dave82_2

Render is just a cement mix often put ontop of bricks before the finishing plsater is applied.

Or on the outside of a house it is just painted.

ariba10

Chipboard will suck up water like a sponge.

It has probably absorbed water and swollen.

Oldsoak

If the tiles are cracked down stairs and the plaster in the room above then it might be water running down that wall (check the loft for leaks). This might be the case without the other side of the wall being affected, if the wall is solid construction (not stud walls).
If no leak can be seen, then chances are that it is a compression fracture through the tiles. As the tiles are going to need to be replaced, you could check for damp by removing some.
If the wall is dry, and you live in an area prone to subsidance, check your insurance policy covers damage caused by it.
Best of luck.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Is it a stud wall?

If so it might not be taking the weight of the wall units

Bub

Thanks for all the responses! Guess the next step is getting the builder out!

withabix

Take a tile off first and have a look yourself.

Bub

I meant for a diagnostic quote! We did have a leak come down as far as kitchen ceiling in past. So at least the builder can tell us if that is likely and if insurance needs to be involved.

I guess I'm afraid that taking one tile off would bring the rest down!