Tiles rocking/relaying advice

SilverSix

Hi,

I tiled my kitchen/dinning area, hallway, downstairs wc when I moved in just over a year ago.

I recently noticed that only a couple of the tiles in the kitchen, in front of my fridge freezer, have begun to rock slightly when stood on and sound a little hollow.

This was the area I began to lay first, having never tiled before I think the adhesive mix may have been a bit dry here.*touch wood* the rest of my tiles seem to be fine, for now.

I've managed to get one up and out and clean out the area fairly easily and also saved the tile, I have spares in the garage anyhow.

Could someone familiar (I know a few professionals lurk here) advise as to what they think the cause could be? My fridge freezer is an American style and weighs around 120KG's, it does occasionally get moved about (its on rollers) so there's a fair bit of pressure focused on a few small points at any given time.

Occasionally frozen food does slide out the freezer and land on the tiles but I don't think it could break the bond from the adhesive and not damage the tile unless, as I suspect, the adhesive mix wasn't quite right. Also the tiles under the fridge/freezer also seem to have hollowed/rocked. I think there's just not been a great bond between the tile and adhesive as it stuck to the concrete pretty well. I used the correct ceramic adhesive (B&Q) I know that it's probably not the best adhesive available but has held fine elsewhere.







Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Ben

keystone

Was it tubbed adhesive or bagged?

Did you prime the concrete first before tiling?

Cheers

Owain_Moneysaver

That looks like dry goop, it hasn't squished and adhered to the tile.

Congratulations on keeping spare tiles, it means your problems are easily resolved. Lift the wobbly tiles, rake out all the old goop, and apply nice fresh goop.

Nice tiling for a first go.

SilverSix

keystone wrote: »

Was it tubbed adhesive or bagged?

Did you prime the concrete first before tiling?

Cheers

It was bagged.

Other than giving it a good hoover that was about it.

SilverSix

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

That looks like dry goop, it hasn't squished and adhered to the tile.

Congratulations on keeping spare tiles, it means your problems are easily resolved. Lift the wobbly tiles, rake out all the old goop, and apply nice fresh goop.

Nice tiling for a first go.

Thanks,

Would reusing the tiles I've taken up be a big no no?

keystone

BennyC wrote: »

It was bagged.

Other than giving it a good hoover that was about it.

Probably a bit dry to start with and the dusty (yes sorry even after hoovering it would have been) old concrete just sucked the moisture out of it. So it ain't stuck to the concrete and it ain't stuck to the tiles. The lippage on the first pic suggests the mix was too dry as well. Sorry to say this but you will probably find that with only the smallest effort they'll all come up. Yes you can reuse the tiles you've taken up no problem but I've got a fiver that says you'll have others to do in the not to distant future. Sorry.

Cheers

SilverSix

keystone wrote: »

Probably a bit dry to start with and the dusty (yes sorry even after hoovering it would have been) old concrete just sucked the moisture out of it. So it ain't stuck to the concrete and it ain't stuck to the tiles. The lippage on the first pic suggests the mix was too dry as well. Sorry to say this but you will probably find that with only the smallest effort they'll all come up. Yes you can reuse the tiles you've taken up no problem but I've got a fiver that says you'll have others to do in the not to distant future. Sorry.

Cheers

Ahh I see.

Well it only cost me a couple of hundred quid for all the tiles and adhesive etc and just over a week of my time (30sq mtrs & newbie).

If they all start to go in the next year or so I won't be too upset! it'd be a good opportunity to change them to a more practical tile and get it done professionally so i'm not picking holes in it 24/7, visually & literally!

keystone

30m^2 is a big job for the first time so well done for having a go and doing it. Thats around (yes yes I haven't seen it) a £ 760 job to lay that lot including adhesives, grouts and prep by a pro with you supplying the tiles.

Cheers

SilverSix

keystone wrote: »

30m^2 is a big job for the first time so well done for having a go and doing it. Thats around (yes yes I haven't seen it) a £ 760 job to lay that lot including adhesives, grouts and prep by a pro with you supplying the tiles.

Cheers

Ta, Yeah it's not that expensive to get re-done, in my opinion as I could take it all up myself if need be. Just in comparison to what the builders wanted I figured I'd save myself some cash and get a pro in, then some more on top by doing it myself!

In hindsight for the back breaking effort that it was I would just shell out next time! There's a time and a place for penny pinching, in my opinion tiling & patio's (got a pro in for that!) are not it!

Thanks for your help. :j