ceramic flooring problem?

Question

i have layed ceramic ( spartec ) flooring six yrs ago in my house. then due to my transfer at other place i have not used this house. last month i saw that central part of about 6' x 6' floor area of each room swelled up with sounding hollowness. how it happened? how to cure it ?

Answer 1

is this on a raised foundation floor (subfloor) or is it on a concrete slab??
The hollow sound is a sure sign that the tiles are no longer adhered to the surface (what ever it may be) and they are going to be likely to break pretty easily now since they are no longer fully supported. If this is on a subfloor, was there an underlayment used (like hardibacker, wonderboard, etc)? If not then thats a problem.
On a slab that isn't needed, however, on a slab moisture is commonly a problem. The moisture will cause the adhesion to release and the tiles lift, thereby giving you hollow sounding tiles. You could have a leak under slab that is seeping up thru the concrete and causing this.
In any case, you will need to carefully remove some tiles to check and see what is going on under there. If you are lucky the tiles will be reuseable. Sometimes though, if the thinset remains stuck to the back of the tiles, adding more thinset to reinstall will cause the tile to set higher than it used to (due to thickness on back with thinset) and your floor will be uneven.
Hope this helps you somewhat!

Answer 2

Glazed and unglazed ceramic and stone tile are the most durable floor coverings. The downside is that they are cold to bare feet (but this can be a plus in warm climates). Other detractions are that anything fragile dropped on them is likely to break, and that some tiles are slippery when they're wet.

Glazed ceramic tiles come in a huge variety of colors and surface textures. They are thicker and less glossy than tiles used for walls and counters. The glaze is water repellant and can be treated so that it has a nonskid surface. Glazed tiles can have glossy, satin, matte, and dull finishes and can be anywhere from a foot square in size to tiny mosaic pieces.

Unglazed ceramic tiles come in the color of the clay or can be colored with the addition of pigment before the clay is fired. Stone tiles are quarried slate, limestone, flagstone, marble, or granite. Unglazed and stone tiles can be installed unfinished or can be sealed so that they have increased moisture and stain resistance. All tiles are jointed with grout.

Tile and stone floors are installed using a couple of different methods, as shown above. They may be set directly in mortar over a concrete slab or plywood subfloor, or they may be applied to a concrete backerboard and/or subfloor, using a thin-set adhesive. The first method is the sturdiest, and the most expensive.

Answer 3

You don't say what part of the country you live in. If the house was unheated in a cold climate that may be part of the cause. One other issue may be that there is no room for expansion and contraction as the seasons and temperature change. When the tile was grouted the space around the perimeter of the room should have been filled with a color matching caulk rather that grout to allow the floor room to move with the house. The previous answers cover the other possible issues very well.

Answer 4

1. Re do that area plus some may be able to re use the tile but..
2. May need sub-floor re-don also.
3. May straighten out by use and air conditioning or heat if in cold climate.
4. wait and see what is the real cause.

Do not want same thing to happen. If it is leak fix the leak it may dry out and go back in a year or so.

Answer 5

The tiles have pulled away from the sub-floor, they've come unglued, so to speak so you may have a leak. If you have extra tiles, remove the hollow sounding tiles, check for water damage and go from there, repair the leak and replace the tiles. If not, chances of removing the tiles without breakage is unlikely and you may have to re-tile the whole area.

Answer 6

you have a leak / water infiltration!

the bottom plate swells & literally pushes the tile up usually in the center! usually an old a/c condensate line w/ pee trap in wall that has clogged or nearing clogged, or a small drip that has recently started that has swollen your sole plate!
i've seen it about 6 times since 1982 in construction!

Answer 7

bad workmanship