we want to tile all the floors on our house, the ground moves alot, how do we best do this?

Question

the ground moves alot, we live about 2 blocks from a lake. when it rains or we have drought the groung moves. we have a small crack in our foundation due to this, and the walls and the ceilings get spaces about an inch. so we are worried that if we do put tile we are going to have problems. does anyone have any ideas, they would be appreciated. Thank You.

Answer 1

yes use small tiles, the kind on a sheet with backing, these will not crack like a larger tile will, are easier to replace if one does crack. they are like 1 inch square, come in many pretty colors and patterns, even glass ones. best of luck.

Answer 2

Margie's idea is good. Large tiles generate cold in cold weather especially if on a concrete slab. Remember, too, anything breakable you drop on it, is going to break. Putting area rugs over the tile helps. The tiles are nice to walk on bare footed when it's hot and they are nice to clean. Talk to the pro tile installers. There may be a material you can use that will flex with the movement of the floor. Cracks can be filled before laying the tile. Again, check with the pros.
http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60206
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/pac_ctnt/text/0,2019,DIY_14161_40182,00.html
http://www.polyflor.com/JH/SampleBook.nsf/PHP?Openform&ProdCode=pflexplus&
http://www.highbeam.com/Search.aspx?q=Flexible+tile+flooring
Hope these help.

Answer 3

ceramic tile does not seem to be your best bet. with that much movement in the slab you may want to think about using a laminate floor insted of ceramic. laminate is made to expand and contract, maybe not as much as you have the need for. i would really get a reputable contractor and flooring company out to look at things be fore you spend ANY money