Tile installation is a very simple process that many people can accomplish. Tile installation problems don’t arise until after the fact, and then you’ll need to know the root cause of the problem. Luckily for homeowners, this isn’t rocket science. Tile installation problems don’t appear until after it has been installed and sealed – but sometimes they aren’t noticed until long afterward.
If you’re lucky, many of these issues can be resolved by doing a little bit of re-grouting (a very easy process, you can even do it yourself). But if you are busy, you can hire a tile installer.
Tile installation problems are typically the following:
1. Tile isn’t flat
The initial symptom for this problem might be that tiles are popping loose after being set. This could be due to subfloor movement or improper preparation, adhesive not being thick/strong enough, moisture issues, etc.
2. Tile doesn’t stick to the surface
Tile installation problems don’t appear until after it has been installed and sealed – but sometimes they aren’t noticed until long afterward. Often, tile won’t cling to the substrate because of two possible reasons: The first reason might have something to do with dirt on the floor and the tile adhesive not having a good surface to bond to. The second reason may be that some coating or finish on the wall/floor won’t allow for tiles to cling well. If you’re lucky, many of these issues can be resolved by doing a little bit of re-grouting (a very easy process, you can even do it yourself).
3. Tile is slipping or moving
This is an easy one: The tile may be slipping because it’s not properly adhered to the substrate. Tile joints and grout joints might also be too thin, causing tiles to move or slip out of place after installation. Tile edges could also curl if they were cut incorrectly – so this problem will only show itself once the tile has been installed.
Tile installation problems don’t appear until after it has been installed and sealed – but sometimes they aren’t noticed until long afterward. If you’re lucky, many of these issues can be resolved by doing a little bit of re-grouting (a very easy process, you can even do it yourself).
4. Tile joints aren’t flush or even
Tile installation problems don’t appear until after it has been installed and sealed – but sometimes they aren’t noticed until long afterward. It’s possible that tile joints were too thin, and now they show too much grout/caulking, which could mean that the grout line is too wide or there wasn’t enough caulk used during installation.
Another cause might be that the tiles were not properly set and adhered to, so they popped loose after it was all finished.
If you’re lucky, many of these issues can be resolved by a little bit of re-grouting (a very easy process, you can even do it yourself).
5 Tile edges curl
Tile installation problems don’t appear until after it has been installed and sealed – but sometimes they aren’t noticed until long afterward. The tile might be curling up because it was cut too short with a tile saw, and now there’s not enough adhesion in certain spots.
Another possible cause is that grout joints were too thin, or some tiles were cut at an angle instead of straight/square. If you are lucky, many of these issues can be resolved with a little bit of re-grouting (a very easy process, you can even do it yourself).
If you are looking to install tile in your kitchen, bathroom, or any other part of the house, the above are some common installation problems that can arise.
Remember- just because it is a problem doesn’t mean that it cannot be fixed.
