Tiling Floor: Wrong adhesive

djt0607

Hi,

I tiled my kitchen floor (concrete subfloor). I used 30x60cm porcelain tiles. For adhesive, I used tabbed evo-stik floor adhesive & grout. After reading many posts, a powder adhesive is best I'm assuming. However, as the job is done, would I be better trying to rip up the tiles, clean them as best I could and start again or leave them be? If I leave them be, what will happen/ could happen?
Thanks.

After just looking at one of those tubs, it clearly states on the back that it's not suitable for porcelain. Sugar!

Thanks.

D

2011

Not sure.

What I would do is smash out one tile so that I can see how day it is to lift other tiles by prizing them up with a suitable lever. If they lift easily I would lift them all. If not I would leave them.

However I ghouls expect than any tiles lifted are only suitable for the bin. I very much doubt that cleaning them for reuse would be possible

kippy

I'd be leaving them as is till whatever issues might happen became obvious.
There's no way you'd manage to lift the tiles that are down without destroying them anyway.

2011

kippy wrote: »

I'd be leaving them as is till whatever issues might happen became obvious.

The problem is that once kitchen presses are installed replacement of tiles becomes more of an issue. I’m assuming that the kitchen is empty at present, I may be mistaken of course

So I would only leave them if I felt they were well stuck down, which may be the case.

There's no way you'd manage to lift the tiles that are down without destroying them anyway.

Agreed.

djt0607

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. The kitchen units were already installed. There were tiles on the floor (from previous owner) already but they needed to be changed.
I smashed one tile (that's been down about 5 days) under the kitchen unit. The adhesive was hard on places but soft towards the middle of the tile. It was relatively easy to pry the tile up with a lump hammer and chisel.

There are 12 or so tiles with light water stains on them too.

10-10-20

Adhesives in tubs need to air-dry as opposed to dry-mix which cures (chemical reaction) like concrete.
So you would expect to see some softer adhesive trapped under the tile while it continues to dry out.

Drying out like that may cause shrinkage and also I'd guess that the salts could transfer into the top-finish of the tile and stain it.
Bear that in mind.

djt0607

Ok so...update. About 15 tiles have salt stains so far. I tapped on almost every tile on the floor. For elmost every tile, the sound of me tapping towards the edge of the tiles, the sound was solid. Continuing to tap on the tile and moving towards the center, the sound became more hollow. This was also evident on the salt-stained tiles.....where there was no salt stain damage, the sound from tapping was solid and tapping on the salt-stained area, the sound was hollow.

So my predicament is as follows right now. I paid almost €700 for the tiles, adhesive, etc. At this stage, because the wrong adhesive was used, it seems like ait was a costly lesson. As a few of you suggested, I was considering leaving well enough alone until damage occurs (tile comes loose, etc.). I have not grouted yet and was going to wait about another week or so until grouting. Meanwhile, the integrated dishwasher and dryer is out of my kitchen and out of action while the tiles were being put down. If I wait another week to grout, they will be out of action for that time. After I have waited the week and grouted, I can then move the appliances back into the kitchen and go purchase the skirting boards.

However, I could bite the bullet, buy the tiles again and get a pro in to lay them (using the right adhesive obviously) and I'm sure the floor will look professionally finished. Then get me skirting boards, etc. and be confident the floor is down for life.

If it were you, what would you do?

As a side note, I was thinking that because the porcelain tiles are on the floor (as opposed to a wall), there would be a far lesser chance of the tiles coming loose. In addition, because it is just myself and the gf (myself mostly) in the house, the traffic on the floor would be relatively minimal.

Thanks, again, for all your replies.

kippy

djt0607 wrote: »

Ok so...update. About 15 tiles have salt stains so far. I tapped on almost every tile on the floor. For elmost every tile, the sound of me tapping towards the edge of the tiles, the sound was solid. Continuing to tap on the tile and moving towards the center, the sound became more hollow. This was also evident on the salt-stained tiles.....where there was no salt stain damage, the sound from tapping was solid and tapping on the salt-stained area, the sound was hollow.

So my predicament is as follows right now. I paid almost €700 for the tiles, adhesive, etc. At this stage, because the wrong adhesive was used, it seems like ait was a costly lesson. As a few of you suggested, I was considering leaving well enough alone until damage occurs (tile comes loose, etc.). I have not grouted yet and was going to wait about another week or so until grouting. Meanwhile, the integrated dishwasher and dryer is out of my kitchen and out of action while the tiles were being put down. If I wait another week to grout, they will be out of action for that time. After I have waited the week and grouted, I can then move the appliances back into the kitchen and go purchase the skirting boards.

However, I could bite the bullet, buy the tiles again and get a pro in to lay them (using the right adhesive obviously) and I'm sure the floor will look professionally finished. Then get me skirting boards, etc. and be confident the floor is down for life.

If it were you, what would you do?

As a side note, I was thinking that because the porcelain tiles are on the floor (as opposed to a wall), there would be a far lesser chance of the tiles coming loose. In addition, because it is just myself and the gf (myself mostly) in the house, the traffic on the floor would be relatively minimal.

Thanks, again, for all your replies.

I suppose the question really is can you afford to pay €700 + installation (not forgetting it is difficult to get professionals at the moment) now, or wait an unknown amount of time before you start having issues with the tiles and spending it (and possibly more) then.

As I said above, I wouldn't be changing my advice on this however it does really come down to money and time and only you know the answer to that.

2011

The grout will make them significantly less likely to loosen as it locks them into each other. Having said that from what you have described I would lift them.

Juwwi

I'm just thinking out loud and it could be a stupid idea but could putting something like Tec 7 into the grouting gap before the grouting is done help at all .

Even at every 4 corners .

jmBuildExt

Are the salt stains permanent? I presume so since it is coming up from underneath...

I'd lift them and re-fit the new ones my self (yourself) - you've had good practice at this stage
Take the 700 hit and chalk it down to experience.

witnessmenow

Did you get them in a Tile shop? I'd be surprised that a tile shop didn't ask about what you were using the tiles and adhesive for, especially if you only bought 1 type of tile. They would probably be well covered by terms and conditions but it might be worth asking them why they wouldn't flag it, maybe they might do something for you.

You were mentioning about traffic, my understanding is one of the problems with poorly laid tiles might not be that they will come loose, but they might not withstand an impact as well they should. If the adhesive is not set in the middle, but is at the edges then there is effectively a hollow underneath it and wouldn't be a strong and could break easier.

(Caveat: Don't really know what im talking about. Mainly regurgitating what I heard before)