Cracking noise when walking on tiles?

It's glue.

Could be bad glue, bad glue improperly applied, good glue improperly applied, or your floor is getting ready to ****.

 

what probably happened was that the newer tile floor was layed over an exisitng floor without using the cement backer board........maybe layed directly over linoleum, or over bare plywood or OSB. Not a huge problem, but that cracking noise is either the mortar used or an adhesive..............no real cause for concern except in time, those tiles will either crack or come loose. either way, its a fairly simple fix.

 

I think it's "not enough glue"

I've done a few tile floors and if the installer didn't use enough mastic to properly support the entire surface of the tile, you can get funny noises/hollow sounds when you step on the tile.

I'd just avoid putting undue weight on the problem tiles or they have a change of breaking, because they're not properly supported. Walking on them normally shouldn't bother them unless there is a big empty spot under the tile.

I don't want to scare you but we've had a dry year in North TX and there's the slight possibility that the adhesive under the tiles is breaking up due to foundation problems, but you'd notice other symptoms in your house such as cracks in the mortar on the outside of the house, cracks in the drywall and ceiling, sticky doors, etc. If you don't see those other symptoms then I think you can rule out the foundation being the problem.

 

is the subfloor wood or concrete?...if it is concrete, then you have bad grout beneath it...if it is a wood subfloor (raised house) then the cement board (beneath the tile) is flexing...this could be due to a wooden subfloor that is deteriorating because it gets wet all of the time (kitchen) or the fasteners that are connecting the cement board to the wooden subfloor are coming loose because of a deteriorating subfloor....In summary, I wouldn't worry about it until the grout starts cracking, and then you need to fix it...it is no big deal...make sure that there are no exposed cracks in the tile joints that might be allowing water to seep through and deteriorating either the grout or the subfloor...you can be a grout sealant caulk that can seal any pourous areas of the grout joints.

 

slab on grade? or raised sub floor? slab on grade, i'd agree with the others. however if it's a raised sub floor then it could be due to movement in the joists or settling in the foundation, that would need to be addresed also.

 

I think there's Rice Krispies under your tile. Just pour milk on the floor and if you hear "snap" and "pop", then you know for sure.

 

i type slow, what he said.

 

As long as the tiles aren't physically cracking, then I'd just keep an eye on it. It is fairly unusual for "glue shrinkage" / drying issues etc, to occur on a floor that old, but strange things do happen.

Is your house on slab or pier and beam? If pier and beam find access and makes sure nothing funky is going on below. If slab, go outside and inspect the slab for any signs of new changes, cracks, shifts, etc. Also take note of doors in the area that may be sticking, new cracks in the sheetrock or gaps in moldings etc.

If you do think you may have any slab movement, the first thing you want to do is confirm whether or not you have any slab leaks. I can hook you up with a great company that I've had a lot of good luck with. They will test the lines and isolate any potential leaks for a reasonable fee.

 

It can't hurt to have an "expert" look at it. I'd rather rule out any major problems, then let it slide if you think there has been any slab movement.

Be careful with some of the foundation companies. Some of them are real Scheisters. If you know your neighbors well, and they have lived there longer than you, you may want to ask them if they've had any issues and see if you can confirm earth movement from ground water over the last 18 years, added to the real dry summer, resulting in a problem with them. If you can get a referral from a neighbor who's had a similar problem and had a good resolution that would be my preferred route.

Of course, it may be nothing significant. But if you are concerned, look into it further.

 

I've got a slab foundation on a fill (i.e. there's a retaining wall that holds everything up) that is subject to A LOT of movement through various earthquakes, settling, etc.

I'm gonna take a guess and say that the tile is installed over a previous floor.. a portion of my hardwood entryway was put in over another floor and it creaks and cracks like no one's business.

If it was me, I'd probably inspect the inside bottom of the kitchen cabinets to see if there was any evidence of this and go from there (or even pull out the refrigerator and take a tile out). Grout would probably leave a long crack with a foundation problem, IMO.

 

It's just the thinset beneath the tile losing its stick. No big deal really and it could be related to foundation shifting or just came loose. Take a screwdriver or chisel and just chip away the grout around the bum tile. Pry up the tile gently to avoid breaking it. Go to home depot with grout remains and get some that matches and a tiny thing of thinset and just reset the tile. You might have to chip away the thinset that is left on your slab or the reset tile will sit on top of it and be higher than the surrounding tiles. Done and done.

 

Good advice all around. I'll just repeat my caveat: Don't call a foundation co. in unless you are having other symptoms like cracks in the drywall, cracks in the mortar on the exterior brick of the house, etc. And CMY is right, foundation issues are likely to crack the grout around the tile as well.

 

You might wanna make sure that it isn't your ankles or knees cracking . Hey, someone has to look out for your health.

 

alrighty then....

Tiles are set on a bed of "thin-set"....it's a mortar/cement-like bonding agent that is used as an adhesive to FIRMLY secure & bond tile to it's underlayment. The underlayment should be some form of concrete....that can include a concrete slab, a floated cement bed or "wonder-board" (a cementous-fiber combination of fiberglass and lite-concrete). The foundation under your tiles should be as stiff as John Lamours pecker when Pamela Anderson Lee sits on his lap and gets jiggy. Hmmm.....too graphic, but you get the point (or Pamela does )

There should be no deflection in the foundation under your tiles: grout is NOT flexible nor should be the surface under the tiles. Cracking is entirely the result of something being lose or "giving". Since your home has a slab foundation, your tiles should be glued/bonded directly to the slab...which is likely at least 4-5" of solid concrete = ZERO MOVEMENT...about as firm as...ugh, nevermind....

IF you are hearing cracking, something is loose. Eventually that loose tile, depending on how large it is and where the point of deflection is...can break & crack: GOOD LUCK FINDING ANOTHER TILE THAT WILL MATCH...ain't gonna happen....you may have to replace the whole floor. I therefore would strongly advise that you determine which tiles are loose, hire a guy to remove the grout, pry-out the loose tiles and re-attach the tile. It may set you back a couple hundred....but it's better then re-doing the whole floor, and the problem isn't going to go away on it's own.

Also, your "wires" through your slab are actually tensioned cables. They run through the slab in a check-board pattern. After the slab was dry and cured, the cables were tensioned to spec. It helps stop the slab from cracking, seperating and falling apart over time.

Rob....you should have gotten a PPI on your home before you bought it!!!

 

Rob,
You have the better kind of slab, a post-tensioned slab foundation. After the slab is cured they hook a machine to the ends of each wire and pull it to a prescribed tension and cap it off. Get someone who installs these type of foundations to check it out. Shouldn't be a big deal, as this type of slab keeps everything moving together. May not even need this if the tiles are your only issue.

 

Check the garage or basement for a box of tiles. I always over order and hold a box or two of tiles for cracks or damage. You never know what could be dropped on a floor.

 

You must have a post tensioned slab on grade. The 'wires' are high strength steel that when hydraulically tightened forces the concrete slab into compression which is concrete's strength (as opposed to tension). You probably have lost the thinset bond under the tile and hear small cementitious particles grinding under the tile. Currently the height of these particles is within the flexural limit of the tile, thus no cracked tiles. When enough larger particles get trapped and dislodged under the tile, your tiles will start cracking. I suggest you find some replacement tiles ASAP to see if you can get an acceptable match. Even when tile styles are not discontinued, you get color variation during different firing runs. If you have enough 'attic stock' to replace the cracking sound tiles, then you can wait until they break and replace them. If you don't have enough spares around the house, and cannot find a good match to order new tile, I suggest getting a tile specialist out to CAREFULLY remove and reset the unbonded tiles. Good luck!
BT

 

as a saftey note to post tension slabs. DO NOT CUT into them ever, if you catch/cut/knick one of the cables it'll cause many problems. most time the cables are 2"-3" below the surface but when drilling or coring you run a good chance of clipping one. if you have the blueprints and the engineers layout of the tension cables that'll help determine where they are for future reference. ofcourse as always we know contractors, and feild verification is a must.

note though that if you're going to be cutting into the floor that would raise concern over hitting a cable, you're doing some really big modifications. i don't see a typical call for coring/sawcut into a slab on a residentional project that would fall into the homeowners hand.

 

Call a pro and retile the whole floor. You will be happy in the long run trust me.

 

...JUST GET A COUPLE OF MORE SPONSORS, AND THEN RE-DUE THE KITCHEN FLOOR WITH BRUCE WOOD.............................

 

In excessively dry periods it helps to keep surrounding ground moist via irrigation systems or soaker hoses. This is only if you have a high clay content in the soil subject to dimensional changes as it wets and drys...

Post tensioned cables are pulled ONE time to spec, with a machine, a 'grab' wedge inserted and then cut off flush and grouted over...I've never heard of re-tensioning them for any reason! Structural guys???

Come to think of it I have seen the inner cable replaced in the sleeve when overstressed and broken so I guess anything's possible.....

They are pretty dangerous, I've seen them kicked out of place (crossed)during concrete placement and it blew a 15' hole in the 14th floor and cracked the elevator shaft for three floors downward......"that'll grout right over!" was what I heard....in Spanish!