Newly laid tile floor - grout cracking and tiles moving?

Question

My contractor insisted that it was okay to lay 12" x 18" tiles directly onto parquet flooring - no plywood nothing as subflooring. I should have gone with my gut and said no, stupid me. I realize now this was a massive mistake. Now one week later the grout is cracking and the tiles moving. The store where I bought the tiles from said I should salvage the tiles and do it again properly with sub floor, etc. My contractor is insisting that getting the tiles up is impossible (the tile store says the tiles are good enough quality that they will be alright being lifted up). He also insists that removing the grout and squirting an adhesive underneath will solve the problem. In my mind this won't stop the bloody floor from moving and making it even more difficult to salvage the tiles. If I can have some advice please on what to do and whether or not I am completely wrong in my ideas. Thanks so much.

Answer 1

Your contractor is an idiot sorry to say..

You NEVER lay tile over a substrate that is prone to move meant..The expansion and contraction alone is enough to do this. Let alone the parquet alone isn t thick enough and bonded enough to lay tile over.

It MUST come up and the proper substrate put down and installed correctly.

Yes there is a possibility that the tile can be re used BUT since he screwed up this bad he should install new tiles.. You paid for new and in essence your getting used tiles..

DO NOT let him squirt glue under the tiles , it will only get a partial bond, you need full coverage for tiles..

I HATE IDIOTS like this.

Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there.

Answer 2

Moving Floor Tiles

Answer 3

Sounds like your I hate to say used no backer board and floor I take is free floating meaning it floats not nailed down floor should have been taken off and subfloor screwed down then lay down backer board and then the thin set you see the old floor expands and contracts and floats freely on top you should have trusted your gut sue that contractor. Some tile guys even use a tile membrane instead of backer board but if tiles are popping up he may have used the wrong sized trowel he may have used 3/8 instead of 1/2 " that size tile requires a 1/2" notched trowel too small will cause that as well. You need to start fresh take out old tile and get rid of old flooring best of luck to you...

Answer 4

Your contractor needs to make it right even if he has to buy new tiles. I don't believe squirting something under them will work at all. I would suggest HE pay for another competent contractor to do the repair since he obviously is not competent in this area.