cracking ceramic tiles

Hi, We had a house built 2 years ago. We subcontracted everything. We had a tile company install over $10,000.00 worth of tile in our kitchen,halls,bathrooms, laundry room, and dining room. There was a subfloor down, the installers cemented these tiles down, and within six months I had tiles cracking everywhere in this house. First the installer wouldn't come back out but he finally did and replaced 60 tiles and charged us half of replacing the tiles. Now they are cracking again and he won't return our phone calls. What is causing this problem and what can we do to get somebody to fix this problem. The installer is with the local 32, and I am trying to see if they will come and look at this mess. Please give me any advice you can on what has happened here. Thank-you Gloria

[bbcamp]

Adhering tiles directly to plywood is risky business unless following a specific method proven to work and backed by the manufacturer.

Can you find out what adhesive or thinset was used, and if there was any cement backer board or plastic membrane used?

This sounds like a bad install from the get-go!

[tileguytodd]

Setting on Plywood is definitly risky buisiness.But,its already down.I have run into a couple situations where this was done and the guy who did the work had already flown the coop.I did the repairs with a thinset called Uniflex. The Uniflex doesnt shear as readily as a modified thinset where movement exists.Its spendy,But so is replacing the same tile over and over. Ive had 1 uniflex repair out there for about3-4 years now with no problems.Good Luck

[John Bridge]

Hi Gloria,

You don't say where you are located. Some states have conctractor registration requirements. If your state does this, call the registrar of contractors and lodge a complaint. They'll send someone out to assess the stituation.

If the above is not the case, you at least have a state attorney general, whose office handles complaints of all types. And then, of course, there are the courts.

It sounds to me as if the job might not be repairable, and if I'm right, you won't see your contractor again unless you force the issue.

[Scooter]

The post title says it all.

[shawnee]

I agree with Scooter-lawyer time. But you can also try calling the Better Business Bureau, or Consumer Affairs and lodge a complaint against the contractor who installed the tile. Here on Lon Gisland (as Jim calls it), Suffolk County, to be percise, we have a great consumer affairs office. Once you make a formal complaint they will send someone out to look at the complaint, they then go after the contractor. If he is licensed, he MUST respond to their correspondence within a certain time frame or jeopardize losing his license. There is also a fund, I think it is a victims fund, for people who have had shoddy work done by contractors. Not sure if the contractor had to be licensed. Definitely worth checking out though. Good luck, Gloria. Let us know how you make out.

[John Bridge]

You tellin' me it's NOT Lon Gisland? What is it, then?