Tenting

[Just In Tile LLC]

I appreciate the answers y'all have provided, and taking in what has been said I guess my last response would be that it seems temperature plays most of the role, but restricting movement does become the primary because of temparture swings.

It's hard for me to comprehend drywall restricting movement with the forces involved but I'll take your word on it because I really don't study this type of failure.

I would think the perimeter tiles alone would be the main culprit. If I tiled the perimeter of say a 20x20 square. Then filled in the tile inside that square, heat and cooled the center of the job extremely, it would tent. Just the bond strength of the perimeter tiles themselves would be enough to restrict movement? Which is why we add the soft joints every so many feet.

It's hard for me to fathom that the joint against drywall let's say would cause a tent, vs just the perimter tiles themselves. But I honestly am flying by the seat of my pants with these statements with no information to back it up.

[Dave Gobis]

Took me awhile to grasp it all myself, had the same reservations.

[Just In Tile LLC]

Had to resurrect this thread because of a discussion my co-worker and I were having. The issue being he thinks that a moisture prone slab, is the root cause of tenting, and not the job being locked in.

He's seen tile up to his waist, in the same kitchen, even after a retile. Both times it tented and the slab felt damp.

From what I've learned on here tile tents from lack of movement joints, especially being locked in. Moisture can be a driver of the tenting but not actually the root cause which is lack of space to move? Correct

So theoretically, a 200' x 200' tile job sitting in the middle of a giant warehouse with nothing around it could still potentially tent? But throw walls around that tile job and the likelihood of it happening grows exponentially correct?

[Just In Tile LLC]

Originally Posted by Dave Gobis - Post#15

Thermal expansion is a constant back and forth force. Typical porcelain tile has a growth rate of .000005 per degree F. Moisture expansion on the other hand is long term, one way, and very slowly occurring.

From this statement I would take it as moisture accompanied with a locked-in job causes tenting... albeit in a slower manner then a heat and cooled cause of tenting? Right Dave?

[Dave Gobis]

Yes, much slower and unlike thermal expansion's back and forth it is one way, permanent expansion.