Covering Installation Guide / Defects and malfunctions in wall and floor tilings / Debonding and arching in floor tilings / Isolated or in small areas
Isolated or In Small Areas
Defect visualisation
Loose tiles are observed, with detached or cracked tile-to-tile joints, either isolated or in a small group, in random locations or in areas coinciding with accesses or traffic routes.
Tapping with a stick, or rolling a coin or a steel ball produces different sounds in different directions and positions of the ceramic flooring. A uniform sound will eliminate possible adhesion failures or voids under the flooring. However, a non-uniform sound is not necessarily to be associated with debonding, because there may be non-uniformities in the materials, pipes or tubes, and differences in the solidity of the tile backing (particularly in tile installation ‘on decoupled screed’), without adhesive bond failure occurring.
Close inspection of the grout joints and the perimeter joints of the flooring (at the meeting with the skirting, and other floors) will allow the behaviour of the flooring to be established in regard to dimensional stability (absence of cracks and detachment of the joint mortar).
The back of the debonded tile will basically appear in the various forms illustrated here. The absence of combing on the bonding material signals traditional tile installation with mortar ‘on decoupled screed’ or ‘with trowel tip outline’.
Loose tiles are observed, with detached or cracked tile-to-tile joints, either isolated or in a small group, in random locations or in areas coinciding with accesses or traffic routes.
Tapping with a stick, or rolling a coin or a steel ball produces different sounds in different directions and positions of the ceramic flooring. A uniform sound will eliminate possible adhesion failures or voids under the flooring. However, a non-uniform sound is not necessarily to be associated with debonding, because there may be non-uniformities in the materials, pipes or tubes, and differences in the solidity of the tile backing (particularly in tile installation ‘on decoupled screed’), without adhesive bond failure occurring.
Close inspection of the grout joints and the perimeter joints of the flooring (at the meeting with the skirting, and other floors) will allow the behaviour of the flooring to be established in regard to dimensional stability (absence of cracks and detachment of the joint mortar).
The back of the debonded tile will basically appear in the various forms illustrated here. The absence of combing on the bonding material signals traditional tile installation with mortar ‘on decoupled screed’ or ‘with trowel tip outline’.
Case 1
The tile back is free of bonding material, in two forms:
The tile back is free of bonding material, in two forms:
- The floor displays a uniform texture and colour, typical of cement mortar
- The floor has flattened ridges on which the relief of the tile back has been imprinted
Case 2
The debonded tiles have adhered bonding material on their back, also in two forms:
The debonded tiles have adhered bonding material on their back, also in two forms:
- Without the presence of materials foreign to the bonding material or the fixing surface
- With the presence of these foreign materials
Case 3
The debonded tiles have adhered bonding material on their back and remains of the fixing surface
The debonded tiles have adhered bonding material on their back and remains of the fixing surface
Case 4
The tiles are extracted with their back covered with material from the fixing surface
The tiles are extracted with their back covered with material from the fixing surface
Case 5
The debonded tiles with bonding material on their back also have adhered disaggregated foreign materials.
If the tiles are glazed and the joints display efflorescences and differences in colour, or the flooring signals dampness, a particular situation is involved of salt precipitation in wet ambients and old buildings (cellars, garages below grade level, etc.).
In other cases, contamination of the materials during the tile installation needs to be considered.
The debonded tiles with bonding material on their back also have adhered disaggregated foreign materials.
If the tiles are glazed and the joints display efflorescences and differences in colour, or the flooring signals dampness, a particular situation is involved of salt precipitation in wet ambients and old buildings (cellars, garages below grade level, etc.).
In other cases, contamination of the materials during the tile installation needs to be considered.
Case 6
Lifting up the debonded tiles leads to the discovery that the ceramic flooring has been ‘spot fixed’.
Rolling a ball allows verification of a hollow sound across the entire flooring, because this perverse practice will have been applied on the entire surface.
When the isolated debonding recurs in different areas of a flooring and a non-uniform sound is produced when the flooring is tapped, the diagnosis requires resorting to tensile pull-off tests, and measurement of the adhesive strength with a dynemometer.
If the debonding follows a certain path or displays greater frequency in the accesses, premature use should be considered.
Lifting up the debonded tiles leads to the discovery that the ceramic flooring has been ‘spot fixed’.
Rolling a ball allows verification of a hollow sound across the entire flooring, because this perverse practice will have been applied on the entire surface.
When the isolated debonding recurs in different areas of a flooring and a non-uniform sound is produced when the flooring is tapped, the diagnosis requires resorting to tensile pull-off tests, and measurement of the adhesive strength with a dynemometer.
If the debonding follows a certain path or displays greater frequency in the accesses, premature use should be considered.
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