Why Are My Marble Tiles Cracking

Although cracks sometimes indicate serious structural issues they re often a symptom of superficial damage.

Why are my marble tiles cracking. In far more instances the crack was caused by anomalies under or around the tile. Cracked tiles on floors and walls is a problem because it can be difficult to track down the source of the crack. To fix the crack you have a couple of options. Cracked bathroom tiles can be caused by either an instability in the surface under the tile or in rare cases the low quality of the tile itself.

This is known as reflective cracking and it can be easily prevented by adding a crack isolation membrane during installation. Ceramic floor tiles especially larger tiles need an even distribution of mortar underneath them. As a general rule tiles larger than 12x12 inches should have mortar applied to the back of the tile as well as the floor to help ensure adequate coverage. Hairline cracks in marble floor tile.

A few tiles already have tiny hairline cracks on the surface. I just had crema marfil 12x12 marble floor tiles installed in my bathroom. Search your garage or basement for any extra tiles leftover from the installation. Generally hairline cracks in the concrete will not present an issue to the tile floor above.

The result of a shifting subfloor can be a crack in your marble floor that not only mars the beauty of the marble but also may become a starting point for extensive cracking throughout the floor surface. Marble flooring may appear strong but it can be brittle especially if the subfloor that your marble is installed on moves often or greatly. In many cases the crack is not the result of an inferior tile. If you need to replace a tile one of the most difficult things is finding a match because most manufacturers discontinue old patterns and colors as new ones are introduced.

While i would agree with kevin on the quality playing an important roll in this. Rinse the tile with clean water and dry with a clean towel. Cracked floor tiles aren t cause for immediate panic. However cracks wider than 1 8 inch will eventually transfer to the tile it notes.

To discover the cause of your tile s crack you ll need to carefully inspect the crack s size and pattern. You can repair the crack with tile filler and then paint over the filler with a color that matches the rest of the tile. Voids in the mortar under the tile allow the tile to flex and crack. The tiles are full of veins running throughout but the cracks are not in the veins.

The unglazed tile exposed by the crack absorbs water that isn t easily wiped dry so run a hair dryer over it for about 15 minutes to. By susanne church birmingham al question.