Why does tile crack? Tile defects. Elimination and prevention.

It often happens that after some time after repairs in a house or apartment, defects begin to appear. It is especially offensive when cracks appear on ceramic tiles. After all, it is almost impossible to hide a defect in a tile, so this thought inspires complete disappointment.

Most people, in the first place, will think that they were sold defective, low-quality tiles. And this is quite natural, because it seems that they themselves are not to blame for this, and that it would be impossible to make their own mistake. In fact, in most cases, the reasons for the appearance of cracks in the tiles are completely different, and they do not depend on the manufacturer at all.

The most common causes of cracks are cracks or shifts in the very base on which the tile was laid. For example, you want to lay tiles on a concrete base. In order to make a concrete screed, you need to mix water with cement, adding some aggregates (crushed stone or sand) there. As the screed dries out, the water begins to evaporate, and the screed gradually shrinks, which leads to cracks. And the tile that lies on top of the screed, literally, becomes one, so cracks also appear on it. Thus, any deformations that appear on the screed will create stress on both the adhesive base and the tile, which will cause cracks.

Unfortunately, the formation of cracks in the concrete screed is practically unavoidable, and this is a completely normal process. Of course, there are a couple of simple ways to avoid this. But, if you are a person who does not work with tiles every day, you cannot avoid this. The manifestation of cracks, in some cases, can be seen literally the next day after the screed, but this is rare. The most obvious picture appears a month after you made the screed. After this time, you will see on the surface of the cement all the cracks and defects that have formed. Now, you need to repair these cracks to prevent them from spreading further and to prevent them from affecting the tile. And only after that you can start laying the tiles. But if you decide to lay the tile before the base dries out, you will soon run the risk of changing it and a new one. Unfortunately, the appearance of cracks is an uncontrolled process, from which no one is immune, so defects can appear even after a few years.

In cases where the tiles are laid on wooden substrates, even slight deflections and deformations can cause the tiles and all grouts and adhesives to be subjected to tensile or compression forces, which in fact will result in the appearance of cracks in the tiles. Therefore, it is not recommended to lay tiles on wooden surfaces, and if you have done so, do not be surprised to see cracks appear on the grout or tile for even a short time after repair. By the way, first of all, cracks will appear on the grout, and only then on the tile itself.

Moreover, if you are moving into a house built from scratch, then be prepared for the fact that the walls of the house need time to shrink. Therefore, tiles laid on the floor or walls may crack. Hence the advice - refrain from laying tiles in a new house, do it after a while.

The reasons for the appearance and spread of cracks on the tile do not end there. So, they are also related to the fact that the tile has the ability to expand or contract, depending on the ambient temperature or humidity. As you know, the tile is a porous material that is able to absorb a certain amount of moisture (to be more precise, it is up to 24% of the weight of the tile). Imagine if you put such a tile on the street. With the onset of cold weather and frost, the water in the pores of the tile will freeze. And when it freezes, water can expand up to 10%, so the ice will literally tear the tile apart from the inside.

Since this is typical for ordinary tiles, it is much more expedient to use porcelain stoneware tiles in such conditions, since it practically does not absorb moisture. This is due to the production technology of such tiles, since it is pressed under great pressure. As a result, it practically does not form any voids where water could penetrate. From this it turns out that porcelain stoneware is not afraid of water.

In addition, it is worth noting that ordinary tiles expand with increasing temperature. We all know well how glass bursts from the impact of fire, how glasses burst from the fact that boiling water is poured into them. The same thing happens with tiles, but only at a level that is imperceptible to human vision.

Let's look at this in numbers. The thermal expansion of ceramic tiles is 0.004-0.008 millimeters per 1 m, with a temperature change of 1 ° C. What does this give us? And this means that, for example, if your bathroom temperature is the standard 21 degrees, you need a higher temperature. In order to take a warm shower, you turn on the water, the temperature of which is 38-40 degrees. Thus, when water hits a tile (whose temperature is 21 degrees), and heats it up, then each of its square millimeters expands as follows: (40-21)x0.008=19x0.008=0.152mm.

A person who takes a shower every day constantly exposes the tile in the bathroom to the temperature, so every day it will expand and contract by 0.152 mm. There is nothing to worry about, because when laying the tiles, you probably provided for expansion joints by filling them with silicone sealant.However, the situation on the street is somewhat worse, where temperature fluctuations are much higher and more frequent than at home. So, during the day, the sun's rays heat the tiles to a high temperature, and with the onset of night, this temperature drops. Accordingly, the tile expands during the day and contracts at night.

The same applies to the kitchen, when you put a pot or pan that you just removed from the fire on the countertops (tiled). The temperature of such an object is quite high, about two hundred degrees, and the temperature of the countertop is the same as the temperature in the room, that is, 20 degrees. In total, the temperature difference reaches a 10-fold difference. Therefore, when laying tiles, you need to consider the presence of expansion joints, because seamless cladding runs the risk of quickly bursting.

Of course, it can also happen that absolutely nothing happens to the tile. This is because high quality tile manufacturers tend to test their product for thermal and thermal shock, and try to raise these values ​​as much as possible. Therefore, they guarantee the high quality of facing tiles. In low-quality tiles, the enamel can easily burst due to the overloads described above.

What to do and how to deal with overheating tiles?

Imagine that you have made repairs in the kitchen, and after the first preparation, you are faced with a situation where you do not know where to put a hot pot, pan or baking sheet. You have two options - leave the pot on the stove, or the baking sheet in the oven, or place the hot dish on a recently brand new veneered countertop. When buying a tile, you are assured that the product is of high quality, and the effect of high temperatures is unaffected by it. But, an inner voice tells you that in case of deceit (exaggeration), you risk making repairs again.

To understand this, you should know how tiles are tested at the factory. Several random samples are taken from each batch of ceramic tiles and placed in a special autoclave. In this setting, the examiner changes the temperature from 16 to 110 degrees, and repeats this procedure up to ten times. After that, he takes the tile out of the autoclave and sees if there are any defects on it. Moreover, he does not look at the eye, but checks with a special device - a flaw detector, which detects cracks that are not even noticeable to our eyes. In the absence of defects, the batch of tiles is marked with the strain “Approved for sale” or “Product tested”, after which it is sent to the market. It would seem that after such checks, you can completely trust the manufacturer. However, in your case the situation is somewhat different. After all, your tile is already planted on the base with adhesive material. Plus, if there is a small expansion gap between the tiles, or there is none at all (because you thought it didn’t fit into the interior), things will be much worse.

Therefore, to solve the problem in this situation, equip the surface of the tile with some kind of rubber or wooden lining. It will help isolate most of the heat from the tile, and keep it from cracking. If you have provided thermal seams - great! You can safely place hot dishes directly on the surface of the tile (but if there is a mat, why not use it).

Sad as it may seem, but we must also recognize the fact that the tile has the ability to change its size, just over time. Like it or not, even if you maintain ideal temperature charts, and follow all the rules for using tiles, it will still expand.

This is quite natural, because, like all objects, tiles are also not eternal. After all, tiles are made by mixing natural ingredients such as clay and sand. With certain pressing processes and exposure to high temperature, tiles are obtained. Every natural material tries to return to its original form over time. Therefore, over time, the tile, as it were, climatizes to the new conditions of the state. Of course, it is difficult to name the exact expansion, because how it depends on what type of clay or sand the tile was made.

As practice shows, tiles that were made at low temperatures will expand faster in the first time after manufacturing, but at a slower rate after this time. The tile, which is made at a high temperature, will practically not expand at first, but after a while it will begin to do so.

The study of the expansion and deformation properties of tiles is a rather topical issue and activity today. Many scientists and researchers are now actively engaged in this issue, even intersecting with historians who work with objects from the ancient world. Of course, the expansion of the tile is not as fast as it might seem. Look at the objects found at various excavations - some ceramic vases and plates have remained intact, despite the fact that thousands of years have passed.

It was found that the increase in size of the tile, and its deformation fluctuates within 0.03% after the first 5-6 years after manufacture. If we talk specifically about tiles, then ordinary ceramic tiles, 30 by 30 cm in size, expand by 27-28 mm². Terracotta tiles will expand by 0.07% during the same time, and by only 0.11% over 15 years of operation.

Also, research suggests that glazed pottery canexpand to 0.046% in the first three years. Of this indicator, 0.03% expands in the first 2 months, and in eleven months this figure will increase to 0.039%. Further, in 16 months the tile will expand to 0.041%, and in three years it will reach its 0.046%.

It would seem that this is absolutely unnecessary information that says nothing. But, now you just think - what is better to take? A new tile, just baked at the factory, or one that has lain in some warehouse for a year or two and has already managed to expand to constant values. It seems the answer is quite obvious.

Among the reasons due to which the tile may burst or deteriorate during operation, there are others, let's look at them in more detail:

When facing, use the wrong or unsuitable adhesive. Also, it is possible to use glue that has expired. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, but in the end we get cracks right on the tile. For example, you tiled an object that is located near a heat source. Unsuitable or expired glue begins to dry out and dry out intensively, from which a variety of consequences arise. The same point can be attributed to the situation when mastic is used in rooms with high humidity, in addition to laying, for example, porcelain tiles.

The use of solutions and compositions that contribute to the rapid hardening of concrete. These products contain such ingredients in their composition that they react with mastic or glue, having a detrimental effect on them, from which the glue will not set well. As a result, the tiles begin to fall off, leave the place, the appearance of voids, and, in the end, the appearance of cracks. Moreover, such products provoke not only the appearance of cracks on the tile, but also on the concrete itself, and this is “mutual” for concrete and tile.

The presence of foreign objects on the base. If, for example, paint or varnish has been spilled on the base, this can cause the glue to simply not cling to the base, which means that the tile will not adhere well, which means that it may soon fall off or crack.

Moisture that gets under the tile also causes significant damage to the cladding. In fact, the effect of water on tiles is a fairly broad topic. In an apartment, in a bathroom, water can flow through the plumbing, at the toilet bowl, and so on. In your own home, in addition to leaking inside the home, water can break through the drainage system into the foundation or walls. And on the street, rain or snow can constantly affect the tiles. In all cases, water particles that get inside the tile, and under it, will never disappear from there. The water will begin to attack the adhesive, which will deteriorate and the tile will begin to fall off. Moreover, if you do not eliminate the place where the water will leak, replacing the tiles will be pointless. In addition, a fungus will begin to form, and this is both ugly and harmful.

In a word, the impact of moisture is negative in any case, and it most often leads to tiles falling off, cracking, and so on. Also, you should be aware that moisture can penetrate not only from the inside of the tile, but even from the outside, right through the grout. After all, grout, as a rule, is a porous material, and therefore it remarkably passes water through itself. Also, it can change its size if it has been exposed to a large amount of moisture for a long time. Therefore, in rooms with high humidity, use special grouts that are resistant to water (this is usually indicated on the package).

The curvature of the base on which the tile is laid also largely determines the reliability of its operation. Therefore, keep a close eye on the surface on which the tiles will be laid. Align if necessary, because even the best quality tiles will deteriorate due to a curved floor or wall.

And of course, one of the reasons for the spoiling tiles may be not quite qualified performers. If you know how to make cladding, do it yourself and do not trust this business to unfamiliar craftsmen. Even if you don't lay the tiles correctly, you won't feel the frustration and disappointment that you might experience when someone else does the work for you.

Thus, wondering why the tile is cracking, you get a lot of reasons and nuances on which it all depends. You just need to know that laying tiles is not at all a joke, so if it is done correctly, then the tile will be used normally.

More correct articles about tiles:

Hello brothers in repair! For a long time I didn’t write anything here, and in general I rarely began to come in, everything somehow lacked time: now drinking, now partying, and now a new “attack” has attacked me. But knowing that you, in spite of everything, stubbornly do not forget me, I decided not to be a piglet, and to tell you about my new hobby. I'll start from afar: almost all my conscious life I worked as an electronic engineer, moreover, an engineer-developer of electronic and electrical devices of the widest class and purpose, and at the same time purely in the defense industry. It is clear that the scope of my amateur radio interests was limited only by my laziness, there were simply no restrictions in radio components for me, I had EVERYTHING! Well, following the trends of the then amateur radio fashion, I mainly focus on radios and amplifiers, essno, on transistors and microcircuits. I haven’t been working in this area for a long time, and I threw everything into a landfill for a long time, but in my soul all this time a dream was glimmering - to make a tube power amplifier, and not simple, but such that everyone gasped. And I must say, at work, most of my time I dealt with electric vacuum devices, radio tubes, if in a simple way, so this topic was well known to me. And then there is this fashion for a "warm tube sound", according to which people are literally going crazy. In short, a year ago I decided to make my dream come true. I immediately decided: the mainstream, conventional tube amplifiers with an output transformer, are not interesting to me, this is not a royal business! Why not invent a TRANSFORMERless tube amplifier for me. Well, I had a good idea of ​​the difficulties along the way, and I had some of my own thoughts on this matter, but still I decided to consult with the radio amateurs. I found a suitable group on Facebook, began to publish in it myself, and somehow asked a question on the topic: would anyone tell me the circuit of such an amplifier. And they immediately give me a link: http://hifisound.com.ua...a-6s33s-otl/ (I hope I did not violate any Forum rules by providing a direct link here, especially since it is from a completely different area? ). I won’t talk about this scheme, if anyone is interested, I can later explain what’s what, I’ll just say that this scheme immediately interested me, both in its unusualness and in the potential opportunities that I saw in it. Decided to start. And where to start: parts - 0, there is a soldering iron, still Soviet, and a Chinese tester. But, the worst of it is the beginning: I got used to Avito, Ali Express, went a couple of times to the Mitinsky radio market, began to grow into amateur radio junk. ..

Now I’m going, I’ll walk Tinka, and I’ll continue, if you’re interested, already with pictures ...)))

Dear builders. I would like to know the detailed process of the CORRECT alignment of the walls (reinforced concrete), with a composition such as Knauf ... In this business I am a teapot, but I want to make my daughter’s bedroom beautifully, but there is not much money to pay professionals for the work, and there is no guarantee that they will get caught good pros ... So I want to know what and how, and how much a pound is dashing. Thanks in advance for the advice. The walls will be leveled for further painting with Sherwin Williams paint.

• 1 874 replies

Continuation of the "balcony is not like everyone else" .

It came to some furniture on the balcony, they didn’t really turn around, so we decided to get by with a couple of pedestals. The furniture makers did their job in principle normally, but there was a nuance that apparently was beyond their power, or there were other arguments. The hostess was satisfied with everything, except for the design of the adjoining countertops to the windowsill. On the one hand, it seems that you can’t do it differently, all the more so the window sill turned out to be bent, on the other hand

Now we in the cities are doomed to counters of everything and everyone. The freaking "craftsmen" immediately rushed to teach everyone to twist the water ones. And then a "typical scheme" for installing a water meter was born, including a valve that prevents manipulations with the device. Because of these valves, problems with the boilers began to creep in and groans and panicked cries rushed through the forums - "Akhtung! The pressure in the heating pad is growing! What should I do?" Without this valve, there would be no problems. And manufacturers and traders began to cash in on the so-called "security groups." But that's another topic...

• 37 responses

In principle, this three eyes were also asked to make a cardboard-simple one, but how can I do it without problems)) I thought, why not make a reliable academic subject right away, and I did. How much is enough.

The concept of the figure is as follows, large enough for everyone to see, stable, durable and with a swivel mechanism, the meaning is that there are 4 sides, one side shows all the signals for a general understanding of the device.

The other three sides on one signal, the teacher can turn and show any color from 3 and ask the kids about its purpose.

In general, I thought it would be right

The initial thoughts about color circles on magnets and other light bulbs had to be canceled, we need a simple, understandable solution that is difficult to break, magnet circles can be lost, battery bulbs fail.

I don't know if it worked out, but time will tell.

The whole base is MDF, which glued the pva, for a temporary tack, also fastened it with a micro-pin.

Separately, I note that it is possible to make circles of various diameters on the circular and, most importantly, of the same size, using a non-tricky device, first we cut square blanks, and then on the device, rotating the part, cut off the corners to the polyhedron, and then rotating the part, we add to the circle.

I glued the box, the visors are halves of the eyes of the circles, I made a groove under them with a milling cutter, so such things cannot be reliably glued into the end.

The whole thing revolves on a pipe from the Joker system, in my opinion, for shelving, so that the stops do not fall out and fail, which I fixed with bedbugs.

I made the base massive and wide from thick layers of MDF, with such a base it is not so easy to tilt the traffic light on its side.

I played the fool and drilled through the pipe, I had to slap a plate from the return line.

I painted everything from a spray can, then varnished it, the thing is ready.

I did not paint the signal mugs, they are cut out of self-adhesive paper, so it is easier to update the demonstration item.

Eight Reasons and Eight Solutions

Ceramic tiles are an excellent finishing material. Easy to wash, looks nice. Tiles in the bathroom, kitchen or toilet - a classic finish. It just cracks sometimes. And not always the reason is poor quality. There may be several reasons:

1. Poorly prepared base

The tile must be laid on a pre-prepared base - a cement screed. There is a layer of tile adhesive between the tile and the screed. If cracks appear in the screed (and they almost always appear), then the deformation creates excess stress in the adhesive layer and in the tile itself. Hence the cracks.

How to treat?

Do not rush. Wait until the cement screed base is completely dry. This is a long process: depending on the thickness of the screed, it will dry up to 28 days. If cracks appear on it, repair them. And only after that lay the tile.

2. Incorrect storage of tiles

Ceramic tiles perfectly absorb moisture. If it is stored in the cold, the moisture in its pores turns into ice and creates internal stress. After that, the tile cracks even on a perfectly prepared base.

How to avoid?

Store in a dry, warm place, and purchase - in construction supermarkets or in specialized stores that do not violate storage technology. Buying tiles in the winter on the market is money down the drain.

3. Use of "accelerators"

In order for the base screed to dry faster, some builders add components to its composition that speed up the process. There are even special building mixes for floors and walls. Most often they are used, although their cost is more expensive than the usual cement-sand mixture. But such additives can provoke cracking of the screed. As a result, we will get the first item of our list. In addition, tile adhesive interacts worse with such "accelerators", and sets worse. Naturally, poorly glued tiles have every chance of not only cracking, but generally falling off.

What to do?

The answer is obvious: try not to use "accelerators" and additives. Take a good, high-quality tile adhesive and glue on a dry, clean base.

4. Irregularities in the base

Here, probably, everything is already clear: on an uneven base, the tile will “walk” in any case, and, in the end, will crack. Most often this happens with floor tiles: they have more load than the tiles on the walls.

How to avoid?

Stay calm: take your time, carefully and carefully level the base.

5. Human factor

This is the most common cause of cracks. The quality of the foundation and the quality of the tile laying depend on the professionalism of the workers.

How to take into account this factor?

Tilers are most often chosen and hired on the recommendation of friends or acquaintances, less often - on ads. If there is such an opportunity, go to their past employers and see how the tiles that these workers laid a year ago look like. If not, ask for at least a photo. All good? Sign a contract and be sure to include a warranty clause in it.

6. Poor glue quality

With the help of the adhesive composition, adhesion occurs between the tile and the base. If it is of the wrong type, of poor quality or expired, the tile will naturally begin to fall off.

What to do?

The conclusion suggests itself: when choosing glue, you should not save. It should be plastic, spread easily and fill all the voids, hold tiles with different weights well. Quality glue can be found from major manufacturers such as Ceresit, Knauf, Mapei, Litokol and Sopro. Please note that good adhesive sets quickly, so the tiles must be fixed immediately.

7. Wooden base

If you are laying tiles on a wooden base (which we highly recommend not to do), be prepared for trouble. Wood is a breathable material that actively changes in size. Any contraction or expansion negatively affects the adhesive, tile and grout, so cracks can appear at any time.

How to be?

The best solution to this problem is not to create unnecessary problems for yourself and not to lay tiles on a wooden base. If there are no other options, first we attach drywall to the tree, then cover it with a primer, dry it, and only then tile it.

8. Water getting under the tiles

This problem is especially relevant in the bathroom. When water gets under the tile, it doesn't evaporate and starts to ruin the adhesive. As a result, the poor tile has nothing left but to crack or fall off. The same will happen to her followers until you remove the source of moisture penetration. Also, if this is not done, mold can appear under the tile, which is dangerous to health.

How to fix this problem?

Eliminate sources of moisture penetration first. If you are going to lay tiles in a room with high humidity, it is necessary to treat the base with a water-repellent impregnation. Use a special grout designed for contact with water. After laying, carefully seal any cracks that appear in the grout joints.

Do not tile in a new building. The walls of new houses tend to settle and “walk” for a year or two after commissioning, so you will be guaranteed cracks and even peeling.
Of course, there can be many more reasons, but these eight are the main ones. If you keep them in mind during the repair, the new tile will serve you for a very long time. Until you decide to change the interior.

It often happens that a couple of years after the repair, cracks appear on the tile. Immediately, the thought appears in your head that you were deceived and slipped you a defective tile. But they said that it is of excellent quality.
Most people actually tend to believe that the cause of tile cracking is its poor quality. However, in practice, the quality of the tile has nothing to do with cracks.
Very often, cracks in the tile are the result of shifts or cracks in the base on which it was laid. Let's say you laid tiles on a concrete screed, which is obtained by mixing water, aggregates and cement. As the water dries, the mixture begins to shrink, which accordingly leads to the appearance of cracks. The tile, which is glued to this kind of base, becomes one with it. Therefore, any deformation that occurs in the screed will create stress in the tile itself, and as a result, various cracks will form in the tile.
Of course, cracks in concrete cannot be avoided, since this is its usual property. They can form a day after the screed, but you can see the brightest picture in a month. It is important enough to close all the cracks, otherwise they will continue to grow. Only after that it will be possible to start laying the tile itself. If you start laying work before the base dries out, then sooner or later you will be forced to change the tile. Unfortunately, no one is immune from the appearance of cracks in concrete, so they can appear both in a year and in five years.
If the tiles were laid on a wooden base, then any deflection can cause tensile and compressive forces to act on the ceramic tile, grout or adhesive, and all this will end with the fact that the tile may crack. When laying tiles on a wooden base, you must be prepared for the fact that the tiles can crack at any time. The first and most obvious symptom of this will be the presence of cracks in the grout.
In addition, if you are just moving into a new house, then remember that its walls can shrink significantly in the first year, so ceramic tiles on the walls can either become bumpy or even fly out.
Another, quite common cause of tile cracking is related to its ability to expand or contract depending on the level of temperature and humidity. Tiles are porous materials that absorb moisture. For example, absorbed water can account for up to 25 percent of the total weight of a tile. If such a tile is put on the street, then after the onset of cold weather, the water in the pores can turn into ice. As you know, during freezing, water tends to expand by almost 10 percent, and that is why the tile will literally tear apart from the inside.
Porcelain stoneware, unlike tiles, practically does not absorb moisture. This fact is explained by the fact that it is pressed under very high pressure, and there are almost no voids left in it that water could fill. Therefore, nothing terrible will happen to porcelain stoneware in the cold.
It should also be mentioned that the tile tends to expand even at elevated temperatures. You probably imagine how the glass bursts when heated sharply. The same will happen with tiles, but in a smaller volume, this cannot be noticed with ordinary vision.
The thermal expansion of a tile is from 0.005 to 0.008 millimeters per 1 linear meter during a temperature change of 1 degree. What does it mean? For example, on a rather cool day, you decide to warm yourself in the shower, and the atmosphere at + 20C does not particularly suit you. You, of course, direct a jet of water at 40C. And if at the same time water gets on the ceramic tile and heats it up, then each square meter of such a facing tile can expand by 0.16 millimeters. Basically, it's not that scary. Therefore, you do not have to worry about repairs in the bathroom.
Another situation where thermal expansion occurs is outdoors, when the sun heats the tiles during the day, causing them to expand, and at night, at a rather reduced temperature, the tiles shrink.
The same situation will be observed if your kitchen worktop is also finished with ceramic tiles, and you put a baking sheet just pulled out of the oven on it in a big way. In this case, the expansion can be about 0.7 millimeters if you have porcelain stoneware, and 1.4 millimeters for tiles. Therefore, it is not recommended to lay tiles for the kitchen butt-to-butt, without any seams, it simply will not expand anywhere.
By the way, thanks to the baking sheet, you can find out how good your tile is. The thing is that high-quality ceramic tiles must pass the thermal shock test, and manufacturers guarantee that nothing can happen to tiles from a sudden change in temperature. In a bad tile, the enamel will immediately crack due to different thermal expansion of the tile and enamel.
Another bad news is that ceramic tiles will change their size over time, even if you equip your home with different temperature sensors, and will maintain the ideal temperature every second. The tile will still expand. It was obtained as a result of thorough mixing of sand and clay, pressing and further baking at a sufficiently high temperature. Of course, all this was not very pleasant for sand and clay, so after baking they will try to return to their original state for some time. It is quite difficult to predict the exact amount of expansion, as it depends on the type of kiln, clay, cooling time, humidity, etc.
However, more often than not, tiles that have been baked at a low temperature will expand quite a lot in the first months after baking, and at a much slower rate thereafter. But the tile, which was baked at a high temperature, on the contrary, will show a not very significant increase in the first few months, but after a while it will pick up an impressive speed.
The laws of expansion of ceramic tiles are a fairly popular subject for research. A huge number of journals are filled with articles by Italian, German, British, and even domestic scientists on this topic. According to the result of the research, the increase in the size of the tiles should not exceed 0.03% in the first five years after baking. In other words, under good circumstances, a 30x30 cm tile can grow no more than 28 square millimeters.
A separate study suggests that glazed ceramic tiles can increase by 0.05% in the first three years, of which 0.03% in the first two months.
Thus, if your plans include a monumental structure such as a mausoleum with dimensions of 1000 ka. Meters, it is best to purchase a tile that has already managed to lie down for a couple of years.
There are a couple more reasons why wall tiles can deteriorate, but they are less common, so we will simply list them. So, the reasons for cracking tiles can be:

• poor quality glue, using expired glue, or using the wrong type of glue. For example, if you put mastic in the area near the fireplace or in any other place where there is strong heat, then it can become brittle and dry from it. In this case, the tile may lose its grip and begin to fall off. This also includes cases when the mastic is used in rooms with sufficiently high humidity or for laying porcelain stoneware that is too large.
• the use of compounds to accelerate the hardening of concrete. These types of products may contain certain ingredients that will react with the tile adhesive and make it much harder to set. Because of this, ceramic tiles can begin to fall off and crack. In addition, this kind of means very often provoke the appearance of huge cracks in concrete.
• foreign materials on the base. For example, you stained part of the floor with varnish or paint. This can lead to the fact that the adhesive does not adhere well to the tile, and the latter will begin to crack and fall off.
• moisture that gets under the tile. This topic is so vast that one could write an entire book. In the bathroom, water is leaking from the pipes, toilet or shower fixtures. In a country house, water can seep through the walls and foundation. Outdoors, the outer coating can be washed away by rain. One way or another, everything will lead to the fact that the moisture that gets under the tile will not disappear anywhere. She will stay inside and begin to spoil the glue on which the tile itself is held. This will cause the tile to fall off and will continue to fall off until the moisture source is removed. After a certain period of time, mold will grow under the tile. This is not only ugly, but also quite dangerous for health.
• curved base for laying. Don't forget to level, level and level again. Even the best ceramic tiles in the world will fall prey to sagging or crooked floors./li>

In general, moisture very often leads to the fact that the tile begins to chip and crack. It is important to remember the fact that water can penetrate from the inside, as well as from the outside, through the seams. Grout is a porous material that passes water quite well and has the ability to change in size depending on the degree of humidity. And through the grout, and through the cracks, water will be able to penetrate under the ceramic tiles. Therefore, it is recommended to use special grouts that are specifically designed for contact with water, and close all cracks before moisture gets into them.
And, of course, in all areas with excessive moisture, it is necessary to treat the laying base and eliminate all possible sources of moisture.
Thus, before blaming someone for all the troubles that are associated with ceramic tiles, check if one of the reasons indicated in this article caused the breakdown.

Why does tile crack?

The appearance of cracks in the tile is almost never caused by the poor quality of the tile itself. Cracked tiles - most often, a consequence of its improper installation or inconsistency of the tile class with the operating conditions.

Reason 1: damage to the base

After laying the tile, the adhesive layer and the base are a single unit. If the tile base contracts and expands, the tile may crack.

To prevent this from happening, the tiles should be laid on a rigid base - plastered concrete or brickwork.

New houses are subject to shrinkage, so experts recommend starting tiling a year after construction.

A wooden base is not suitable for laying tiles. Floor screed and plaster must be completely dry before tiling. Tiles can be laid on a concrete screed after 30 days, on a plastered wall - after 1-3 weeks.

Additives that speed up the setting of cement can react with the adhesive and impair its adhesion. This will not lead to cracks, but the tile may separate from the base entirely.

Reason 2: wrong styling

The presence of voids in the adhesive layer increases the likelihood that the tile will crack from mechanical shock. This is especially true for floor tiles - if there are voids, tiles can be broken even with a heel.

When laying large format tiles, the base must be leveled especially carefully.

Reason 3: temperature difference

The two main reasons why outdoor tiles and stairs crack are poor installation and the use of non-specialized outdoor tiles.

Poor laying leads to the fact that water gets into the voids of the grout and the adhesive layer. Freezing, it expands and damages the tiles.

Non-frost-resistant (non-specialized) tiles on the street are saturated with moisture, which, when frozen, “breaks” the tiles.

For terraces, steps and porches, you need to choose frost-resistant porcelain stoneware. The packaging of such a tile usually indicates how many freeze-thaw cycles it will withstand.

In the photo: Natucer Piemonte steps and floor tiles suitable for outdoor spaces.

In the kitchen, tiles can crack from temperature changes if you place hot dishes from the stove onto a tiled countertop. To prevent this from happening, always use a hot plate.

When laying a "warm floor" in the tiling, there must be seams that compensate for the expansion of the tile from heating.

How to choose the "right" tile?

Contact the salon "Art Real". Our experts will help you choose tiles for any purpose: for bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, steps, terraces or for commercial premises.

You can consult with the specialists of the Art Real salon by phone or e-mail.

Tags: Peronda , Porcelanosa , Tiles , Ceramic tile, For bathroom , For rooms , For walls , For floor , For kitchen , For living room , Porcelain stoneware , Cir & Serenissima , For street , large format, For steps , Cir & Serenissima Antiqua , Natucer Piemonte , ,