Crunching Floor Tiles

Many of the causes of squeaking popping and crunching sounds that come from the flooring system are avoidable.

Crunching floor tiles.

If the floor has too much deflection that grout can crack among other things. My house was built in 1956. Voids in the mortar under the tile allow the tile to flex and crack. On closer inspection i can see that the tiles are moving very slightly against the grout which is causing the sound.

Recently i noticed that a few of the floor tiles in the kitchen make a crunching sound when walked on. For a larger more visible area of cracked tile contact a tile contractor for expert help. In this test floor tiles are run through a machine that exerts loads on an unsupported 1 inch square area. Tile floors are easy to customize easy to clean and make for a classy addition to any home.

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. There is an area about 15x15 inches that makes a crackling noise when you step on it. I have owned it since 2012. In these cases you must grind down the ceramic floor tiles so that they fit around these objects.

Ceramic floor tiles especially larger tiles need an even distribution of mortar underneath them. In a case where cracking is minimal or has occurred in only a small number of tiles and or the floor is in a location where aesthetics don t matter to you the easiest most inexpensive solution is diy patching. There is a almost unnoticeable bulge where one of the tile comes up. But the brittle nature of tiles and the constant foot traffic means that the tiles are likely to crack at some point.

As stated above if the floor is installed over a wood substrate and not placed in a staggered pattern with gaps and not fastened properly floors with ceramic tile installed over them can squeak. Most tiles comply with astm c648 breaking strength standards. Installing ceramic floor tile is fairly simple until you reach the edges of the room or fixtures such as cabinets pedestal sinks and toilets. So it is hard to say if a crunching sound is a squeaking sound or what.

Grinding ceramic tile can be tricky since the hardness is similar to glass and it can crack. However there are steps you can take mitigate tile cracking. It takes combined collaboration between the builder the end user the involved manufacturers and the flooring professional to be able to mitigate the causes. Most tiles meet the 250 pound minimum.

Reinforcing your floor will make for a more solid and level surface.