new house, new porcelain, now cracking (floor, window, ceiling, installation)

[Nodpete]

Sounds like your floors are moving. Tile should not crack if it is laid on a proper base. I wouldn't let the builder tell me that my "Warranty is up", this is an ongoing problem and the builders liability doesn't end just because the time limit ran out. If he goes that route have a lawyer send him a letter stating that.

[thedwightguy]

warranty or not, a builder in a small town like Franklin, Ohio would be wise to be good on the repair, unless it's a structural issue not connected to him. Are you dealing with the tile installer or the general contractor? Or were YOU the general?

I was called to regrout a stone fireplace in a large subdivision and did it anyway when I discovered it was one of the few that wasn't even ours!

[TrapperL]

Because it's in different areas, it sounds more like a bad workmanship issue. I would suggest you take a pen and tap on each and every tile with the blunt end. If it sounds hollow, it's a future cracked tile and is because of a lousy install. In Texas, this is called a builders defect and is warrantable for life. Surely Ohio has some standards where workmanship is guaranteed.
FWIW, this should cost the builder nothing but arranging to have the original sub replace the effected areas or the entire house if a color match isn't possible.

[Macgregorsailor51]

Warn me to cover key board hahahaha but yea a little info would sure help..

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

Ya know, it would help if you explained what type of tile, where its installed, and the type of subfloor/wall it's installed on. Otherwise, this is the blind leading the blind-

I'm sure there is an answer to be had here- but we can't give it through osmosis!

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Missi Sue

Said they have never had this problem before.

Liars.

[Electrician4you]

Originally Posted by Missi Sue

It's porcelain floor tile. We had it laid in, front entry way, Hallways, bathrooms, kitchen, dinning room, Breakfast area.
It started out just being 2 tiles cracked, they fix them. Now the new number is 14. Three in Dinning Rm., 7 in Front entry way, 2 in foyer from garage, 2 in Master bath room. Not in one area of house.
Will the cracks become larger ? should we ask for carpet ?
When it gets cold there are popping sounds night and day. Could this be the tiles cracking ?
1 Yr. Warranty was up in Nov. Ranch with full basement.
Said they have never had this problem before. they have been nice about it, but did mention, "You Know Your Warranty is Up".

That random a pattern sounds like the install was not correct or material is having issues. Maybe when they mixed the thinset some batches were dry or possibly water is seeping through the slab and the tiles are simply popping off the thinset. Is the tile loose between the thinset and back of tile or does it pull up the thinset with the tile and it's loosening between the tile/thinset and slab
I've seen houses and owned houses with 20-30 year old tile that never came up or got loose

[Missi Sue]

Yes we have a combination of clay and gravel. We are South of Dayton, Ohio.
There isn't one tile cracked by it's self. It is 2 or more, side by side or in a row.
The largest is 3 down, and 3 across, in a form of a cross +

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Missi Sue

largest is 3 down, and 3 across, in a form of a cross +

When they form a pentagram, you should worry.

[Hotfeet]

Originally Posted by Missi Sue

Yes we have a combination of clay and gravel. We are South of Dayton, Ohio.
There isn't one tile cracked by it's self. It is 2 or more, side by side or in a row.
The largest is 3 down, and 3 across, in a form of a cross +

I'm wondering if the installer failed to prepare a proper subfloor as mentioned earlier. You mentioned you had a full basement -- which means that the tiles were laid over a floor having joists and a subfloor nailed to the joists. In this case the subfloor should consist of at least two layers. The lower layer is probably some type of 4x8 wood composite panel such as oriented strand board (OSB), or it could be plywood. Over that lower layer should be some type of tile backer board, commonly a cement-type of material such as Durock or Hardibacker. See if you can tell what is under the tile -- maybe you can lift out a floor heating register to see what types of layers are in your subfloor.

I've seen jobs done by complete idiots where the tiles were laid directly onto the wood panel OSB or plywood subfloor without using a tile backer board. Or, the installer would lay down a second layer of plywood, thinking it would serve as a tile backer board (it won't). In those cases it was common for the tiles to fracture along lines that were directly above the joints of the wood subfloor. Since the panels are typically 4x8 feet, if your fracture lines in the tiles are 4 feet or 8 feet apart, I would bet that the tile setter did not use any tile backer board.

Another possibility is that the floor joists are undersized. Is there a lot of bounce in your floor? If the joists are undersized, there will be excessive deflection in the floor when it is being used, causing the tiles to crack. Excessive deflection might also be caused by a wood subfloor that is too thin. Again, you might be able to determine the thickness of the subfloor layers by removing one of the floor heating registers.

[Rabrrita]

Originally Posted by Missi Sue

they have been nice about it, but did mention, "You Know Your Warranty is Up".

To which you need to reply:
You know the Ohio Supreme Court could care less about your warranty because they said "We conclude that in Ohio, a duty to construct houses in a workmanlike manner using ordinary care is imposed by law on all home builders.", so fix the damn tiles!

You have many court cases in your favor and the builder is simply using the warranty expiration as a bluff.