Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My kitchen has large 18" travertine tile throughout. When we first moved in, there was a crack that extended through 3 of the tiles near the sink and dishwasher. I had the home inspector look at this to ensure there wasn't a structural problem or a water leak, which he didn't find any.
As we've lived in the house for almost a year now, the floor continues to crack and I can actually hear it breaking as I walk on it. I just noticed a new crack by the refrigerator today. Any ideas as to what could be causing this cracking? Is travertine known for doing this?
Kind of sounds like the subfloor may not be smooth and has bumps that cause the tiles to crack when pressure is placed on them. They are just thin stone afterall. I'd get a good tile person to look at it.
It's not the travertine, it's the installation that's faulty. There could be several reasons why, but there's no fix other than to tear it up and do it again correctly.
My kitchen has large 18" travertine tile throughout. When we first moved in, there was a crack that extended through 3 of the tiles near the sink and dishwasher. I had the home inspector look at this to ensure there wasn't a structural problem or a water leak, which he didn't find any.
As we've lived in the house for almost a year now, the floor continues to crack and I can actually hear it breaking as I walk on it. I just noticed a new crack by the refrigerator today. Any ideas as to what could be causing this cracking? Is travertine known for doing this?
Is the subfloor sturdy enough to hold the weight of the stone? Is it installed on hardiboard or directly to the subfloor? Did the installer use an anti-fracture membrane at all? These aren't things than an inspector could easily know as they aren't visible from above or below. You can't fault the stone, it's the install. Get a tile/stone guy to check it out for you....but it doesn't sound good.
Thanks all for your comments so far. I was afraid of the answer because I kind of knew it wouldn't be good. In terms of the installation or subfloor, we have no idea, but I'm guessing it is probably a result of both. We are discovering that the house we bought was probably a flip at the height of the market, as we've come across many imperfections that most contractors could not get away with. It looked great for a period of time, but as the work ages, more and more flaws and problems are appearing.
I was just curious if the stone had anything to do with it, as I've never had travertine before and don't know much about it. This is a huge bummer...
Unfortunately there's a lot of guys installing floor tile that shouldn't be, like you said it can look great for a while but then the problems start showing up, and the bad thing about tile is there's no way to fix it other than tear-out and re-do. My neighbor had a tile floor installed in her kitchen and the contractor used the wrong kind of nails to fasten the backerboard. That installation lasted all of 2 days before tiles started popping off. Do a google search for "john bridge tile forum" if you want to know more about tile installations.
My kitchen has large 18" travertine tile throughout. When we first moved in, there was a crack that extended through 3 of the tiles near the sink and dishwasher. I had the home inspector look at this to ensure there wasn't a structural problem or a water leak, which he didn't find any.
As we've lived in the house for almost a year now, the floor continues to crack and I can actually hear it breaking as I walk on it. I just noticed a new crack by the refrigerator today. Any ideas as to what could be causing this cracking? Is travertine known for doing this?
That's a sub-floor problem. Tile cracks when something underneath it flexes.
The problem isn't the stone but improper installation, as has been pointed out. Many years ago, I learned from a stickler how to evaluate a new tile job. He took a hard cane and tapped each and every tile in various spots to listen for the sounds it made. If there was one that sounded hollow, he had it removed and re-set. His method seemed extreme, but the tile area later had extensive traffic and never had a single tile break.
Also, not everyone who sets tile can set stone well. There are some differences. We've seen some homes with both tile and stone....the tile looked great but the stone was lipped and looked very uneven overall. If there is a lot of color variation in the stone you have to more carefully lay out the stones so it looks consistent when it's done. Tile is usually pretty consistent to begin with, you don't have to think that much about the finished look.
Point is....find someone who sets stone, not just tile.
Honed and filled travertine has less structural integrity than other stone tiles like garnite, marble, etc. Look at the back of a new travertine tile, and you'll see what I mean. That being said, you do have what is probably an installation issue. Travertine is a fine floor if it is supported by the proper setting system. This can be backer board, a mortar bed, a Schluter Ditra system (very cool!) etc., but if the system (substrate) is not level, you are still gonna get cracks in the stone.
Take the advice of the other posters, and get a reliable, experienced tile and stone installer to assess your problems.
Regards,
Streamer1212
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
