Ceramic Tile Keeps Splitting

It s a great book.

Ceramic tile keeps splitting.

Because of the compressed fragile nature of tile it can crack break and fragment when you try to cut it. Dirty substrates thinset not mixed correctly thinset skinned over not enough thinset too much thinset wrong kind of thinset and on and on. If they are too thin the tiles won t have enough room to expand and contract causing cracking. If the tile cracks are long continuous and extending across multiple tiles the concrete below has likely cracked.

Fourth a foundation problem can cause tiles to either pop at the grout lines or to form cracks in the tile surface. The only wholesale cure is to strip the tile and then install a crack isolation membrane before installing tile again. In there i looked up loose tile and i counted no less than 30 different causes listed in this book. If the wet saw s tray moves toward the cutter slowly cut the tile towards the blade and ensuring that the saw is constantly getting sprayed with water from the pump.

These joints are there to absorb pressure from shifting tiles. There are a few probable causes but before you tear up the tile and start over try this quick cracked grout fix.