Cracking floor tiles in extended kitchen floor

[widgey]

I have a similar problem to FoxtrotOscar's post with some added twists. We had a 2 storey side extension last year. One of the downstairs rooms extended was the kitchen. Our new kitchen is part "old" kitchen and part extension. The floors in old and new are suspended timber. The kitchen floor was tiled wall to wall with 300mmx600mm tiles and the units fitted on top. Now 5 of the tiles, all in the extension part of the kitchen have cracked from one side to the other. The cracks don't come out in photos as they are hairline cracks but will undoubtedly show up more as they get dirty. Our builder has suggested that this is due to movement between the old and new and was inevitable, however, there was no warning given to us about perhaps using an alternative to tiles. Was this inevitable? Should we have considered Amtico/similar as an alternative? Or has the builder just messed up?

 

[tictic]

what did your builder overboard the joists with...

do you know what the joist spacing is...i.e.450mm-600mm...

did he leave an exspansion gap around the perimeter of the room..

could be a few things causing your failure..

movement/wrong prep/wrong materials used...etc..

have said this on here before.....builder build...tile fixers TILE....plumbers plumb..etc...

 

[Richard C]

All of what Tictic said

Our builder has suggested that this is due to movement between the old and new and was inevitable, however, there was no warning given to us about perhaps using an alternative to tiles. Was this inevitable? Should we have considered Amtico/similar as an alternative? Or has the builder just messed up?

Movement may be inevitable but cracking the tiles isn’t if it’s properly done. Depending on floor type, size & individual circumstances, this could have been as simple as an uncoupling membrane under the tiles or expansion joint(s) may be necessary. Are the cracked tiles along the line where the extension meets the original floor or in the extension itself?