No one wants to live with a damaged tile floor. Damaged tile floors are not only unattractive, but they can also decrease the value of your home. If you notice damage to your tile floor, you will need to call a Grand Rapids tile flooring contractor as soon as possible. Below you will find 7 reasons why your tile floor is starting to crack.

1. Something Heavy Fell

If the crack is isolated within a specific area (or even a specific tile), the damage was likely caused when something heavy was dropped. Think about the last time you may have dropped something heavy. Was it some piece of furniture you entered through the entrance with, a ceramic plate or bowl? The iron in the bathroom? Did you accidentally drop a cast iron pot while trying to wash it? All of these things may only show a small dent at first, but the damage can spread over time if the area is under continuous pressure, such as constant foot traffic.

2. Bottom Tiles

If you have recently invested in new tile flooring, it is normal to worry if the tiles you purchased are of poor quality. Fortunately, homeowners can depend on home improvement stores and other retail lines to meet ANSI and ASTM testing standards. This means you can trust that your tiles will be made from quality material. If you notice that a tile does not meet ANSI and ASTM standards, we recommend avoiding that brand.

3. Heavy Stationary loads

As an expert tile flooring contractor, we are often asked if heavy appliances could cause tiles to crack. Most residential slabs meet ASTM C648 breaking strength standards. The test ensures that your tile can withstand up to 250 pounds of pressure per square inch.

4. Installed On A Control Board

When tile cracks, most homeowners assume it has something to do with the tile itself. However, any floor repair contractor could tell you that the tile floor you walk on is just one layer of a floor sandwich. 

5. Installed On Poorly Spaced Beams

Joists are the bottommost layer of the floor and are responsible for supporting everything above it. This includes the subfloor, subfloor, tile, people, furniture, and everything else. However, if your contractor spreads the joists too far apart, the tile floor will have nothing underneath to support all that weight. As a result, the tiles will begin to bend and eventually crack.

6. Cracks In The Concrete Substrate

If you notice a crack that extends across several tiles, this is a sign that the concrete underneath has cracked. To prevent cracks from forming in the first place, we recommend that you ask your contractor to install a crack isolating membrane during tile floor installation.