Cracks in Ceramic Tile Floor on Concrete Foundation

Learn why you need an isolation membrane when you install ceramic tile flooring on a concrete foundation — otherwise it will crack. Get tips on putting down engineered hardwood flooring on top of the ceramic tile, with a 1/4-inch thick…

LESLIE: David in Mississippi is on the line with some cracks in the foundation. Tell us what’s going on.

DAVID: My house is eight years old or nine years old this year. But I’ve got ceramic tile and it keeps cracking my ceramic tile.

TOM: So we’re talking about cracks in the floor, David?

DAVID: Yes. I hadn’t seen any in the walls or nothing, just in the floors with ceramic tile. And it’s in different rooms, too, so I know it’s more than one crack. The only thing I can think is it’s stress cracks from the concrete foundation.

TOM: Well, it may or it may not be. Now, when you put ceramic tile on a concrete floor like that and especially in a large surface, there is an isolation membrane that works well to go down in between the concrete and the tile. And that helps to prevent the condition that you’re seeing.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy fix for this. There’s no inexpensive way to stop a floor from cracking if, potentially, it was installed improperly to begin with. The only general advice we can give you is to make sure you try to keep it as dry as possible down there because moisture is going to make the slab move more.

DAVID: Well, let me ask you a question. What if I took the ceramic tile up and put some hardwood floors in?

TOM: Well, you couldn’t put solid hardwood floor because the moisture will cause it to warp. But what you could put in is engineered hardwood floor. And in fact, if you wanted to put engineered hardwood flooring, you don’t really have to take the ceramic tile up. You could leave it down there and just go on top of it because it’s not connected to the floor; it pretty much rides. It’s a floating floor; it rides right on that surface.

You’d put down a very thin underlayment underneath it. It’s a very thin foam, like underlayment, like maybe a ¼-inch thick. Then the boards are snapped together and they sit on top of that. You just leave a gap at the edges of the room.

DAVID: OK. I sure appreciate it. I listen to you all’s show all the time. Sure appreciate all the information I can get from you all.

TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.