The usual causes, in order of frequency
Timber floors laid direct: chipboard or floorboards flex underfoot. Tiles need a rigid deck - overboarding with a tile backer board or ply of adequate thickness, screwed at close centres.
Spot-bedding rather than full coverage: five dabs of adhesive leave voids. Standing on the void cracks the tile. Floors need solid bed coverage.
No movement joints on larger floors or at the perimeter, so thermal and structural movement has nowhere to go.
Laying over an old adhesive bed or a painted screed without priming, so the bond never develops.
How we prepare a floor properly
Lift everything back to the structural deck and check for deflection and squeaks; screw down and pack where needed.
Overboard timber decks with backer board bedded in adhesive and screwed, or apply a decoupling matting where the substrate is questionable.
Prime, then level with a flexible self-levelling compound where the fall or the flatness demands it - large-format tiles are unforgiving of a wavy floor.
Lay with a flexible adhesive, full coverage, back-buttering large formats, with perimeter expansion gaps left and covered by silicone or trim.
Underfloor heating changes the rules
Heated floors expand and contract daily. They need a flexible adhesive and grout, correct movement joints and a controlled first heat-up cycle. Skipping the commissioning cycle is a common cause of cracking within the first winter.
Frequently asked questions
Can you replace just the cracked tiles?
We can, but if the substrate is the cause the neighbouring tiles will follow. We will tell you which situation you are in before quoting.
Can you tile over existing floor tiles?
Sometimes, if the existing floor is fully bonded, flat and the extra height works with the door and threshold. Often lifting is the safer call.
Do I need underfloor heating before tiling?
If you want it, it has to go in before the tiles. Retrofitting later means lifting the floor again, so it is worth deciding at quote stage.
How long before I can walk on a new tiled floor?
Typically 24 hours before light foot traffic and grouting, longer for heavy use or before commissioning underfloor heating.
Next step
We will check deflection and substrate at survey, then quote the floor build-up in writing.
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