This is where the lime they add to the clay during the manufacturing process isn’t mixed well enough and it leaves little spots of lime near the surface of the tile.
Some Saltillo tiles are known for having what we call lime-pops. It could be the tile is loose or internally the tile has some weak spots. Since the Super Saltillo tiles are installed over a concrete slab there is no plywood that could be making the noise.
Since there is no visual damage, I would just keep an eye on it and see if you notice any moisture or cracking later on, and then if necessary do some exploratory inspections. The only way to determine what has caused the tiles to make noise when you step on them, is to remove the tiles and evaluate the underlying conditions. Or if the plywood was installed without 1/8" gaps between sheets, then if the plywood is subjected to moisture it can expand and buckle up that can cause the tile to debond. If the underlying plywood is degrading either from moisture or excessive deflection, then the layers of the plywood can come loose causing the noise. If the tiles expand and are constrained, then the tiles can be subjected to stress that is greater than what they can resist, which then can cause the tiles to debond.Īnother reason why tiles could be making noise when you step on them, is if they are installed over a wood substrate.
So that is why you have movement joints to mitigate the anticipated movements that the tile floor can be subjected to. Tiles can expand as they are subjected to moisture in the form of humidity or water, or if they are subjected to temperature changes or if the tile floor has excessive deflection. Movement joints are grout joints filled with a resilient sealant that is normally a silicone sealant. The reason it may have debonded might be because you don't have movement joints at the perimeter of tile installation where it transitions to the walls or in other locations where there should be a movement joint. One reason the tiles could be making noise when you step on them is that the tile might have debonded in that spot, so when you walk on those tiles they move and make that sound. Since the crackling or squeaky sound you are hearing when you step on those tiles is over a relatively small area, and that it recently started making the sound, there are a couple of reasons of what is causing that condition. There may be a cement backer board or a mortar bed between the tile and the wood sub-floor or it could be that the tile is bonded directly to the plywood sub-floor or over a wood underlayment.
INSTALL CEMENT BOARD OVER HARDWOOD FLOOR INSTALL
You will then need to remove all of the wedges from around the outside of the room and install baseboards over the gaps.ANSWER ANSWER - I assume that the crackling noise that you are hearing can also be considered a squeaking sound that some say they hear on tile floors over wood sub-floors.īecause you say that the tile floor in question is on the second floor, I am going to assume that the tile is installed over a wood sub-floor. Continue doing this until the floor is covered. Then place another board vertically above that one and make another row. Take some adhesive and put it in the groove of the board and slide it up against the first row. Take the small piece a board that was leftover from the cut and use it to start your next row. Then take your saw and cut the board to the right size. Take your tape measure and determine the appropriate dimension for the board that you need. In order to finish off a row, you are going to have to make a cut. Then continue laying boards in a vertical row in this fashion and periodically placing wedges between the wall and the boards. Slide the tongue and groove of the two boards together. Place another wedge in between that board and the wall. Then place another board onto the narrow side of it up against the wall. This is to ensure that there is enough room for expansion later on. Place a wedge on each side of the board in between it and the wall. Start in the corner of the room and lay one of the boards down on top of the pad. Start LayingĪt this point, you should be ready to start laying your floating hardwood flooring. Tape the edges together and then cut off the excess along the wall. Make sure that the entire floor is covered with this pad. This should also come in a large roll that you can unroll. You will later cover the moisture barrier up with baseboards along the edge. Tape the seams of the moisture barrier together and then put the edge of the moisture barrier up the wall about two inches. When you are installing a moisture barrier, you want to make sure that there are no gaps and that the entire floor is covered. This comes in a roll that you can unroll over the floor. Before you can install over a concrete subfloor, you are going to need to put in a moisture barrier.