I replaced the vinyl floor in my kitchen with ceramic tile last year, now the tile has started to crack; sound hollow and numerous tiles have lost bond, what happened?
Gypsum based underlayments are frequently used under vinyl and carpet to smooth out the substrate. When you removed the vinyl was the concrete white? If so, gypsum based underlayments were probably used to prepare for the vinyl and the water in the tile thin-set has softened the gypsum over time and resulted in a bond failure. The gypsum underlayment will have to be completely removed to make the correct repair on your tile floor. Use TexRite Latex Underlayment or TexRite FlowRite, both cement based products, to prepare the substrate before installing ceramic tile.
The tiles on my outdoor kitchen are loose and falling off, it is constructed with treated plywood and lumber, what can I use to re-bond the tiles?
First, traditional tile setting products do not bond to treated wood; second, outdoor kitchens that will be tiled should be constructed with steel studs or masonry, wood moves entirely too much outdoors to direct bond ceramic tile. Repair? Try the local Big Box for an adhesive in a tube that will bond to the treated wood.
All of the tiles on my kitchen floor have lost bond between the thin-set and concrete slab. Why?
Most likely , bond- inhibiting materials were not properly removed from the substrate before installing tile. Paint, drywall mud, wood stain, grease, oil, curing compounds, dirt, old adhesives and cut back residue are considered bond-inhibiting materials that can cause floor failures.