Tiles are common building materials for floors and walls. Homeowners love them for aesthetics and durability. However, with constant wear and tear, the beauty and function benefits are bound to get compromised. Some common defects observed in household tiles include buckling cracking, shade variations, and staining. Most of these defects are linked to the quality of installation or day-to-day home activities. This article, thus, looks at some common types of tile defects and some possible solutions.
Buckled Tiles
Buckling is commonly observed in plastic tiles. Buckling is characterized by lifting of the tiles from their original position, thus creating a tent-like bump. Buckling might be caused by the inappropriate application of the bonding adhesive or the use of inferior quality adhesives. The solution prescribed for this defect is re-installation with quality adhesive. Depending on the extent of the problem, you might also consider replacing the tile.
Cracked Tile
When a tile is not installed correctly, especially if there are some voids left bellow, the tile is bound to break when pressure is applied on those tiles. Also, an accidental drop of heavy items might make tiles to crack — other causes of cracking range from the use of poor quality tiles to environmental changes. Irrespective of the magnitude of the crack, the best way to go about it is to repair the cracked tile.
Faded Tiles
It is common to have tiles lose their color when exposed to the environment, chemicals, and abrasion. Fading is mostly observed in tiles with darker shades. The best solution prescribed for this tile defect is replacing the affected tiles with news ones that are of a similar pattern. As much as possible, if the tiles are affected by certain detergents, it is advisable to use solutions that do not discolor your tiles.
Chipped Tiles
Chipping of tiles is often the result of accidental falls on the surface of a tile. Dragging of heavy furniture might also make your tiles get cracked. If the magnitude of the defect is small, you might fill the hole with some adhesive then paint the area to match the color of the tile. Another solution could be replacing the entire tile.
The nature of damage often informs the solutions prescribed for tile defect. As much as some homeowners might be able to repair some defects, floor tile repair should be left to professionals. These professionals have what it takes to ensure that the problems do not reoccur anytime soon.…