Kitchen floor tile missing underlayment

[JohnMartin8784]

Hello, I'm considering buying a property however just looking at it myself I noticed the kitchen floor tile has cracks all throughout the kitchen that probably run along the edges of the subflooring, it's pretty consistent throughout the whole kitchen floor. I asked about this and apparently the contractor who did the work did not install underlayment prior to laying the tile. I included some pics. Would this cause any foundational issues? Also, is it possible to redo this work without damaging the subflooring? Thanks.

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[kurt]

Foundational.....no. Nothing with the foundation either. Just a lot of cracked tiles most likely.

[mjr6550]

You should be able to remove the tile and mastic without damaging the subflooring, but it could be quite a bit of work. You can rent a grinder that will make it easier. Minor damage to the subflooring is not a problem because you will need to install an underlayment.

[GMedich]

If you tackle it yourself, remember to wear a dust mask and possibly drape-off the rest of the house. Fine dust is very intrusive, and silicosis is not a joke.

[Nolan Kienitz]

If you tackle it yourself, remember to wear a dust mask and possibly drape-off the rest of the house. Fine dust is very intrusive, and silicosis is not a joke.

Don't forget to also put plastic sheeting (taped) over any return air vents in the area as the dust Grant noted will be sucked in and then distributed throughout your HVAC duct system, HVAC system and rest of your house.

Ask me how I learned that item? [:-bigeyes

[gtblum]

If you tackle it yourself, remember to wear a dust mask and possibly drape-off the rest of the house. Fine dust is very intrusive, and silicosis is not a joke.

According to the OSHA 10 training manual, a dust mask won't stop the particulates that cause health problems. You might better wear a respirator with the proper filter for what you're hoping to stop, and maybe use a spray bottle of water to keep everything wet enough to reduce the amount of airborne.

[mlparham]

Hello, I'm considering buying a property however just looking at it myself I noticed the kitchen floor tile has cracks all throughout the kitchen that probably run along the edges of the subflooring, it's pretty consistent throughout the whole kitchen floor. I asked about this and apparently the contractor who did the work did not install underlayment prior to laying the tile. I included some pics. Would this cause any foundational issues? Also, is it possible to redo this work without damaging the subflooring? Thanks.

Click to Enlarge

42.4 KB

Click to Enlarge

33.67 KB

Click to Enlarge

37.35 KB

Please do not try to repair any cracked tiles. It is very clear that you do not have the skills to replace tiles.

[RCHI1434]

Also if you have access to the underside of the floor install a lot of bracing pieces to help stabilize the movement

[John Kogel]

1.) The Subfloor is too thin for tiles, agreed.

2.) I think maybe they laid tileboard but it was poorly attached to the subfloor.

The last pic shows a cross crack pattern where 4 corners meet. Builders with even just a bit of smarts do not lay subfloor like that, they stagger the seams. So yes, that could be an amateur-installed subfloor too, but I would guess that there is loose tileboard laid over the thin subfloor. Not too hard to fix, but labour-intensive, no doubt.