Bulging Bathroom Floor Tiles

Hi,

I am in Melbourne and close to buying a single storey. It is 40yrs old, brick veneered and has wooden flooring. I have noticed in the ensuite bathroom that the floor tiles have bulged up quite substantially. There is one cracked tile and I found it to be sturdy when i stand on the bulging area. The ensuite has ducted heat coming off the floor as well.

I hope you can offer me some inputs on the possible causes of this problem and what the possible remedies and costs involved to fix it. I am aware that on-site inspection most desired for this problem.

Also for a 40yrs old house, what are the things I should take note prior to purchase.

P.s. I have asked for a building & pest inspection to be done on the property.

Blessings,
daniel

I’m guessing the floor maybe chipboard or some type of timber under the tiles????

Get the builder when he does an inspection to check for water damage under the flooring.
You might want to see how much damage there is, and how far has it gone. How much timber has rotted?
If it’s on concrete, could still be water damage or the glue giving out under the tiles.

Either way it sounds like a $ issue.

Make sure you are there when the builder does his inspection.

The floor shouldn't be particleboard at that age. I'm guessin that the ensuite was installed more recently than the house was built. It sounds like, as Michelle said that there is water damage to timber under the tiles. They may have been laid directly over the original timber floor which is a no-no in a wet area.
The only solution will be a full removal of the floor and more or less a full renovation of the ensuit.

Thanks Michelle & Luke,

I believed so too that they have laid tiles over the original timber floor. Any idea how much will it cost to get this fix?

Also does it mean that all the original timber floor need to be replaced totally?

Thanks again,

Dan

I'm currently going through exactly what you've found, and to be blunt, don't mess around.. Rip it all up and start again. A leaking shower had allowed water under the tiles. Floor boards had rotted away leaving a rather large hole. Being a small room it's easier to replace the whole floor. Timber costs for hardwood floor boards were only $300 and I'm lucky enough to be able to do it myself.

Thanks NeilD for your reply.

Yeah, its good if you are able to do it yourself. unfortunately I am not handy and definitely not experienced in this area, so DIY might cause more problem to it.

I guess so long if it does not damage the structural aspects of the house or cause any termites infestation, I will get someone to fix it.

Any idea whether I should be calling a builder or plumber or tiler? Or all of them?

I hope it won't be too costly as I am just starting buying a house.

Would a budget of $3,000 to $5,000 be enough for a total repair - labour, water-proofing and materials inclusive?

Dan

I think I'd be finding a reputable builder. That way, he will be able to advise of what further tradesmen should be involved, and no doubt will have his own contacts. It might even be cheaper to do it that way, by paying one person to take charge. But do make sure that it's someone with a decent reputation. Ask around friends etc and find someone whose work you can ask about, or better still, check for yourself. Cost: I'm not going to guess. Floor timber isn't really too expensive, but tiles, etc. and labour could well take it over your $3000

Speaking of White Ants…..did you get an inspection done?
They love water damaged areas!! Ask me I’ll tell you!!
Had them 2 years ago, don’t much around, get an inspection.

Good advise NeilD!

Look for plumbers that do bathroom renovations. If your not doing anything yourself you will be looking over $5000 easy.
The damaged floor boards will have to lifted off. You can re-do the floor in two ways -
- lay particle board flooring covered in 'ceramic-tile underlay' sheeting or
- lay compressed fibre cement sheeting ( better)
You can save a little bit of money removing the old ensuite yourself

Thanks NeilD, Michelle & Luke,

I am having the building & pest inspection done this afternoon by Archicentre. Hopefully everything is good cos we like the house very much..

The realestate agent wasn't too happy about that saying they are too detailed and charges much higher than other inspection companies.

I am a newbie to Australia, a newbie to aussie homes, and the way its constructed. All your inputs are very helpful indeed. I am told to look up the local newspapers and weekly journals for tradesmans, plumbers, etc. Is this a good way to start?

Any recommendations and helped offered is greatly appreciated!

Merry Christmas & Blessings to all,
Daniel

Definately Daniel, I'd call 5 - 6 different guys to start with. You will probably get some greatly varying quotes - remember it will be hard to give an accurate quote till the floor is ripped up an the full damage evaluated. The cost of the job will depend a lot on the fitings you choose i.e tiles for $20 sq.mt or $200 sq.mt.

Thanks again Luke for your advice.

The architect and pest inspectors came back with their initial reports. At least I hope its good news..

Here are some of their initial comments (before the official report) and pls feel free to advice this newbie...

Building:
1. Structure is fine. Expected more cracks due to it age but could not find any.
2. Ensuite bathroom floor bugling: No evidence of shower leakage. Cause of bulging tiles could be due to putting in too tightly and expanded over time.
3. Joist is ok (whatever that is...

)
4. Other bathroom tiles - deteriorated glue
5. Under house is damp, need more vents to keep dry
6. Stumps are concrete

Pest Inspection: 2 Trapdoors provided access 90% of house under
1. No termites found.

Phew
2. Soil verp damp under house - need to re-look at rain drainage
3. Under floor has alot of rubbles which needs to be cleared - could be cause of dampness
4. Bearers on foundation wall are starting to rot due to rising damp - chemicals to treat
5. Need more vents to breathe.
6. Wood rot in beams of carport near roof

7. No evidence of leakage from bathroom
8. Farcia - some rot

9. Gardens near house not so good.

10. Some borers in bearers, slight....

Are these major work to be done?

Thanks & Blessed Christmas!
Dan

Thats good and bad. You can breathe a huge sigh of relief about your bathroom floor by the sound of it though. Probably just a case of ripping the tiles up, cleaning underneath, laying new cement sheet and putting new tiles down. The rest sounds like it's more a case of ventilation than anything else. I'll leave someone with more knowlege to comment on the structural things though.

Sounds like a lot of work to me, best go buy yourself a handyman’s book.
But as NeilD can tell you the more work you do on your home the better you feel, self gratification…..great for the ego!

You will need to concentrate on the dreaded “rising damp” it can be a problem if it is not sorted, as your report is telling you. This will be the first thing you need to do if you buy the house. Or you can expect more rotting timber, which in turn will attract White Ants.

See what the builders in here have to say. Thanks for the update!

Your carport timber and fascia timber are more than likely oregon which is now actually banned from being used outside. Don't be too worried or concerned about this.
Fitting vents iasn't too much of a drama - you can even get fan assisted types.
Joists are the timbers your floor sits on. The joists then sit on the bearer which sit on the piers.

Thanks a million for all your help and advice. What can I say but this is a great forum to be in. Lots of real practical help and advice given here.

I have decided to go ahead to buy the house as its got what we wanted for a family and very near the school.

Will follow the advice given here once i take possession of the house.

Happy Christmas!

Dan

Good Luck with it all Dan. The fun has just started for you. You have started a journey that will make you angry, frustrated, worried sick, wonderfully happy, even all at the same time. But you will learn a lot, about tiling, woodwork, painting, plumbing. You will learn that tradesmen are not always reliable, but some are councils can be a pain in the butt, and grouting without the right tools can remove your fingerprints But at the end of it, you will be able to say. Hey...This is mine

Dear All

I have been reading this thread and am facing a similiar problem. I inspected a home a few days ago and notice that there is 2 bulges on the ceiling. Not huge though. I brought it to the attention of the agent and was inforemd that there was a leak and it was fixed. He went on the state that if it was a continuing leak, there would be a set pattern on the ceiling and not merely a bulge. He also stated that i could get a building inspection done.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

acpn2330

Get the inspection. And then negotiate a cheaper price for having to re-plaster the ceiling.