Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! 1 Sep 20, 2011 2:42 pm Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 3Sep 22, 2011 8:40 pm Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 4Sep 22, 2011 9:14 pm The quickest way to clarify is to contact your building surveyor - the person who has issued your building permit. It is irrelevant if this is your 'builders' nominated Building Surveyor because by law, the Building Surveyor acts for you and NOT the builder. The Building Surveyor will answer you but if you feel you are getting the run around then call the Building Department at your local Council to get a second opinion. Hope that helps. Builders are people too.... Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 5Sep 22, 2011 10:44 pm Thanks builda, I will track them down and see what they say. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 6Sep 23, 2011 12:16 am grouting is described in clause 5.7 of AS3958.1, i will have a read tomorrow morning. found this also http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/re ... IDE_07.pdf check out top of page 49 Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 7Sep 23, 2011 8:09 am Thanks architect.. mine has definitely become loose after only 6 months. Some pieces have come out altogether which is how I found there are spacers underneath. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 8Sep 23, 2011 8:54 am How would you remove the spacers before grouting? I would say they stay, but I'm just using logic, not standards. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 9Sep 23, 2011 9:17 am Well the instructions on the grout they used at my house (Dunlop) says to remove the spacers before grouting. We haven't had any problems yet with the downstairs tiles though, done over concrete. And I assume they left the spacers in there too. It's upstairs that we've had trouble with grout cracking and eventually breaking out in chunks. And it seems to be the corners that get the worst of it - whether that's just because of movement or if the spacers make it worse I don't know. My builder is hoping to blame me for the problems, so that's why I want to have a solid fallback - if they didn't do the grout properly in the first place then there's no way they can get out of fixing it. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 10Sep 23, 2011 10:44 am another example of where tradies laziness causes problems down the line. In no circumstances can I find an exmaple wherein a so called technical advancement has benefitted the end customer - they are brought about ONLY to benefit the builder and his/her tradies. Leaving spacers in the tiles is ridicoulous and will infact act as a presssure point from where the tile grouting can be pushed out if the spacers move. The correct process is to remove the spacers before grouting. Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 11Sep 23, 2011 10:51 am My spacers were always left standing upright until the tile adhesive had taken. Then the tilers removed them prior to grouting. I always thought this was the way to do it? Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 12Sep 23, 2011 1:14 pm Found it, page 88 of AS 3958.1 - 2007 Under clause 5.7.1 Grouting it states (a) Remove strings, ropes or pegs before grouting. Spacing inserts should be removed in conjunction with the preparation of grouting. NOTE: Spacers may impair the performance of the system if left in place. PM me if you want some more info from page 88 architect Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 13Sep 23, 2011 1:42 pm Thanks very much architect! That's exactly what I was looking for. Does the standard say anything about tiling on the second floor of a house, where the floor might be a bit flexible? The floor is joists with those wooden boards on top. I think our problems are due to a combination of the flexibility and the spacers being left in. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 14Sep 26, 2011 9:00 pm Its hard to know exactly what might have caused this. Yes it is lazy to leave spacers in the joints but as long as the tilers achived a few millimeters of cover over the spacer they should be ok. A more likely option is that the grout was mixed with to much water thus diluting its adhesive ability OR that the grout was not worked into the joint enough. Anyway once it start to fall out the rest of it follows. Get them to cut the grout out and start again. If grout is falling out of your tiles because of a "flexible" floor then the least of your worries is the grout...the question to ask your builder is. Why is my floor flexible??? Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 15Sep 29, 2011 9:54 pm Casa2 How would you remove the spacers before grouting? I would say they stay, but I'm just using logic, not standards. Contrary to what some believe the spacers are not actually designed to go flat into the corners of the tiles. They are designed to sit facing out between two tiles and when done properly there is then no drama in taking them out as there is then a 'handle' to simply pull. Re: Grouting over tiling spacers 16Sep 30, 2011 9:06 am AJW Casa2 How would you remove the spacers before grouting? I would say they stay, but I'm just using logic, not standards. Contrary to what some believe the spacers are not actually designed to go flat into the corners of the tiles. They are designed to sit facing out between two tiles and when done properly there is then no drama in taking them out as there is then a 'handle' to simply pull. yes this is correct. I don't think there is any direct ISO 9000 standard on tiling process, only the finished product. If your tiles are moving under floor I would say they used the wrong grout, perhaps they've used wall grout on the floor... Floor grout should always be sand based grout, which allows movement, whereas cheaper (ready mix) wall grout is quicker (hence more desirable) to use. Either way, the builder should address the fact that the tiles have come apart. I'd get an tiler to come and give me feedback on the job, ask if they'll put it in writing so you can use it when formally complaining. If you are in Melb, I can give you a name of a tiling teacher (now retired) who would assist you. He is one of the best, his comments would be hard to disagree with. He now teaches at the local TAFE part time. If you're not in Melb, just go to the local TAFE and see if you can get a teacher to come out and give you a report, they'd probably only charge a small fee. GOOD LUCK (Pm if you want the Melb tiler's name & number) A thankful person is a happy person. [/color]My hobby design blog: http://aviewondesign.blogspot.com/ Hi, I'm clearing the tiles from our horrid 50 year old bathroom and preparing to lay new ones. Bugger of a job getting the old… 0 8084 Looking to tile the facade pillars rather than rendering. Builder is quoting 2500$ laying cost for upto 10msq. The 2 pillars come to be 16msq. So laying costs are 5000$… 0 7524 4 14438 |