At Oasis Tile, we’ve built our company around the fact that tiles are durable and can withstand almost anything while maintaining their beautiful appearance for decades. These are key reasons why tile remains a top choice for homeowners, business owners, and interior designers. Whether enhancing kitchen backsplashes or bathroom shower walls, tiles provide a timeless and versatile solution. However, despite their resilience, and even with the best installation and careful maintenance, tile problems can happen. Regular wear and tear or unexpected incidents may leave your tiles, whether found in commercial kitchens and bathrooms or your home’s entryway, needing extra care.
That’s why our experts at Oasis Tile have compiled a comprehensive guide to the most common tile problems and solutions, affirming that your walls, showers, and kitchen backsplashes stay in shape for years.
Why You Should Focus on Buying Quality Tile
There is a direct relationship between quality, choosing the right material, maintenance, care, and tile problems. The more you focus on selecting the right material for your space, prioritizing quality, and properly maintaining the tile, the less likely you’ll experience problems with your tiles, extending their life and aesthetic appeal.
Frequent Tile Problems
To help you address any potential tile issues, our experts at Oasis Tile have assembled a comprehensive guide on the most common tile problems and how to fix them.
1. Chipped Tiles
Unless nothing has ever been flung against your kitchen backsplashes, smashed onto your bathroom counters, or knocked against the wall tiles around your fireplace, you will likely encounter chipped tiles at some point. Chipped tiles are a common problem in homes with stone, ceramic, or porcelain tiles, whether in shower stalls, kitchen backsplashes, or decorative wall installations. The good news is that chipped tiles are almost always the easiest and most affordable problem to rectify.
Depending on the size of your tile and the extent of the crack, a can of touch-up paint and some glue is all it takes to solve your problem and have it look fantastic again. However, remember that certain types of paint are made for the specific tile you’re working with. That’s why it’s important to double-check with the experienced staff at Oasis or at the big box home improvement store where you buy the paint or glue.
2. Incorrect Underlay
The underlay is the surface on which your tile will be installed. Ideally, you need a flat, even, and firm surface. If you don’t have this, whether you’re about to install bathroom tiles or looking for kitchen tile ideas, regardless of what you pick, your tile will sag and crack despite your best efforts.
If you have old vinyl in your bathroom and want to tile over it, the former can be your underlay. Then, you can proceed with the tile like our Hanoi Sky Blue, providing the surface is thick enough to support it. If your underlay is not strong enough to hold the tile, first down ¼ to ½ cement board. Then, you can safely lay your tile on top of the board.
3. Lippage
Lippage is the unevenness between adjacent tiles, in which one tile sits slightly above its neighboring tile. This is a common tile installation problem because the tiles were not correctly leveled when laid, resulting in an ugly and hazardous surface. Choosing the best tile material for your application can help minimize lippage issues, ensuring a more even and durable finish.
Additionally, intricate designs, such as mosaic tiles like our Aura Dark Blue, a beautiful choice for a kitchen backsplash, require extra attention when leveling due to their smaller size and complex patterns. If not installed correctly, these tiles can make lippage more noticeable.
4. Hollow Tiles
Let’s say you’ve installed our Castle Fort Pacific Pearl White Dragon Scale, creating a stunning look for your kitchen backsplash. However, upon closer inspection, you notice a few hollow areas beneath the tiles. If so, you have what are known as hollow-sounding tiles. This issue is not only with backsplashes but also a common kitchen floor tile problem, which can lead to further complications if left unaddressed. Typically, this is caused by gaps within the adhesive on the floor's surface. While you might assume that if you encounter this, your kitchen tiles need replacement, they can be repaired. The good news is that modern technology often lets contractors inject adhesive underneath the tiles. However, since this is a tricky process, don't try this as a DIY project. If you do and mess up, you will be in for a big repair job.
5. Cracked Expansion Joints
Let’s say you’re having problems with the matte glass tiles like our Riverbed Flowing Ravine Grey Pebble Recycled installed on your shower. They keep popping loose. The tile problem is most likely a cracked expansion joint. The expansion joint should always be filled with caulking or adhesive where the tile meets and adheres to the surface, whether a countertop, a fireplace perimeter, or around bathroom fixtures. This will help the tiles stay bonded to the surface even as these areas of your home contract and expand over time.
6. Water Stains
Since virtually all tiles are made to be stain-resistant, something is wrong if you’ve got evidence of water stains or mold. It is often found in parts of your home with lots of moisture, like the bathroom shower and the kitchen floor, where homeowners assume it means an automatic replacement, not a repair. If you are lucky, the issue will be caused by cracked expansion joints, which you now know how to fix.
If this is not the problem, you may need to consider that a waterproofing membrane was improperly installed underneath the tiles or was somehow not installed at all. If this happens, you may be in for a hefty repair job, as the remaining tiles may need to be removed so that the waterproofing membrane can be placed on the surface underneath.
Sometimes, water stains are caused by a problem with your plumbing system, such as a leaking drain or water line. If you suspect this, contact a plumber as soon as possible.
7. Buildup on Grout
If you’ve ever noticed a dirty buildup on the grout once you install your tile, once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. Whether you’re working from a commercial tile guide for designers or selecting materials for your home, keeping grout clean is essential for maintaining the overall look of your space. The solution to this tiling problem is most often cleaners available at most stores to spray on the grout and then wipe it off with a soft cloth.
Whether you’ve chosen ceramic vs. porcelain tiles, the elegance of glass tiles, or installed them in high-traffic areas such as kitchen backsplashes and bathroom tiles, proper grout maintenance is critical in preserving their appearance. You can prevent a recurrence by applying a sealant once the grout is cleaned. Once this is done, regular cleaning will be much easier.
8. Poor Tile Alignment
With so many tile shapes and sizes, a common tile installation problem is incorrectly aligning the tiles. Whether you’re debating between tile vs. hardwood or considering tiling over hardwood, proper alignment is crucial for achieving a flawless look. If the tiling problem is misaligned, it can lead to uneven grout lines, visible gaps between each tile, or an overall crooked appearance. This is particularly important when installing popular options like wood-look tile, such as our Kirova Haya Brown, around your fireplace mantle.
Oasis Tile: The Solution for Your Tile Problems
Whether you’re wondering if investing in marble in your bathroom could lead to tile problems in the future, or you’re debating carpet vs. tile in your home, we can help. We’ve been answering tile-related questions for almost two decades and guiding our customers with expert advice. In that time, we’ve encountered and provided solutions for virtually every tile issue imaginable.
So whether you’re new to the tile world or need advice on a specific concern, our team is ready to assist you. So what are you waiting for? Order your samples today!
