Lifting Tile From Water Damage!

If you ever wondered why it’s so important to properly mitigate (extract water & professionally dry) properties after a water damage event, here’s a prime example of what can happen if you don’t do so. Trapped moisture beneath tile flooring with no where to go may eventually go the path of least resistance - which is straight upward.

What exactly is going on here? As you’ll see within the video, I’m able to compress the tile with my boots and then you’ll see it pop right back up. When I’m standing on the floor, this is the correct height that the tile flooring should be at. As soon as I remove my foot, the tile raises because the bonding agent beneath has let go. In other words, there’s no longer any mortar holding the tile floor to the concrete slab.

Why exactly is this happening? Simple explanation, actually… Vapor pressure is building up beneath the tile, as the trapped moisture has nowhere else to go. Given that the base of the walls have tile baseboard installed, the moisture cannot escape through there. There are also no outlets on the walls immediately surrounding the bathroom - offering limited areas for moisture to evaporate into the home. Ultimately, the vapor pressure builds up and literally pushes the tiles upward until the pressure can be released. When this happens, you’ll likely have lifted tiles like this, or even lesser noticeable damage such as hollow tiles with crackling sounds when you step on them.

Either hire a professional after a water damage event or take the necessary steps to avoid costly repairs such as permanently water damaged tile flooring.

[Bignene]

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND HOW DID YOU FIX IT