If you lived in parts of Europe years ago, they probably butted the tiles and let everyday dirt fill the joints. Very unsanitary, which explains the need for some grout in the joints between tiles, because there are no tiles that can be butt together tight enough to eliminate the (sanitary) need for grout. Some tiles have built-in tile spacers eliminating the need for spacers like mine unless you choose to make the joints larger in width. 4 1/4" and 6" bathroom wall tiles were automatically spaced. Now there is an important downside when attempting to butt tiles. They must be of "perfect" sizing in order to acheive a uniform looking installation.

Tile sizing perfection has fallen by the wayside the past few years and it's ,"buyer beware" sizing now that may vary as does shade variation. If the variation is less than a 1/16", then my TAVY Tile Spacers do a great job even though this slight size variation exists. Tiles with larger tile variations should be avoided "like the plague". TAVY Tile Spacers have the smallest spacer size in the world, 1/32", available by direct order from "Contractors Direct" in Connecticut or Mid-State Trade Tools in Wisconsin. This small joint is usually reserved for Marble and Granite Tiles, providing they are not from unknown sources (and very cheep). Linoleum is a great floor covering, but does not get the Oooos and Ahhhhs and needs replacing more often. Epoxy Grouts need less maintenance and are a good option if that is your main concern. Armen Tavy

When a tile sounds solid on both sides of a crack, then the odds are, that that tile, was probably installed correctly, but split in two because of the crack. As you original read in the older post reply, any crack over a 1/8" and exceeding a 1/4" is suspect to other structual problems, not necessarily implying that the home will collapse, but certainly deserving examination by an expert builder or city/town inspector. These tiles are unsightly now an repairs are in order, however, if new tiles are installed over old cracks without resolving the problem, the new tile/s will crack as the old did, over and over again. TAVY "Thin-Skin" to the rescue. Armen Tavy

Please read what I have just written in post # 12421. Armen Tavy

Please, I did not mean to alarm you or others, but on the "dark side" serious cracks in flooring can be  indications of serious structural problems, including the possibility of "sink holes". Test all your tiles on both sides of all the cracks with a metal object or by bouncing a golf ball on them. If the tiles on both sides of the crack or cracks sound "hollow" (when the ball bounces), the odds are that it is only a "poor" installation and not necessarily structural.     Read Post # 12422 to get more insight on these issues.

If your tiles were/are Porcelain Tiles, many installers have yet to learn the techniques necessary to install them correctly. Believe me when I tell you that I get very concerned with these same issues coming up question after question and I am seriously considering a TV program of my own, or CDs that are guaranteed to be informative, accurate and in complete detail from start to finish. My reputation as an expert will be my personal "Stamp of Approval" and the photo that you see when you click on "The Tile Man" in the header of this forum, is really me and I take pride in the 48 years of "Quality Experience" I have in this Trade. Armen Tavy

 "IF" after reading more of my older post replies you still have queries, please write again. There are no simple yes or no answers because of all the "IF"s. Much thought has to go into the way I write my replies, so you and all can understand what I am saying.

It depresses me to hear these stories, because there is no need for this kind of complaint if all the rules (simple at that) are followed. It is not rocket science, and not that difficult; what is difficult is for would be installers to read simple directions and follow them. Your backerboard installation was at fault or the installer did not use the correct trowel and mortar or mortar application and fasteners to install it. Once the Backerboards are installed they need to be cleaned and "prepped". The correct mortar for the tiles selected must be properly mixed and spread with the correct trowel for the tiles. Many tiles need "back buttering. Many times it is a combination of all the causes in the same installation. The easiest way to avoid these failures is for the customer to be informed, so he/she can analyze the installer’s techniques or lack of. Asking the would be Installers for job references is the first hurdle and why customers are afraid to ask for them, and actually call all of them, is beyond my comprehension, especially when hundreds and many times thousands of dollars are at stake if the installation should fail.

I am sorry I sound so curt, but if you review all my replies in the past 16 months, you will read about the many tiling disasters by so called professionals, because they fail "to read up" before "they tile down or up, or sideways". How do you solve your problem? First thing is to remove one or more of those problem tiles to inspect the substrate as well as the mortar and the back of the tile/s. If the substrate is as "clean as a whistle", the entire job is lost. If the tiles that have broken grout joints around them sound hollow when tapped on with a metallic object or a golf ball, the proper mechanical bond to the substrate is most likely at fault and the entire installation is lost.  If the backs of the tiles are "almost as clean as a whistle", then the wrong mortar or wrong trowel tooth design (1/4" x 1/4" x 1/4") was used to spread the mortar to set the tiles, etc, etc. Tiling as seen on the popular TV Home Improvement Programs imply that it is so simple that anyone can do it. They make so many mistakes it makes me "shudder".

Once grout fails for any of the above reasons, it will continue to fail, and no "Band-Aid" treatment will last. Calling your attorney or taking the installer to small claims court may be your only option now. If you inspect your tiles after removal and want more explanations, by all means come back and tell me what you see, or do not see. I will try help you as much as possible. Armen Tavy

This small area is a simple repair with a thin ceramic tile underlament membrane that can be covered with one or more layers of thin-set mortar until the level is the same as the surrounding area. Holding a straight edge or 4 ft level flat over the higher area and extending it over the patched area will indicate when they are at the same height. My TAVY Thin-Skin" can do this job easily, because I designed it to go over any surface including vinyl, however, it is sold only in 100 sq ft packaging. It is still an economical solution, and any like product will still probably cost you between $55 to $75. Install TAVY "Thin-Skin" in the area where you removed the vinyl. level it with one or more layers of mortar (dry in-between layers), then install the "Thin-Skin" over the entire floor area, including the repair.  Please take the time to read old replies, as far back as you can, to learn many of the necessary techniques about tiling that I have written.  Armen Tavy

You could have tiled over it with any of the many tile underlayment membranes on the market including mine, TAVY "Thin-Skin. However you have started the demo and there is no short cut other than "bull work" to remove this "Mud Set" tile installation. The old fashioned way was the best, but not the easiest to remove. You could fill in the less than 10 square feet with cement (over wire) and use thin-set as a bonding agent painted on the edges of the old slab just before filling with new cement. You would have to level the surface by hand or "dam" the area an use a self leveling Portland Cement mix to get back to the original height and level surface. A primer (available with the purchase) is required. This can also be used at the cut edges of the old slab.

There are several tools that can help. Rent a "60" lb Demo Hammers (Hilti); use manual "Wrecking Bars" (3 foot long) and a sledge hammer, "Wonder Bars" (flat black bars with curled tips used to remove nails), "tin snips" and heavy duty work gloves, or a bunch of friends invited over for a "Demo Party", but don't call me, because I am retired. Good Luck, Armen Tavy

Sorry AJ, the 10" format was short lived and is probably non-existent anymore. Your best bet is to browse on line. Armen Tavy

As per our phone conversation this morning and for the benefit of our readers, here is a short version of our conversation since I did not save a copy of my written reply.

This installer was inept and unfamiliar with the problems that can occur when tiling over plywood subfloors. Besides not fastening the plywood properly, the type of plywood (the top layer of skin, AC, BC, CDX, etc) and the compatibility of the thin-set mortar to the plywood was the main issue in the failure as may have been his choice in Thin-Set Mortars. It is not your fault but it is his, especially if he presented himself as a professional tile setter. If tile setters in Canada require Licensing it would be in your favor because portions of licensing funds are usually set aside to compensate customers for contractor ineptness. After viewing your photos and your comments there is no doubt in my mind that your suite would prevail in a court of law in Canada or the USA.

A tile installed on an uneven floor can crack if "rocks" on a hump. If the tiles are of small format and "flow" over the/a hump, although it would look rediculous, it probably would survive. I would be interested to know why anyone would consider tiling over an uneven floor without first resolving the problem, it is not that difficult to correct. Armen Tavy

Your request is noted for all to see, and I will make a few inquiries for you as well, but don't get your hopes up. Armen Tavy

Anyone who hires a "professional" tileman to install a ceramic floor should expect no less than "perfection". No excuses are expected, allowed or accepted.  Armen Tavy

I can't begin to give you advice until you tell me where you live, how thick is this 4,000 sq ft of lightweight concrete and is it over a suspended wood floor? If it is over a suspended wood subfloor, as it would be iif it is lightweight concrete,  4,000 sq ft of 2 cm thick granite would top the scales at appox + - 68,000 lbs or 34 tons,  not including leveling, installation mortar and anti-fracture systems.I would not want to live or walk in the area under a floor like this unless it was properly engineered. It would also take 4 men to lift, skim coat and then set the 5' x 5' sections onto a setting bed. and then manipulate the slab to level as neccessary.  Lightweight Concrete must also have a wirelath base to help hold it together as well as a high "PSI" formulation. There are many more questions because you have given very little to go on. Armen Tavy

your only other option is to undercut the baseboards. This is a simple job done with the right tool. Fein Multimasteer or a Dremel Multimaster. The Fein is the original and heavier duty and the Dremel is new and costs 1/3 the price of the Fein. They both work the same and have basically the same attchements. The one you need comes with the tool and it is a wood undercut blade. you use a flat wood block the that is thick enough that is placed against the baseboard and the tools blade is placed flat on the block and pushed into the baseboard,at a 45 to 60 degree angle, cutting it quickly. Move the block along as you cut and you can do the job in no time.It will save you hours of work and re-painting. The Fein can be found on line at www.contractorsdirect.com or the Dremel is sold in all the Lowe's Stores at about $99. When making the block, gauge it so you allow for your underlayment, if any,  and thin-set mortar. You wont be sorry with this tip. Armen Tavy

I will preface my answer with the assumption that the grout used was a cement grout and not beyond its expiration date and it was properly stored and properly dry-mixed (boxed) before the correct amount of potable water was added to achieve a thick creamy consistency that was thicker than "ketchup"; the mixture was thoroughly mixed by hand with a margin trowel or a slow speed electric drill with a paddle that does not introduce excess air into the mix for at least 2 minutes and allowed to "slake" (sit un-touched) for ten and then re-mixed without adding any more water.

I will also assume that the mix was spread properly and allowed to set long enough in the joints (plus or minus twenty minutes depending on the temperature and humidity of the room) before it was washed with a Hydra-Sponge that had about 80 % of the water squeezed out of it before it was used to wash the grout using single diagonal strokes. All that remains now that might be "culpable" is the quality of the installation, which includes the minimal amount of "deflection" of the tiled substrate that I will also assume was "tile-able" by industry standards. 

If all that I have assumed is true then all that is left is "OE" or "Operator Error", which is usually the case. Miss Sue, I don't mean to be un-kind by assuming it was your mistakes that caused your problem, rather then the product, but 98 times out of a hundred, that is the case. The "red flag" here is the failure of both sanded and un-sanded grouts. Please Review all that I have said, then give me additional information so I can stop assuming and arrive at a just conclusion to resolve your problem. Armen Tavy

I would have stopped him as well. The fear here is that the mortar trowel lines may be visable thru some truly transparent glass tiles. the simpler solution is to knock down the high ridges of mortar slightly with a flat edge of a trowel so the lines are not visible when the mosaic sheets are installed. Armen Tavy

Not to knock another man's product not knowing anything about it, but the word "gypsum" in its makeup scares us. I will try to find the time to review comments about it, but until then I have to admit that I am uncertain. Armen Tavy

"Needle in a haystack". Pretty and probably glass. Glass tiles are beautiful and they are "bombarding" our industry today and with it comes the installations that fail because of the unfamilularity with installation techniques required to install many of them. Armen Tavy

As far as I know, "Mid-State" was the only company that made this unusual size tile and they have been gone for some time now. I welcome input from others on this question. Armen Tavy

A couple of dozen tiles to repair rises a red flag. Twelve plus 12 can beget 12 more and so on. What is the problem, and if one exists don't repair something that is destined to fail. Give me more details to go on and I may be able to save you a lot of money and grief. In any case, the "Word is Out" and one of our many forum visitors may read your plight and come to your aid. Armen Tavy 

A single piece, as you are describing, can be fabricated in any marble shop. Many faux marble panels are made to replicate existing stone and a close match is possible. If you can sketch, make a drawing of the piece with measurements and take it to a shop to get a quote. It should be affordable, and a photo is essential.

You could also research a matching marble in a retail store and with one 12" tile you could cut 6 individual pieces; a top piece that is horizontal, and another vertical piece under it, with the factory side exposed. This vertical piece would be as thick as the tile on the deck and this can be accomplished by a “wet saw cut" or by grinding with a dry "diamond" blade. The front leading edge of the top stone can be bull-nosed or left square and polished (I would have to instruct you how). E-mail me a photo or two: spacerman@tavytools.com with a return address. I will make a sketch of my idea so you can better understand it. I would need a height dimension from the top of the "deck" tile to whatever surface you intend to terminate the overlap tile, include the exact length of the span. How about making a long narrow shampoo shelf to conceal the tiles? Even a seat. Another option is to locate a Cultured Marble Shop in your area and have them make a matching faux piece to fit over the deck tiles. I can't think of a place to send you online. Creativity is a natural born trait we have, so be creative!! Armen Tavy

Guess what? I bought the same tile and had some left over. I will check to see if the box is intact over the weekend, since it is at another residence I own. How much are you short? I just checked my unit and found that I have 3 sheets extra. Would consider selling 2. The name on the box is " Style Collection" 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" white octagon with black dots. Item # 7886, bar code # 6 940133 300025 (for single sheets) The distributor is in Clarksville TN.

Florim USA - Clarksville - TN

I hope this helps you, Armen Tavy

Call Dave at "Homax" Friday. If anyone has a product, it is "they". Dave Glen (pacific time zone) 360-733-9029 ext 1062, in Bellingham WA. If Dave is not there, ask for Sue or Donald.  Thet will be sure to ask you what the finish is on the wood floor. Poly-Urethane or a wax stain. The latter is easy to repair with stain and wax, and the first may take a professional floor finisher because removing the epoxy residue with any solvent will surely lift the hard finish on the wood as well.  I hope you have liability insurance, as you should, because it would make it simpler to call in a professional.  "Acetone" is a solvent for "fresh" epoxy, and since this is only residue from careless "feet", it may be thin enough to remove if you act quickly. Armen Tavy

If I was not retired and you could afford me, I could hand make any size of both with marble tiles. the end products were "beautiful" and unmatched in quality and looks by any store bought fixtures. 10 years ago you could have forced me out of retirement.  

Have you looked into Chrome or Brass metal fixtures? Some of them are quite large. "HalMax" is one brand I remember. A clever person could frame/outline your "holes" with ceramic or marble tiles and then install the fixtures. A cabinet maker or finish carpenter could do the same with wood.

Are there any takers out there? But, you have not told us what city or town you live in. There are many talented people in this field looking for extra work these days and one of them may browse this site tonight, and you could get "lucky". Give us more info here or use me as a "go-between" at: spacerman@tavytools.com   Armen Tavy

Wow! Now about 30 years ago I could probably do it in one day with a helper? The probably is in the equation because there is an unknown as to how the Backerboards were fastened and if they were cemented down as they should have been. A Makita Power Scrapper, although  the best small tool I know, is probably to small if you are concerned about "time", as is inferred by your question, in which case a Super heavy duty "Hilti" Brand Power Scrapper/Chisel could tear up that floor in a heartbeat, nails screws and anything else in its way. It would probably take longer to carry out all the debris. Two good men to demo and two "bulls" to carry the trash out = one day if everyone worked as a "team". Two the most, if you cannot "whip" the "team". Armen Tavy

There are many instances when "bond breakers" are present on the back of the tiles. Many tiles have "mold" release agent residue and "factory dust"on their backs. One good test is to rub the palm of your hand briskly on the back of a tile to see if any residue come off the tiles. If it does, those tiles should be "washed". Other times Mortar used to set the tiles may be beyond their expiration date of One Year Shelf Life and a few months after that in your home.

If there are "Lumps" of hardend cement in mortar bag/s, that is also a warning to "dump it" and buy new. Improper mortar mixing techniques can also cause problems, as will tiling over substrates that literally "Suck" the water out of mortar. Plywood is one as is Hardi-Backer that is not "wet" conditioned first. The "Sucking" of the water can prematurely cause scenarios like yours. Wet conditioning and then skim-coating these surfaces before tiling can help. Always allow the skim-coat to dry and then skim again "to prime and liquify" the surface just before spreading the setting bed. Never spread more mortar then you can tile over in 10 minutes or so. Check the top surface area of the mortar with a finger to see if there is still enough "tack" to allow at least 85% mortar transference to your tiles. 

On occasion, "Pop" a set tile with a screwdriver  to see if you flattened the mortar like a "hamburger press" instead of "setting" the tile. Mortar that was stored in hot, humid, or damp surroundings can also "fail". One (or more) of the latter is the problem but I can't tell which one(s) from Florida. If you are replacing these tiles, do a patch test first. Sorry for your pain, but as you see, there are many important "IFs" when you set tile.  Armen Tavy