So, I was in the Military for four years, and among the many adventures and great stories that I could share, this one has the most relevance. While stationed in Fulda, Germany, one of the highlights of the week was having the Brand Spanking new Recruits at the motor pool for the first time. Upon their arrival, the game of “Dink” was on! The rules of the game were simple: The highest ranking of us would instruct the privates to take a hammer and tap every square foot of a Hummer, Howitzer, or whatever so that they could listen for the “weak spots”. He would demonstrate and we would nod in agreement when he would hit one. The Privates were then instructed to circle the spot with a piece of white chalk. Whichever team had the most circles or had the new recruit go for the longest time won. AAhh memories!! So, now that you are wondering when the story will end or what this has to do with technology, real estate, or anything else but my trip down memory lane. Sometimes the best tech devices for finding things are the simplest. 3 out of every 5 homes in America have some kind of tile flooring, be it ceramic, slate, granite, or marble. As Staggering as that is, it pales in comparison when you realize that 5 out of 5 homes were built on land that is shifting to one degree or another. It’s True! So given these facts, here is your Kinsey Group Technology Tidbit for this issue: Go Low. I’m not talking about Boots with the fur, and who the club was looking at. I’m talking low tech. Get a quarter and roll it across the floor. I could tell you to go to a Hardware store and spend the money for the white Hockey puck they sell, but why? Surely, you can find a quarter. It goes a little something like this:
Concentrate on a few tiles at a time
Roll the quarter or slide it if need be
Listen for that “hollow” sound, and you will know when you here it trust me
Mark with a piece of tape or something removable (like more coins)
After the entire room is complete, survey the landscape, How did you do?
If you have, one or two scattered tiles, then put them bad boys on the list of things to fix on a weekend. If you have several in a row or a large section, then it might be time to call the Pros. Hollow sounding tile can be from any one of these 1. improper leveling of the concrete.
2. a moisture problem in the concrete.
3. improper mortar adhesive used.
4. not enough mortar adhesive used.
5. applying the mortar adhesive with an improper trowel.
6. not keeping the trowel clean, so when applying adhesive, an uneven spread is applied.
7. not allowing any leveler applied to the concrete, to properly set up, so it did not properly bond to the mortar adhesive.
8. an improper leveler used that was not compatable with the mortar adhesive.
9. an improper underlayment used.
10. not allowing the mortar adhesive to properly set up either before the tiles were installed, or allowing too much open time for the mortar adhesive to set up resulting in little or no proper bond of that adhesive to the back of the tile.
11. walking on the tiles too soon after the installation and/or moving furniture and/or appliances back on the tiles before the adhesive dried.
12. the humidity factor and/or the temperature of the environment of the installation before, during, and forever after the instalation not being within the ranges indicated in the installation specifications published by the exact manufacturer of the tiles and/or mortar adhesive and/or grout that you purchased.
13. rarely, but a manufacturing problem with the tiles, mortar adhesive, or grout used.
14. placement of heavy furniture and/or appliances in weak areas of the installation causing the flat level of the installa- tion to be compromised.
15. There could be other reasons, however you need to address the issues above and make certain the tiles, mortar adhesive grout, underlayment, and concrete were prepared, handled, and installed EXACTLY as the EXACT tile manufacturer indicates in the published installation specifications that, hopefully, was thoroughly read before anything was done before the tiles, mortar adhesive, underlayment, leveler, grout, supplies, etc., were even brought to your jobsite. If any other work was going on such as paint- ing, electrical work, etc., it should have been done before the flooring project was started, since floor covering MUST be the last trade in on any renovation or construction. Other trades people should NEVER keep walking on freshly installed floors, no matter what type of floor covering you install.
So, take the time and find out if that tile floor you have is nice and secure. Depending on where you live, most tradesman suggest checking the tile 4 times a year. Just like with everything, early detection is always best. If you have more questions, please,PLEASE, find out from the people that deal with it daily, The Kinsey Group at 469-248-7653. You are also more than welcome to email your questions to TheRook@thekinseygroup.net.
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