# Cracks in tile and backer board



## Mltileguy (Jan 1, 2018)

Hi , I completed a large Tiled shower in the fall of 2016. The shower has 9' tall ceilings and is approximately 8' long by 4 and a half ft wide. I used 1 5/8" hardi screws as always and staggered the 3'x5' sheets of 1/2" Jet backboard to the studs. Spacing my screws no more than 8"" apart. Then took good quality meshed tape and tapped all inside and outside and field seams with thiset. All screw heads were filled as well. Then after drying I coated all surfaces with a couple coats of Hydro Ban. And then tiled all the walls, bench ect. About 3 to 4 months I get a call from the home owner and she says she says she has some cracking that needs to be fixed. I let here kbow that i would look at my calendar and put a time that is good for her on it. Im think ing in my head that some settling occurred and or shrinking so not a big deal. She sends a pic of a tile with a crack down thw centerish if the tile. I was stumped. 
I go up to look at and total intentions to take care of the problem. I notice the tile has cracked through the actual tile ( not grout joint ) starting at the 9' ceiling down to about 1' above thw pan. Its happened at about every 16" .so I at this point very concerned and let homeowner know im going to have to order more tile because I need to pull the cracked tile off to see what can be causing the cracking. So being that the job is about 2 and a half hours out of town one way. I told her i need to get my ducks in a row and get the new tile so I'll have to put you on my schedule at the another date once the tile comes in. So of course this is have going on while I am very busy and have a full schedule.
I've been a tile Setter for approximately 24 years . I learned from my dad who was a tile Setter for 38 years. I have had my license since 03 and work with various Builder's tile shops directly with homeowners Word of Mouth exedra. It's typical that I work with builders that request me back over and over to do their projects because they like the quality and detail I take in my work from prep to finish. Anyway that's a little bit about me. I do lots of showers per year anywhere from 30 plus. So back to this problem at hand I went up there because of naturally being concerned and always conscientious about my work in my clients to see what the problem was fix it. When I saw the cracks I was dumbfounded couldn't understand so my second time up after receiving the new tile I proceeded to tear off tile and noticed of course that chiseling with a hammer and a cold chisel was very difficult the tile bonded really well I did use the spotting method because the framing wasn't that great. So as I was cleaning off and kind of dissecting the wall I noticed that some of my areas where I had seen taped and then waterproof / anti fracture with the hydro ban that I seen the hairline cracks going actually through the backer board and the seam s that had been tapped but vertically only and then telegraphing through the tile.
Question Anyone Ever Seen This Happen? 
I am stumped. Please help. Thanks


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

Use the right mesh tape???
Does Jet have a warranty??


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Major framing issues?


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Was some one banging on the wall on the other side? Other remodeling in the home? 

Earthquake? Fracking?


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Are the owners large and... frisky?


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

paragraphs are your friend

I get dizzy reading your post


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

What product is the tile? 

Should have shimmed/straightened the framing prior to installing the backer. 

I do not and never will use the dot method. It leaves voids and makes the tile subject to easy damage. 

Tom


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## goneelkn (Jan 9, 2010)

tjbnwi said:


> I do not and never will use the dot method. It leaves voids and makes the tile subject to easy damage.
> 
> Tom


Missed that part!!!


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## claycarson (Apr 2, 2017)

Sounds more like a framing issue. What was the stability of the studs? Pressure treated or regular? 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk


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## Mltileguy (Jan 1, 2018)

Yes. I used the grey tape. The tile and backer board didn't crack at horizontal seems or anywhere horizontally. It did crack vertically through backer board seems where a stud is behind and continued throu the next sheet and tile .


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## Mltileguy (Jan 1, 2018)

Yes I used the grey backer board tape. Still waiting for the response on the warranties regarding the Jet.


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## Mltileguy (Jan 1, 2018)

Hahaha ! Actually brutally petite ! Lol


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

I agree with others, if the backer-board, tape, screws etc were installed per manufacturer spec's, and if prior to backer-board installation there was a problem with the studs to accept the backerboard you have to make it good on it...

If after tile installation, there was some sort of a structural movement/failure that causes a vertical crack, it shouldn't be on you, because of materials like tiles or backer-boards even when installed per manufacturer specs they are not intended to withstand any structural failures within the structure.

I would investigate further after everything is removed and see if there was any settlement below and try to pinpoint an issue because if it happens again, you will be back where you started at.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

My first thoughts were some kind of shear wall or lack of shear wall deflection.


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## RichVT (Feb 28, 2009)

"I did use the spotting method because *the framing wasn't that great*."

Jet's installation instructions:

Use a minimum of 2" x 4" wood studs or 20-gauge metal studs, *which must be straight, properly aligned *and spaced a
maximum of 16" on center.

Jet Warranty:

... *when properly installed ... according to Jet’s published installation
instructions. *

Don't get your hopes up with their warranty.:no:


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

RichVT said:


> "I did use the spotting method because *the framing wasn't that great*."
> 
> Jet's installation instructions:
> 
> ...



That was my thought:

What made the "framing not so great"??


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

The dot method is not an approved method of tile installation and does not achieve the recommended 95% in a wet area. You need to rip out and replace.


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## Anderson (Sep 7, 2009)

Sounds like your screwed for using DOt method, curious if you checked the sheetrock on opposite side to see it there were a lot of screw pops.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

I don't believe the dot method is why it failed.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Golden view said:


> I don't believe the dot method is why it failed.


Regardless it's wrong and not up to industry standards. If you don't install the tile properly, you haven't a leg to stand on. He is still liable for the improper installation. All a lawyer would have to do is pull out the TCNA handbook and he's toast.


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