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I had my kitchen replaced about a year ago, and some of the floor tiles are starting to make a knocking sounds when I walk on them. They seem to be the ones I walk on the most.

The company that did the work said they will come and look, but they find this very unusual, and the problem is likely to be some other issue, such as water damage.

I find this hard to believe as there is no water source near this area. I was wondering if people had any tips on what the issue is likely to be so that I can be prepared for the conversation.

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    Are the tiles rocking? Are they loose? Ceramic tiles have absolutely no give to them at all, as opposed to vinyl or laminate floor coverings. Only thing I can think that would make a noise is if they were loose.
    – SteveSh
    Nov 24, 2021 at 15:46

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The two most likely answers are

  • insufficient mortar coverage on the back of the tile
  • your floors are not rigid enough and the flex allows the tile to debond overtime

TCNA says 1 1/4" of floor thickness for tile but a lot of people just tile right overtop 5/8" standard thickness subfloor. Did they install a decoupling membrane on the subfloor? Did you have tile in the kitchen before?

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  • I believe the tiles were put directly onto a concrete slab floor
    – Dan
    Nov 24, 2021 at 15:06
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    Sounds like mortar coverage issue if this is on a concrete slab.
    – Fresh Codemonger
    Nov 24, 2021 at 17:25

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