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Wet room floor tiles wobbling
Hi all, we had a builders firm renovate our bathroom just over 2 years ago, and the floor tiles are beginning to wobble in the shower (we went for a walk in wetroom style shower). I’m really worried it will start leaking through the gaps and end up ruining our newly renovated kitchen, below. There is a wet room shower tray under the tiles, but the wobbling is around where this ends.
At the time of the reno, i said that one concern I have is tiles going wobbly as that happened in our last house and was reassured that wouldn’t happen if done properly, so i went for tiles. Then my partner overheard the subcontracted tiler saying to the builder that the chipboard would have too much flexibility under tiles and they should have used ply. We questioned this with the builder and they reassured us it’s what they always use and they would of course sort it out if there were any issues down the line, which they said was unlikely. Frustratingly I didnt get this in writing, it was a verbal conversation.
Now it’s happening, I’ve contacted the boss at the builders and begrudgingly he eventually came out a couple of months ago, after about 3 months of back and forth. He looked and said he would get the tiler to come and have a look when he was next passing. This hasn’t happened and I’ve been chasing but heard nothing.
What are my rights here? They did the full bathroom renovation so how long would they be liable for if things start to go wrong? Like I said it’s been over 2 years now, but the flooring should surely last longer than that. The tiler has denied that conversation happened re the chipboard (protecting his relationship with the builders I guess) but I can see online that it’s common consensus that chipboard would not be sufficient under tiles.
As a side note, when they were doing it originally, so much went wrong but they did eventually rectify it (including having to get all our cavity wall insulation sucked out due to an extensive leak from the toilet waste pipe into the wall cavity), they had really rubbish subcontractors. Would never use one company for everything again
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8 Replies
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Even ply wood is susceptible to failing now. We use marmox screwed down using washers and silicone in between all joints. I’ve never had a call back
Chip board is a massive no no to tile on
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You have 6 years protection under the Goods and Services Act in the UK. Look on Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert for some advice / templates.
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So sorry to hear, this is a common scenario and I agree chipboard is highly absorbent too so if there is water getting in, it could get worse quickly. I agree with plywood entirely in these scenarios much denser, higher quality. It is so hard for homeowners to feel they have to battle everything when they employ someone to do a proper job.
This is also a classic case where costs get by the builder who didn’t want to pay for plywood knowing that long term when it causes problems they won’t be liable.
Having all your cavity wall insulation sucked out is really concerning and did you say they replaced it?
Even though the renovation was completed over two years ago, you still have rights under consumer protection laws. In the UK, for example, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that services (like building work) must be performed with reasonable care and skill. If the work is not up to standard, you may be entitled to repairs or compensation.
Put everything in writing, timelines and document everything, write a letter, cite your consumer rights, You can also reference that chipboard under tiles in a wet area is generally not considered adequate, as backed by industry standards. It may be worth getting an independent builder or surveyor to assess the situation. If they agree that the work was substandard, you can use their report as evidence if the matter escalates.
If the builder continues to ignore you, you can report them to Trading Standards. This could spur them into action.
As a last resort, you can take legal action through the small claims court for the cost of repair or rectification.
If you can, avoid using the shower until it’s repaired to prevent any potential leaks and damage to your kitchen below. You may need someone to do a temporary patch or seal the affected areas to mitigate any immediate risk of water damage.
It’s definitely worth pushing this with the builder as the floor tiling should not fail after only two years, especially in such a crucial area like a wetroom. If they continue to be unresponsive, this will strengthen your case if it comes to that.
Hope that helps? x
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This happened to our wet room when we started our kitchen Reno. The movement caused the grout to crack and went straight through the kitchen ceiling. We got a quick fix shower tray (until we redo the bathroom as a whole) but we have been recommended a shower tray going forward as apparently wet rooms in these old houses that aren’t ground level aren’t a great idea long term.
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It’s so disappointing how builders try and persuade us to go for cheaper/easier alternatives because it suits them/their timescales. And they’ll say anything to get us there. One of our builders basically lied at one point, but after some serious googling by us, we managed to get the right solution. But why does it have to be this way?? So frustrating and totally feel for you..
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Tiles upstairs on wood floors would always be a no no for me, no matter how good your sub floor is there will be movement. Chipboard is designed to slot together to give a seamless floor but under tiles not a great idea.
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Our bathroom renovators used cement board. That was three years ago and so far so good. The previous subfloor was plywood and it leaked over time right through to the room below and brought the ceiling down.
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They never look as nice as all tiles but shower trays are definitely a better option as ultimately there’s less space for water to get through!
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