Flooring Tile - MOVING FRIG OVER NEW INSTALLED 12 x 12

Help I am installing 12 X12 tile floor with pre mixed thin set.
On 1/2 " cement board, I waited 72 hours and moved the frig onto tiles
I put down towels and 1/4 board to slide he frig over to it"s resting place
and as I push it into it Place I broke 4 tiles I was told that I would have to put the frig on a 1/2" board to spread out the weight for about 2-3 weeks .
I used 1/4 in troul and I buttered the back of the tile , I was told I used to much thin set Thank in advance : :)

The premixed thinset is your problem. In a word it is garbage. That stuff will stay wet for a long time under the tile and you will soon see other cracks appearing. Your best bet is to take up the tile, clean them off, salvage what you can, clean the floor and get modified thinset in a bag to reset your tile. For the life of me I dont understand why those stores will sell that junk you used. It is a quick and dirty shortcut where there should be no shortcuts.

While we're at it, what was your subfloor? Did you use cement board and did you put this "bucket o failure" product under it? What is your subfloor make up and joist size spacing and spans? Bob is entirely right that the wet mastic could not support the point loads on the tile from the fridge, but accentated by excessive deflection could make the tile's future just as bad.

The floor is 3/4 ply with 1/4 loun and I put 1/2 '' dura rock cement board
with dura rock screws 1 5/8 every 6 -8 '' apart joices are 18 '' the plywood
is also glued

any idea how long it might take to set up. I am not looking to rip up because it is still wet .When it does set up I it should take the weight? I under stand that the weight was to much for tiles being wet and all the weight was on the wheels and transfered to one spot. I was going to put 2 1/4 " pieces of ply wood stagering each other so thrtr is a gradual lift and let it stay there for a week or longer while I work on other stuff
thanks in advance

Since you are not going to get paid to take up the tile may I agree with what you have been told. Support under the fidge to distribute the weight. Fix the broken tiles now,lay down a long straightedge to see if any of the remaining unbroken tiles are low[fix them] and maybe lay down some plywood to walk on for a while. How long till it hardens? However long it takes. Who knows. Don't know if you should grout now or later, if you haven't already.

There has to be at least a chance that what you have will not be too big a problem maybe no problem at all. Although ripping it all up is the best option if you knew it would a problem in the future, it is simply too much work for a problem that may not happen. Getting the "sanded mastic" out of the duroc will be almost impossible imo and may in fact interfere with the real thinset bonding. I would rather 'maybe'fix a few tiles than to redo the whole thing.

If you used a 1/4 " trowel on the floor and also on the tile both on a 45 degree angle I don't think that was too much adhesive for a 12" tile. If you were told that by the guy who sold it to you he may be trying to cover his a$$ for selling you something inappropriate, especially if you waited the appropriate amount of time If it was the depot I would show them a tile I took up and a picture of the floor and if it was deemed to be non-exessive I would be looking for some answers.

P.S. get plenty of extra tile now!!!!!!!!!! and no chicks with high heels for a while.

Thanks JONEQ you make me feel a bit better

Where did you buy the tile? Are they willing to make good on their bad advice?
If it is already grouted it will be wet under there for a good long time.

Thats right, Daniel, and if its porcelain tile theres no telling how long it will take to dry.

Really, I would call the dealer and ask if they make it a practice to give bad advice and sell (or oversell) the wrong products. I'd actually try to make THEM replace the floor, material labor and all.

The floor is not grouted,I purchached from the depo, they said to use the mix I was told by two friends that they used the pre mix thinset and it was good for them. this is my home it is not a job. I was goingto give it about 10 days then move the frig into it spot on 2 1/4" pieces of plywood. I konw they did not suggest bying it buy why do they sell it. I do not know if I have a tile to stand on :wall: :wall: Any Ideas????

Hay tilebri it did not turn into a bucket of failure. turned out fine it just took more time to set up . :eek: thanks to the rest of the members :blah:

FOUR BROKEN TILES IS A FAILURE!!! Your post cannot be construed as anything else but an attack on me, especially since you singled out my comment and thanked the others. :mad: :mad: :mad: A failure does not mean the whole floor goes bad, it can mean a particular area becomes problematic, even with something as little as a recurring crack in the grout is a failure. There are several mistakes in your installation, the luan is not approved by any manufacturer of thinsets or backers as an appropriate substrate, No mention of thinset under the Durock, which by the way, the bucket states that it's not for use under backer, and the use of mastic to set tiles on the floor, let alone exceeding the suggested tile size for the use of mastic. THis is not an off topic rant either. If other people research posts, then they need to know that serious mistakes were made with this installation. Mastic will remain wet under a 12" tile up to 6 months and it will be wetter as you get to the center. If you used mastic, continue to use extreme care when moving anything that can exert a significant point load. NO thinset under the backer leaves the backer unsupported, inviting verticle movement. Going west, were you aware that cement boards are not a structural component of the floor? Luan compresses and delaminates inviting verticle movement to the floor. JUst screwing cment board through luan often starts the delamination. You floor will fail for one of a multiple of reasons. No one who reads this thread should think it is an appropriate way to set a tile floor. It might only last a year, it might last 10, but tile is not a temporary floor like carpet or vinyl. When the time comes, Going West, those of us here that find this site and decide to stay and post advice for free in our own free time will continue to be here doing it when it's time to rip it up, when your grout is continually cracking, etc. Had it been properly installed, that would not have been an issue. I the mean time, premicxed thinset is nothing but sanded mastic. Mastic does not have the compressive strentgh needed to support a floor tile. The sand does offer a bit of compressive strength, but it's stilll mastic. It is a "bucket o failure" West's four broken tiles prove it.

And since no one mentioned this ....not a good idea to roll your fridge over an un-grouted tile floor either...even when using the correct thin set. ;)

I'll bet ya that floor is still wet under the tile, this installation has nothing but failure written all over it.:)

Believe me, I hope it lasts, hate to see anyone have to go through the time and expense to redo this, only time will tell.:)

Wait as long as you can possibly stand it to grout the floor.