The tap test
Find the hollow tiles before anything goes over them.
Illustration
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Ben · AI
Tap. Listen. A hollow sound means trouble. Mark it with tape.
At home, for real
Tap each tile, the middle and the corners, with a coin or the handle of a screwdriver. Most will sound solid. Put masking tape on any that sound hollow, and show them to whoever quotes. Loose tiles get fixed before anything is laid over them.
- A tiling quality check: no hollow sound when tapped with a tapping rod. BCA, Good Industry Practices: Ceramic Tiling (3rd edition) · 2018
- Before laying rigid core vinyl over tiles: fix any loose tiles. Karndean, 2G Rigid Core installation guidelines (Australia and New Zealand) · Aug 2023
Sources
BCA, Good Industry Practices: Ceramic Tiling (3rd edition) · 2018
- A tiling quality check: no hollow sound when tapped with a tapping rod.
Karndean, 2G Rigid Core installation guidelines (Australia and New Zealand) · Aug 2023
- Before laying rigid core vinyl over tiles: fix any loose tiles.