QLD Standards and Tolerances for ceramic and porcelain tiles
Floor and wall tiling tolerances and standards in accordance with Queensland Regulations
Below is some helpful yet brief information about the different standards and tolerances that exist for floor and wall tiling within Queensland. This information is critical for any new tilers and home owners that have run into a little trouble or have concerns in regards to any defects that may be occurring with their new tiled area.
Floor and wall tiling
Unless documented otherwise, tiling work materials must comply with the AS 3958.1: Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles, AS 3958.2: Ceramic tiles – Guide to the selection of a ceramic tiling system and the manufacturer’s installation instructions for the materials selected.
In renovation, alteration or repair work where new tiles are to be used to match existing tiles, it may be impossible to match the new to existing work. The use of a tile that is slightly different in colour, size, texture etc. is not a defect.
Where non matching tiles have to be used, a joint location such as the aluminium channel of a shower screen, a separating doorway, an intersecting wall, a change in wall direction or similar should be selected to separate the different tiles.
Floor and wall tiling where the contractor supplies the tiles
Where the supply and laying of tiles is by the contractor as part of the building contract, the failure of the tiles, substrate, adhesive or grout is a defect.
Tiles supplied by the contractor are defective if they do not comply with AS ISO 13006 Ceramic tiles – Definitions, classification, characteristics and markings and AS 4459 Methods for sampling and testing ceramic tiles.
Tiles supplied by the contractor are defective if they are not fit for their intended purpose (e.g wall tiles must not be installed on the floor etc.)
Tiles used in wet areas are defective if they exhibit reverse water staining.
Floor and wall tiling where the owner supplies the tiles for laying by contractor
Within 12 months from completion faulty installation of tiles is defective if caused by the contractor’s workmanship.
Any fault in the tiles is the responsibility of the owner – except where faults in the tiles should have been apparent to the contractor at the time of laying.
Cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched, or loose tiles
Within 12 months of completion of the work tiles are defective if they are cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched or loose unless such cracking, pitting, chipping or scratching has been caused by action or inactions of the owner or others outside of the contractor’s control.
Within 6 years and 3 months from the completion of the work, cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched or loose tiles are defective if they allow water penetration into the building, or compromise the health and safety of those who use the building.
Grout
Within 12 months of completion of the work:
Flexible sealants to junctions
Within 12 months of completion of the works, flexible or waterproof sealants to junctions are defective if they are not installed when required by the BCA and AS 3958.1 Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles, or in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer.
Uneven tiling
Within 12 months of completion of works, except where tiles have distortions inherent in the manufacture, tiling is defective if it has joints that are not uniform, of even width, aligned or in the same plane. Large tiles could resent problems when required to fall and drain to a floor outlet and may need to be cut to achieve required falls.
Within the first 12 months after completion of the works, tiling is defective if, when measured with a straightedge, the finished surface is not flat or true within a tolerance of plus or minus 4mm in 2 m from the required plane.
Within the first 12 months, lippage between two adjacent tiles is defective if it exceeds 2mm and for tiles where the surface has been ground flat, e.g polished tiles; tiles are defective if the lippage exceeds 1.5mm, and for joint widths of 3mm or less, 1mm.
Control Joints
Floor tiling is defective if it has not been installed with movement or control joints as required by AS 3958 including at the following locations:
Below is some helpful yet brief information about the different standards and tolerances that exist for floor and wall tiling within Queensland. This information is critical for any new tilers and home owners that have run into a little trouble or have concerns in regards to any defects that may be occurring with their new tiled area.
Floor and wall tiling
Unless documented otherwise, tiling work materials must comply with the AS 3958.1: Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles, AS 3958.2: Ceramic tiles – Guide to the selection of a ceramic tiling system and the manufacturer’s installation instructions for the materials selected.
In renovation, alteration or repair work where new tiles are to be used to match existing tiles, it may be impossible to match the new to existing work. The use of a tile that is slightly different in colour, size, texture etc. is not a defect.
Where non matching tiles have to be used, a joint location such as the aluminium channel of a shower screen, a separating doorway, an intersecting wall, a change in wall direction or similar should be selected to separate the different tiles.
Floor and wall tiling where the contractor supplies the tiles
Where the supply and laying of tiles is by the contractor as part of the building contract, the failure of the tiles, substrate, adhesive or grout is a defect.
Tiles supplied by the contractor are defective if they do not comply with AS ISO 13006 Ceramic tiles – Definitions, classification, characteristics and markings and AS 4459 Methods for sampling and testing ceramic tiles.
Tiles supplied by the contractor are defective if they are not fit for their intended purpose (e.g wall tiles must not be installed on the floor etc.)
Tiles used in wet areas are defective if they exhibit reverse water staining.
Floor and wall tiling where the owner supplies the tiles for laying by contractor
Within 12 months from completion faulty installation of tiles is defective if caused by the contractor’s workmanship.
Any fault in the tiles is the responsibility of the owner – except where faults in the tiles should have been apparent to the contractor at the time of laying.
Cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched, or loose tiles
Within 12 months of completion of the work tiles are defective if they are cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched or loose unless such cracking, pitting, chipping or scratching has been caused by action or inactions of the owner or others outside of the contractor’s control.
Within 6 years and 3 months from the completion of the work, cracked, pitted, chipped, scratched or loose tiles are defective if they allow water penetration into the building, or compromise the health and safety of those who use the building.
Grout
Within 12 months of completion of the work:
- Grouting is defective if it is not installed to the requirements of AS 3958.1 Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles.
- Grout lines are defective if they are not, as far as practicable, of consistent width.
- Finished grout is defective if it is not uniform in colour and is not smooth, without voids, pinholes or low spots and finished to the cushion on cushion edged tiles and flush with square edge tiles, except for tooling in accordance with AS 3958.1 – Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles.
- Grout is defective if it becomes loose or dislodged.
Flexible sealants to junctions
Within 12 months of completion of the works, flexible or waterproof sealants to junctions are defective if they are not installed when required by the BCA and AS 3958.1 Ceramic tiles – Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles, or in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer.
Uneven tiling
Within 12 months of completion of works, except where tiles have distortions inherent in the manufacture, tiling is defective if it has joints that are not uniform, of even width, aligned or in the same plane. Large tiles could resent problems when required to fall and drain to a floor outlet and may need to be cut to achieve required falls.
Within the first 12 months after completion of the works, tiling is defective if, when measured with a straightedge, the finished surface is not flat or true within a tolerance of plus or minus 4mm in 2 m from the required plane.
Within the first 12 months, lippage between two adjacent tiles is defective if it exceeds 2mm and for tiles where the surface has been ground flat, e.g polished tiles; tiles are defective if the lippage exceeds 1.5mm, and for joint widths of 3mm or less, 1mm.
Control Joints
Floor tiling is defective if it has not been installed with movement or control joints as required by AS 3958 including at the following locations:
- Joints located above movement or control joints in the substrate
- Joints that separate the tiled elements from fixed elements such as a column and walls
- Intermediate joints that sub divide large tiled areas into smaller sections:
- In in internal floors not subject to sunlight where any dimension of the floor exceeds 9 m and should be evenly spaced at 4.5m
- In internal floors subjected to sunlight where any dimension exceeds 6m and should be evenly spaced at 4.5 m centers.
- In external floors where any dimension exceeds 4.5 m and should be evenly spaced at 4.5 m centers.
For more information and further assistance with any defective work or services you have received please contact your local QBCC member.
The information on this website is intended to provide general information only on the various goods and services that may be available in the tile industry and at Nerang Tiles. Nothing on this website is intended to provide professional advice or to be relied upon as binding in any dispute, claim, action, demand or proceeding.
Nerang Tiles disclaims all liability of the use of the information contained on this site by any user, including any losses, damages, lawsuits, claims or expenses anyone may occur as a result of using this information. Further, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in no event shall Nerang Tiles be liable for any direct, indirect, special, exemplary, punitive, aggravated, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of this information contained or connected to this website even if it has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Nerang Tiles disclaims all liability of the use of the information contained on this site by any user, including any losses, damages, lawsuits, claims or expenses anyone may occur as a result of using this information. Further, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in no event shall Nerang Tiles be liable for any direct, indirect, special, exemplary, punitive, aggravated, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of this information contained or connected to this website even if it has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
