Who checks tile bedding on a Qardho floor?

Hollow floor tiles on a Qardho build rarely come from bad tiles. They come from bedding that nobody inspected before the tile was pressed down: mortar mixed by eye, cement dusted dry onto a crumbly bed, or bedding spread so far ahead of the tiler that it had already skinned over. Tile bedding supervision gaps in Qardho show up later as drummy, cracked or loose floors, after the grout has hidden the evidence and the tiler has left.

What do supervision gaps in tile bedding look like on a Qardho site?

The gap usually opens in the hour before the tile goes down, when no one checks the bed. A supervisor may sign the day's work at the end of the shift, after the floor is covered. In between, the mortar can be mixed by shovel count rather than a gauge box, sand can carry silt or salt, and a screed can be laid over dust or loose sand that was never swept or dampened. A second gap is coverage: the tiler may spot-bed the corners and leave the middle of the tile sitting on air. A third is timing. Cement-based bedding starts to set once it loses its sheen; tiles pressed onto a dead bed will not bond, however hard they are beaten. None of this is visible from a doorway. Ask the site supervisor which point on the bed is checked, by whom, and what gets written down. If the answer is a shrug, the gap is real.

How do hollow floor tiles form when the bedding is not checked?

A hollow tile is a tile bonded only at its edges, with the centre resting on a bed that shrank, dried or was never in contact. Cement bedding loses water as it sets; if the mix is too dry, or applied on a thirsty, dusty substrate, it pulls moisture from the paste and the bond never forms. Dry cement sprinkled on top of the bed to stiffen it creates a weak layer that fails in shear. A bed spread too far ahead skins over, and the tiler's beat cannot revive it. Later, traffic, thermal movement and moisture do the rest: the tile drums under a knuckle, a hairline crack opens along the joint, water gets under the edge. None of these defects announce themselves in the first week. That is why the check has to happen while the bed is still open.

How do you close the tile bedding supervision gap?

Put a hold point before the tile goes down, not after. As general practice, confirm the bedding mix and thickness against the project specification or the engineer's instruction, have the substrate swept, dampened and, where the design calls for it, primed, and check that the bed is spread only as far as the tiler can cover before it skins. The tiler and the supervisor should agree a coverage check: lift one tile soon after laying and look at the back. Full contact means the bed is working; bare patches mean it is not. Tap tiles with a light hammer or knuckle before grouting, and record the result. Ask the supplier or the engineer to confirm the mortar and adhesive product suits the tile type and traffic, and keep the bag or delivery note. If the tiles are large or the substrate is uneven, ask what tolerance the specification allows for flatness, and check it with a straightedge before laying starts. Write the checks into the daily report and get the tiler to sign it. In hot, windy or drying conditions, keep the mixed bedding covered and work in manageable areas so the bed stays alive, and confirm working time with the engineer or the supplier for the product in use. That is the supervision that protects the floor.

What to do next

Walk the next floor before grouting and tap every tile within reach. Lift one tile per room and photograph the back. Write the date, the room and the result in the site diary, and ask the tiler to sign it. If a tile sounds hollow, stop laying in that area, re-check the bed and coverage, and raise it with the engineer before the grout goes in.