We’re less than three weeks into 2018 and already, 700 cases of dislodged tiles have been reported so far this year. But before your jaw drops, the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which released the numbers yesterday, said that this is actually “consistent with the experience of previous years” where such cases are increasingly seen during colder months. And indeed it a was a very cold half of the month (but not anymore, sadly).
About half of the cases involved tiles installed by flat owners, while the rest were done by HDB.
“Dislodgement of tiles occurs due to natural deterioration and differential thermal expansion or contraction of the tiles, which results in a loss of adhesion between the tiles and the screed surface over time,” HDB explained. “Significant changes in temperature can also cause more stress to be built up beneath the tiles and contribute to the loss of adhesion.”
Last year, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said that HDB receives about 2,000 cases of dislodged floor tiles each year for the past two years, The Straits Times noted. That comes out to a yearly average of about two cases per 1,000 dwelling units, TODAY said.
In the first half of January, HDB residents in neighborhoods like Jurong West, Bukit Panjang, Woodlands, and Punggol have taken to social media to air their grievances about their cracked floor tiles.
The good news is, homeowners with tiles laid by HDB can receive goodwill repairs for dislodged tiles for up to 15 years, which exceeds the industry standard of a one-year defect liability period. Unfortunately, as for flats older than 15 years, HDB only conducts inspections, removes, and disposes of the damaged tiles. It can also offer homeowners a list of registered repair contractors, but they’ll have to pay for the replacement of tiles — which can be rather costly — out of their own pocket.
