Is there an inspection standard for acceptable floor tile lippage? I have read conflicting reports that it is 1/32", but I believe that was based on manufacturer standard.
I’m looking at floors that have equal to or nearly 1/8" of lippage.
Improper installation methods (installing elongated tile on a non-uniform (wavy) surface) can lead to an excessively high tile edge profile. The sub-floor should have been leveled prior to installing the tile.
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What kind of tile is that you are talking about?
Acceptability is up to the buyer, not the inspector. Report the condition so that the buyer can make an informed decision.
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If you’re asking about safety then:
"Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), trip hazards are defined as a change in any vertical level over 1/4″
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Ceramic Floor Tile 8" x 48" Plank
Needs to be called out as a defective installation.
Substrate Requirements
• Wood framed and concrete surfaces that will be tiled shall be in conformance with the TCNA guidelines and International Building Code (IRC) for residential applications. • Maximum allowable variation is 1/8" in 10’, with no more than a 1/16" variation in 24". • Grind down high spots in concrete, and sand down high spots in plywood. Plywood seams should be flat and level.
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Hi Marcel,
As the floor is tiled it would not be possible to determine if the subfloor is level. However using an altimeter (ZipLevel Pro 2000) on the tile across the home the measurements range from -.3 to +.2. Image included.
The issue I’m hoping to understand is the allowed lippage of the floor tile.
It varies as Stephen and Marcel pointed out.
But you can call out a potential trip hazard, after all they hired you for your opinion.
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[quote=“awalgrave, post:9, topic:164397”]
As the floor is tiled it would not be possible to determine if the subfloor is level. However using an altimeter (ZipLevel Pro 2000) on the tile across the home the measurements range from -.3 to +.2. Image included.
The issue I’m hoping to understand is the allowed lippage of the floor tile.
[/quote]More on the subject here for you;
The ANSI A108. 02 standards say that acceptable lippage for floor tiles with a grout joint width of 1/16" to less than 1/4" is 1/32" plus the allowable inherent warpage of the tile . If the grout joint width is 1/4" or greater, then the allowable warpage is 1/16" plus the allowable inherent warpage of the tile .
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