Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on dislodgement of floor tiles in HDB flats

Feb 5, 2018

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development what are the causes of the recent sharp rises in the popping and cracking of floor tiles at some HDB flats and how does HDB assist residents faced with such situations.

Answer:

Tiles, like all fittings, fixtures and finishes in a flat, are subject to wear and tear over time.  They may dislodge due to various reasons, such as differential thermal expansion and contraction of tiles, or the natural deterioration of the bond between the tiles and the screed surface.  All these can cause a loss of adhesion between the tiles and the screed surface, and the dislodgement of tiles.

We observed a higher number of reported dislodged tiles cases in the first half of Jan 2018.  This was likely due to the unusually cold weather over a prolonged period and temperature fluctuations.  The weather changes could have caused the tiles and the substrate to contract and expand at different rates, resulting in the loss of adhesion between the tiles and the substrate.  This phenomenon is not unique to Singapore, and has also occurred in countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.  Among the cases reported in HDB flats, close to half involved tiles installed by the flat owners during their own renovations.

Flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of their own flats, including repairs for general wear and tear.  In private developments, developers generally only rectify dislodged tiles during the 1-year Defect Liability Period (DLP).  Some developers may offer repair for dislodged tiles for a slightly longer period, for example, 3 years, but those are generally done on a goodwill basis.

HDB’s practice has been more generous – besides helping flat owners repair dislodged tiles originally provided by HDB during the 1-year DLP, it also offers goodwill repairs for such dislodged tiles for up to 15 years.

For cases beyond 15 years, flat owners will need to do their own replacement of tiles.  Nonetheless, HDB will do its best to assist, for example by helping the owners with the removal and disposal of the affected tiles and if necessary, laying protective sheets over the affected area.

HDB has also worked with the Renovation Contractors and Materials Suppliers Association (RCMA) to compile a list of contractors whom residents can choose to engage on a private basis.  These are contractors who are able to repair the dislodged tiles at reasonable rates.

Grassroots organisations and Community Development Councils (CDCs) can also make use of existing local schemes to assist the local residents who need financial help.