Deflection. What is it? Need it be checked prior to installation? If so, how is the check performed? Is it the responsibility of the flooring dealer?
In the simplest of terms, floor deflection refers to a floor's change from level caused by live loads (people) or dead loads (refrigerators, stoves, cooking islands, etc.). And why is deflection information important? Mainly because of the increasing use of thin and larger-format ceramic and marble tiles, and the shift from mud-bed installations with a cleavage membrane underneath to thin-bed installations. Deflection problems manifest themselves as cracked tile and grout, and/or tile disbonding.