How to Prevent Lippage When Laying Floor Tiles

who ever installed it probably didn't use a tile underlay like wonderboard or hardibacker. Also for areas like that you have to get the good thinset mortar like FLEXbond and the other thing too is Saltillo is not very user friendly when it comes to installing if you're not fast because its so porous i literally sucks the moisture from the mortar and there for doesnt bond to ur surface. If the thinset is thick and dry it aint gonna work. ALSO WITH SALTILLO YOU MUST HAVE 100% COVERAGE WITH THE THINSET.. Hollow tiles or no thinset under corners and what not just going to pop up. I butter the floor AND the back side of the tile when doing that type of tile. It's not very flat so there for you must have alot of thinset mortar under each and every tile. good luck. hope this helped. I been doing custom tile for 25 years so i got ya on this. Who ever was the installer lacked some knowledge on Saltillo. Tear it up and get something nicer.

Your not troweling enough glass thinset onto the wall. The thinset should be creamy and troweled evenly most people hold the trowel to flat or use to small of a trowel you also could lightly coat the back do the tile to give it a good mechanical bond

You can get a crack membrane to put over the cracks. First use a primer on the floor, this is a primer just for this application, then put membrane on top of primer. these products can be found at home depot or lowes or any tile store.Also do not use cheep thinset. the better thinset is more flexible and will absorb any movement. The cement board would not work as they will move or flex and cause the grout to crack and tile to loosen

tom