16 homes in Woodlands suffered “Exploding Tiles Syndrome” on Thursday and Friday (11 & 12 Sept).
(Ed’s note: Ok we made that syndrome up, but the occurrence of cracking floor tiles for HDB-dwellers is becoming increasingly common and so there SHOULD be a term for it.)
This time, the affected residences (at least those we know of) were located in Block 685B and 688 Woodlands St 73.
The flats are about 15 years old.
One resident, 50-year-old Jasmi, who lives on the 2nd floor of Block 685B said that he renovated his house in 2005.
In 2013, 40 of his tiles suddenly cracked.
He said the weather at the time was similar to our present weather – constant rain and low temperatures
Another resident who lives on the 3rd floor, 39-year-old Mr Tan, said his family was sleeping where they heard a loud cracking sound at about 11.30pm on Thursday.
He discovered that 30 tiles in his living room had cracked.
The family moved into their flat just 7 years ago.
Mr Tan informed the authorities about the matter, but was told by the HDB that his flat had passed one year Defect Liability Period and so he had to foot the bill for the repairs himself.
To add insult to injury, the next day at about 2pm another 20 tiles cracked
Mr Tan estimates that he has to pay about $6000 for the repairs.
Besides Woodlands, residents in Jurong West, Punggol and Yishun have vented their frustration about tiles cracking in recent days
This Exploding Tile Syndrome could be due to the recent low temperature, where contraction and expansion lead to tiles cracking.
It could also be caused by flaws during the building or renovation process, or vibrations from nearby construction work.
