Age and type of house
Quarry tiles on an Edwardian porch sound hollow and the porch floor is timber. What decay under the tiles is unconfirmed?
Decay in the timber under those quarry tiles is unconfirmed. The tiles sound hollow and the porch floor is timber, so a void or a loose bed may sit over boards or joists, which is where wet rot can hide. Hollow sound is not a view of the timber and not a diagnosis. The survey has heard the tiles and noted the timber floor. It has not lifted a tile, has not seen the boards beneath, and has not confirmed decay. The timber may be wet, dry, or already softened. This inspection has not chosen.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Quarry tiles on a timber porch are a heavy finish on a floor that was often not built as a wet room. Hollow tapping means the tile is not continuously stuck, or the bed has left the board. Either way the survey stops at the tile. Fungal decay and wet rot need timber that is damp and that someone can see or probe. The surveyor did not probe through the tiles and should not be read as having done so.
If the porch floor matters, a carpenter or a timber specialist needs a proper look under the tiles, not a guess from the doorstep. Tell the solicitor the decay is unconfirmed. Do not accept a seller's offer to regrout the tiles as if grout answered the timber. Grout fills joints. It does not show the boards. The report has left the decay as unconfirmed on purpose.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where did the quarry tiles sound hollow on the timber porch floor?
- Did you lift any tile or see any board beneath?
- Are you leaving timber decay unconfirmed rather than diagnosed?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat decay under the hollow quarry tiles as unconfirmed.
- Do not read a hollow sound as a proved rot.
- Ask for the tiles to be lifted if the porch timber must be seen.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the tiles are cracked, is the timber decay then confirmed?
No. A crack is a tile defect. It still does not show the timber under the floor. The porch floor is timber and the tiles sound hollow, but decay in that timber stays unconfirmed until someone sees it. The survey has not.
Can a dry porch step rule out wet rot below the tiles?
No. The step is not the boards under the hollow tiles. Wet rot needs the timber itself to be understood. A dry step on the day does not confirm or deny decay the survey could not see. The hollow tiles are the floor in question, not the step.