Damage or detachment of tiles from the floor during use is not uncommon. Many people mistakenly think that this problem is too serious and requires a complete replacement of the coating. In fact, everything is much easier – a damaged element can be removed without any problems and replaced with a new one. The main thing is to know how and with what you can do it. Our experts tell you.
Causes of breakage of the coating
Peeling of floor tiles – a fairly common phenomenon, which often occurs due to failure to follow the technology of installation of such material. Sometimes there is a lag of several or even one element, which is associated with a significant load on a particular area of the coating. To correct the problem competently,It is necessary to have a proper understanding of its causes:
The glue composition of poor quality– if the tile shakes when walking on it and the glue has been applied to the entire surface, this indicates a problem with the glue. Perhaps the product was of improper quality (low-grade, expired), or the composition was incorrectly selected. For example, glue mastic can not be used to install tiles near areas with temperature differences (chimney), because it will harden, and simply will not hold the coating.
Voids– Occur if the element is not firmly fixed to the floor. If the tile is held too loosely in place for too long, it can come loose. Before installing a tile, you need to cover more than 85% of its surface with glue, otherwise it will soon detach from the floor.
A poorly prepared base– If the tile element lags behind from the work base along with the adhesive, the problem is not enough quality sanded surface, which could not provide sufficient adhesion to the adhesive.
Fast drying mixture– if the tiles came off the floor with the glue, but the work surface has been properly prepared, the problem may be in the floor levelling compound (if such was used). The fact is that quite often in the composition of such products include polymers, reducing the quality of adhesion of the floor with cement-based glue. In this case, it is necessary to use a composition on a different basis.
ingress of moisture– this option is possible with illiterate used grout or poorly dried surface before laying the finishing material.
Replacement technology
To replace a damaged or loose element, you need to prepare a number of tools, glue, a new element and grout. The replacement process itself is not complicated, but will require a fair amount of diligence and care.
Preparation of tools and materials
The choice of the appropriate tool depends directly on the type of work surface on which the finishing coating was laid. The following tools are appropriate for concrete/brick base and tile adhesive:
hammer;
trowel or flat screwdriver;
A scraper (to clean the seams);
Electric drill;
Warm water and kitchen sponge.
For a floor that was leveled with a cement screed, and the tiles were attached to it with cement glue, you should prepare slightly different tools:
impact screwdriver;
stone disc;
hammer of a large size;
warm water and a rag.
Process of tile removal
The technology of removing a damaged and whole tile is a little bit different. Let’s consider both variants. The first – how to replace a damaged one:
Remove grout. The first thing to do is to clean the area around the damaged element. But first, to protect the neighboring elements, glue a protective tape to their edges. Use a lukewarm pillow and a sponge to remove the grout. Abundantly moisten the latter with water and thoroughly rinse the joints until they become loose. Then carefully remove the remains with a scraper.
Tile Removal.Draw diagonals on it, using a pencil/plaster. Mark a row of holes with the punch along the marked diagonals. Carefully drill holes in the tile element, using a drill on low speed. Use a chisel and hammer to create a solid line out of the holes. Now you can tear off the damaged element little by little moving from the center to the edge.
Clean the surface from the adhesive. This is an important step, because a surface that is not properly cleaned from the old adhesive will not ensure a good bond with the new tile. Use a metal trowel to remove old glue.
Apply the adhesive. Choosing the right tile adhesive is an important step. For small tile elements in the kitchen/bath it is better to use water-soluble cement adhesive. For large format, as well as the surface with an installed “warm floor” system, more “powerful” compositions (such as two-component epoxy fillers) are preferred. Once you have chosen the adhesive, you can begin applying it. The appropriate amount of product is applied based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
Fixing the tiles. Before placing the tile element on the prepared surface, you need to soak it in water for a few minutes. This will help improve adhesion to the surface. Take the item out of the water and press firmly against the surface. It is better to apply the grout not earlier than 24 hours after working with tiles. Use a special rubberized trowel for this purpose.
Removing the whole bar for further use is a different pattern:
Preparatory step. Use warm water and a sponge to loosen the seams thoroughly. Remove remains of grout carefully with a scraper or screwdriver. If the composition is cement-based, you will have to use a turbine – very carefully cut the joints all the way to the floor. Rinse the work surface thoroughly with water after this process.
Removing the tile element. Using a wide chisel and a small hammer, carefully knock the finishing element along the contour. Try to pry the tiles so that you can remove them. When the impact sound becomes deaf – this is an indication that the tiles can safely separate. Use a spatula for this purpose.
Remove the adhesive. If the trowel to remove residual glue, cement and other building compositions will not be enough, you will have to resort to special means. These can be acid-based products (to remove glue), as well as cement-dissolving compounds. Also suitable grinder with an attachment in the form of a steel round brush.
The process of laying new tiles(or the same cleaned one) on a carefully prepared surface is identical to the technique described in the previous case.
