| During the useful life of any tile floor, | | | | hammering on the tile. Lay the tile on a firm |
| tiles will loosen and have to be repaired. | | | | surface such as a workbench, and take your |
| The level of difficulty of this type of | | | | time. One heavy handed blow from the hammer |
| repair is about a 3 on a scale of one to ten; | | | | and your tile will crack. You do not have to |
| one being the easiest and ten being the | | | | be as careful with removing the thin set from |
| hardest. This type of repair is costly when | | | | the sub floor. Remove enough so that the face |
| contracted out. Certainly within the skill | | | | of the tile, when placed back in its original |
| level of most homeowners and given the proper | | | | location, is below the plane of the floor |
| instruction, it can easily be done over a | | | | surface by approximately 3/16 of an inch. |
| weekend. Let me give you a brief overview of | | | | |
| how to fix a loose floor tile and save | | | | With the tile and floor free of any old thin |
| yourself an unnecessary labor charge from a | | | | set, it is now time to place the tile back in |
| general contractor. | | | | place. When mixing the new thin set, |
| | | | carefully follow the manufacturer's |
| First, you will need a few simple tools, | | | | specifications. The substance should have the |
| which should include eye protection, gloves, | | | | same consistency of peanut butter when |
| broom, dust pan or shop vacuum, hammer, | | | | properly mixed. It should easily adhere to |
| masonry chisel, small taping knife, bucket, | | | | your fingertips and stick to them when you |
| grout that matches the original, grout | | | | touch it. Using the taping knife, apply thin |
| sponge, and a high quality thin set. The thin | | | | set to the back of the floor tile and the |
| set should be of a modified nature, meaning | | | | face of the sub floor. When properly done, |
| that latex based additives have been mixed | | | | the thin set should exactly make up the gap |
| into it during manufacture. These additives | | | | between the sub floor and the tile, allowing |
| allow the thin set to cure quicker and have a | | | | the face of the tile to lie in the same plane |
| more resilient bond with the floor. It's good | | | | as the floor. Again, following the |
| to have a spare tile or two just in case you | | | | manufacturer's specifications, allow the thin |
| accidentally crack the loose tile during the | | | | set to cure. From my experience, overnight |
| repair process. | | | | will usually be enough. |
| | | | |
| The hardest part of the entire process is | | | | The last step is to reapply grout around your |
| getting the loose tile off the floor. Even | | | | newly placed tile. As always, follow the |
| though the tile is not adhered to the sub | | | | instructions recommended by the manufacturer. |
| floor any longer, it still will want to stay | | | | Using the taping knife, fill the space |
| in place. The irregularities between the | | | | between the tiles with grout and wipe the |
| tile's edges and the grout against them need | | | | excess away with the grout sponge. The sponge |
| to be removed. With your safety glasses in | | | | should be wet, but not too wet. Novice tile |
| place, use the hammer and chisel and gently | | | | setters tend to use a sponge that has too |
| remove the grout around the loose tile. It is | | | | much water in it. Too much water allows the |
| important to use gentle, downward blows with | | | | sponge to remove an excessive amount pigment |
| your hammer. You may not be Michelangelo | | | | from the grout. The grout will then take on a |
| carving David, but you still need to be | | | | whitish color that doesn't match the existing |
| delicate. Be deliberate and remove all the | | | | grout color well. Wringing out the sponge as |
| grout from all 4 sides of the loose tile. The | | | | hard as you can you will be fine. An advanced |
| grout should be completely removed until you | | | | technique is to feather the new grout over |
| expose the edges of the 4 adjoining floor | | | | the old. This allows the colors to blend and |
| tiles. Once the grout has been removed the | | | | won't be as noticeable. |
| tile should easily come up by hand. If this | | | | |
| does not happen, gently pry the tile off the | | | | In conclusion, be diligent in cleaning the |
| floor using the chisel. Make sure you protect | | | | floor tile and sub floor of old thin set. Do |
| the edges of the good tiles still on the | | | | your best to get the tile back in the same |
| floor. | | | | plane of the floor. Grout with care and |
| | | | feather the new grout over the old grout. If |
| Now that the tile has been removed from the | | | | you follow these instructions to the best of |
| floor, you will need to remove the thin set | | | | you ability, you will have a completed repair |
| from both the tile and the floor. Using the | | | | equal to, if not better than, any contractor |
| hammer and chisel remove all the old thin set | | | | could have done for you. |
| from the back of the tile. Be careful with | | | | |