Ceramic Tile Repairs: Floor Tile Replacement and Shower Re-grouts

Ceramic Tile Repairs: Floor Tile Replacement and Shower Re-grouts 

By Chris Lawson

Tile repairs are a very specialized service and it can be hard to get tile contractors interested in small, sometimes difficult, detailed repairs. The trick to these repairs is to remove and replace the broken materials without it being obvious that it has been repaired. To complete these repairs and have it not look like an afterthought is a very tricky undertaking.

The first step 

is to remove the grout around the targeted tile so as not to disturb the tiles around it that will not be removed. Grout binds together tiles and gives it solidity and if not removed then action against one tile can affect others. Many times it takes a hammer and a chisel to remove tiles and if the grout is not removed first then the impact can break surrounding tiles as well.

After the grout is removed, the tile to be replaced can be broken from the middle out in 

pieces and removed carefully using the hammer and chisel a little at a time or all at once if the tile is not bonded very well. If it is bonded strongly, then a little at a time is the only way to remove it. After the tile is removed, the task of chipping off the thinset or adhesive is the next step and can be very difficult and time-consuming - as well as creating a mess and a lot of dust! Again, the hammer and chisel will be your best bet unless you have an electric alternative. Once you've removed all the adhesive, you can re-adhere your replacement tile back in place of the one you've removed, wait some time for it to dry, and then re-grout the repaired area with the same color grout as the rest of the area around the repair.

Shower re-grouts are in some ways much easier because you don't have 

to worry about breaking tiles from removal. But scraping and cleaning of the grout and old caulk can be very patience-testing. Any loose grout or caulk has to be removed completely before the new can be applied. The trick to these repairs is getting the new grout to adhere to the old grout. This is generally accomplished by removing enough grout from the area so the new grout has room to stay. Generally you need 1/8 of a inch of new grout on top of the old for it to adhere and not flake out later. Repairs are in some ways much harder than standard installations and in many cases you should get a professional to come out and implement the repair if possible. If you can't seem to gather any interest from any tile guys to do your repair, I will be glad to assist you in any way I can - just give me a call and I'll gladly walk you through it right over the phone!

Laying a Travertine Marble Tile Floor Successfully

Laying a travertine marble tile floor

seamlessly (i.e., without grout) is a skill that you can easily develop. Only a little bit of knowledge, a few tools, patience, and diligence are required to complete this job successfully.

There is no need to be intimated by this type of project. After all, if the ancient Romans and Greeks were able to do it, why can't you?

There are only a few things besides the tile that are required to complete this kind of home improvement job: a thin-set mortar, notched trowel, a level, and a soft rubber mallet. The difficulty level of this do-it-yourself project is considered to be medium or moderate; however,that is due to the fact that some tiles may need to be reset in order to ensure a level plane across the floor.

It Is All In the Preparation

Preparation is key to a seamless installation of this type of natural stone. Ninety-nine percent of all successful home improvement jobs start with proper prepping of the working surface. For any surface--whether it be a floor, countertop, or wall, make the working area as level as possible before you do anything else. Check your work with a level prior to any travertine tile installation.

Application of Thinset On Flooring - Kick It Up A Notch

Working from the middle of the room, use the trowel's notched edge to apply an even coat of thinset mortar to the flooring surface, spreading it evenly in the area where you will set the travertine. Take your time when doing this in order to avoid ridges and/or air pockets which may cause the tile to settle improperly.

Application of Thinset On Back of Tile - Flat Is Beautiful

Now it is time to use the trowel's flat side to apply a skim coat thinset to the back of the travertine marble tile. Ensure it is evenly distributed throughout, taking care to coat the edges of the tile.

Apply the Tile With Gentle But Firm Persuasion

Set the tile in place on the floor, applying pressure, and moving it back and forth in all directions to form a good bond and to eliminate any unforeseen trapped air bubbles/pockets.

Then it is time to set the second tile next to the first, lining up the corners, and moving that tile back and forth as you did the first one.

Make sure the tiles are the same height. Using a soft rubber mallet, tap gently on the second travertine marble tile until it abuts the first tile. There should be a tight fit with no gaps.

Keep a Level Head and Get a Level Floor

Lay a level on the tile floor to ensure that tiles are flat and flush. If a tile is too low, remove the tile and add more thinset on the floor. If the opposite is true and the tile is too high, pry up the travertine and remove excessive thinset. Either way, there is a remedy so you can get a level floor by keeping a level head and doing what needs to be done to get the perfectly seamless travertine marble tile floor.

Working with travertine floor tile [http://www.travertinetilestore.com/travertine-floor-tiles-2] is not as difficult as you might have been told or think. Laying a travertine marble tile [http://www.travertinetilestore.com] floor seamlessly can be completed easily and successfully as a do-it-yourself project.

By Mary Ruff-King  |   Submitted On July 08, 2010

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4631730

Tile Floor Installation Costs for 350 sq ft

Affordable Tile Installations are out there...

But shopping around is a must. This  job was a repeat customer who had the exact same kitchen tiled 2 years ago and had a fire  in his home and called to have it tiled again.

All the Hardi board was laid on Tuesday and all the tile laid on Wednesday then grouted today. The total time to install this kitchen was 18 hours at a labor cost of $1475.00.This is a price you will have to really search around to find  but a experienced tile guy can get you installed for this cost and make  really good pay at the same time.

   

The materials needed to do this tile installation job  were as follows:

• 375 sq ft of tile
• 24 sheets of quarter inch Hardi board
• 12 lbs of 2 inch galvanized roof nails
• 4 - 50lb bags thin set
• 3 -25 lb bags sanded grout
•  1 -500 pc bag of 3\16 spacers

If you need a tile installation in your home be diligent shop around and do your homework to get the best installation at a reasonable cost.

On the first days all the Hardi board was installed. On the second day here you see the tile started

notice whole tiles in each door as the layout is squared and tile will all install off of this layout

Another view of layout with whole tiles in each door

View of whole tile in one door way

View of whole tiles in other doorway

Half of the room laid by noon time

A closer look at half of the room laid

Working in the rest of the room off of the finished half

Completed grouted room on the third day!

Tiling and Grouting in Same Day

Tile and Grout in the Same Day? YES!

 

The live feed blog written the other day focused on a backsplash that was completed in about 4 hours. The blog post walked the reader through the backsplash installation from start to finish. It was installed and grouted within this 4 hour time frame. Now there are some installers and manufacturers of tile and tile products who will tell you  that you have to wait 24 hours before grouting tile. In some instances this is completely true. Whenever using tile adhesives the time required for the premixed stuff is 24 hours .

 

However I am a mason and all tile I install is set and installed with concrete. And I know from my years as a stone mason and tile installer that concrete is concrete no matter  grout or thin set it is still concrete. If  you use the correct thin set and the weather allows your tile to dry beyond the phase of still moving then applying the grout is not a issue again as long as the tile is set enough not to move. Now I must also be clear that NEVER at any time do you walk on tile before the 24 hour drying time because this WILL weaken the bond of the tile to the floor. In this instance it was a backsplash so walking on the tile to grout it was not a issue. IF you have questions or comments about this post FEEL FREE TO COMMENT WE INVITE ALL COMMENTS AND LOVE TO HEAR ALL POINTS OF VIEW  HERE SO OUR BLOG READERS GET ALL THE INFO POSSIBLE   regards   chris

Backsplash Installation | Getting Ready to Grout Part 7

Project Backsplash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -10:57 am

Part Seven

As you can see, the tiles are mostly installed.I lack about 6 cuts around the top, then then I will go out and come back and grout. You will hear from a lot of installers and manufacturers that will tell you you have to wait 24 hours before you can grout.  I will touch on this tonight when I get home. Obviously I disagree. I will explain the grouting situation. It depends on the type of thinset concrete that that you use, Here's  a couple of pictures of the progress of this tile backsplash installation project, 

ent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Tile Installtion FAQ: Sanded Grout or Un-Sanded Grout?

Tile Installation and Tile Repair 

Most Frequently Asked Questions from Consumers:

  From Newly Forming FAQ on Tile Installation, Tile Repairs & All Things Tile Related:

Many people have asked me over the years which grout to use in their house particular to their tile installation. There is a simple answer to every question. Always use sanded grout whenever possible.

The industry standard states that un-sanded grout be used on grout joints 1/8  or less and sanded grout is used on grout joints 1/8 and larger up to 1/2 inch. So 1/8 inch grout joints can have sanded or unsanded (non sanded) grout applications. The reason sanded grout is always the best option in my opinion and experience is because it is undoubtedly much stronger and longer lasting. The reason being the sand in the grout acts like the gravel in concrete and binds the concrete together and keeps it from cracking. Unsanded grout doesn't have this binding strength and cracks and chips out over the long term and from my experiences doesn't last as long as a sanded grout. Some applications require a un-sanded grout when joints are too small for sanded grout to penetrate or in instances when sanded grout may scratch the installation material. Such materials as Marble, Travertine and soapstone are easily scratched and a sanded grout is not applicable [according to the manufacturer].  But anytime there is a choice between SANDED AND UNSANDED  grout, and sanded can be used, it would be advantageous to use the SANDED GROUT  whenever possible.

Below are pictures of examples installed this past week in Manchester MA of both sanded and sanded grout applications. As well as glass and 'metal mosaic tile that manufacturers recommend be installed with unsanded grout  But  I will explain how and why I used sanded grout for the installation.

Glass tile can be easily scratched when sanded grout is applied with a grout float especially when applied by an unskilled tilesetter. Manufactures recommend using the unsanded grout to install their product. But if sanded grout is applied with the hands and not a hard rubber float sanded grout can be used without scratching the tile giving the installation the long lasting strength that I would prefer in my home .

The advantage of  a UNSANDED  grout is that the finished product has a smooth finished  grout line, clean and smooth to the touch. Sanded grout ends up being rough like sandpaper to the touch.

I always try to bring my customers the highest quality installations at the most economical price , and for DIY and consumer readers with tile questions/concerns here on this blog I have the same philosophy; to bring my readers the information of options for both quality, longevity and economics

This is my opinion only based on years of tile experience. But other tile installation professionals may have different responses based on their training and experiences, so I welcome any to share their thoughts here with my readers. I want this to be a place where people can get help. 

Feel free any time to ask questions and inquires and I will do my best to help anyone in any country regarding any tile situation where my opinion can help you in making the best decision for your job. I realize my opinions are based on my experience, training and perceptions, so other professional tile installers may have different, not necessarily right or wrong just different than mine, so consider it one man's  make to make the best decision about your job  thanks.

Chris
   

Broke joint floor tile  with a 3/16 grout joint with sanded grout

1 inch hexagon marble which can be easily scratched by sanded grout using a rubber float
I hand grouted with sanded grout for strength

2 inch hexagon marble tile with a dot
easily scratched by sanded grout using a rubber float
hand grouted with sanded grout for strength

broke joint floor tile using a 3/16 grout joint and sanded grout

glass and metal mosaic tile recommended to use unsanded grout to prevent scratching
If hand  grouted carefully sanded grout can be used for strength  

glass and metal mosaic tile recommended to use unsanded grout to prevent scratching
If hand  grouted carefully sanded grout can be used for strength  

Economical shower waterproofing for ceramic tile, marble,slate.and all natural stone materials

In my 30 year career I've repaired and seen hundreds of showers that had water damage both inside the shower and inside the wall. Many times the mildew had eaten away at the wood studs in the wall and caused the grout to turn black from the inside out causing costly repairs and complete tear outs to redo the wood studs.In severe cases mildew can be dangerous to the health of the elderly and the very young. The following "how to" will explain the most economical "ultimate shower waterproofing " technique to insure a "never leak shower" and insure a "no mildew" tile installation. There are other options out there but this is by far the most economical sure fire way to know you will never allow water to penetrate your shower walls.

I am currently working on this job in Byfield mass. and all the walls and floors will be slate and marble finished.The contractor on the job was responsible for installing all the backer board and The contractor used durock on all the inside shower walls not Hardy board as I would have preferred. ( see my blog "hardy board vs Durock) When the home buyer called me to get a estimate he voiced great concern about waterproofing his shower walls so as not to have mildew or water damage in his shower walls ever. Since durock was already installed in all the showers and not hardy board it was required to completely seal every sq inch of the shower walls as well as seal all joints to insure no water ever got to the wood studs in the wall.  

The first step was to use "silicone II"  to seal every seam of the durock including all corners being careful to smooth out all caulk to insure a clean glob free seal. Step 2 all the joints were taped with anti crack fiberglass backer board tape and skimmed with superflex thinset to insure no cracks form over the years.

The third and final step was 2 coats of "Redgard"anti crack paint on waterproofer one coat rolled on horizontally and one coat vertically .All corners are painted with a brush to insure proper sealing.There were as well inset soap boxes framed into the wall that were also caulked and then painted with the regard to complete the sealing process. The tile can now be installed in the showers with no worry of leakage or wood rotting for a lifetime of leak free showering !

All products used to completely seal up these 3 showers in Byfield mass are all available at Home Depot and can insure you never have any water damage in your home from shower leakage.Have your tile installer follow this process or do it yourself for total piece of mind when creating your new shower in your house . For a full list of other options and great advice on the many waterproofing options go here and check it out. www.floorelf.com/preparing-a-shower-wall-for-tile

Pictures below are as follows left to right in order. 1-Silicone II caulk product, ,2- Redgard waterproofing crack supression paint on sealer product,3- Marble and granite modified thin set product, 4-Durock taped and thin setted, 5-Durock sealed with Redgard6-,Inset soap box caulked and Redgard sealed, 7-Floor Durock redgard sealed 3 ft out from wet area