How To Repair A Loose Tile In The Shower

Download Article

Ceramic shower tiles may be damaged or broken over a catamenia of years. This may include damage to the grout joints, or even individual tiles may crack, causing water to leak into the walls or floor space, where information technology can damage subfloors or lower level spaces.^[i] This guide will help you to repair these issues.

Steps Download Article

1
Remove damaged tiles together with tile adhesive (cement nether tiles). ^[2] You may take to pause the tile into pocket-sized pieces and remove it.^[3] The biggest problem with this is that you tin can easily intermission some of the adjoining tiles.
- Using a grout saw or other tool, remove the grout from the tile joints surrounding the damaged tile(s). Exist careful not to cutting through any membrane waterproofing underneath or backside the tiles.
- Using a masonry bit, drill a hole through the heart of the tiles you lot need to remove. For large tiles you may demand to drill several holes then the tile can exist broken up to remove it.^[4] Again, be careful not to drill too deep, or the substrate and/or any waterproofing membrane may exist damaged.
- Use a chisel to break out the tile(due south) in small pieces.
- Remove the thinset mortar or tile adhesive behind the tile you have removed. You will demand a smooth, clean surface to install the replacement tile(s) on.
2

Make certain whatsoever waterproof membrane is undamaged before proceeding. You may have to repair safe or vinyl membranes to clinch there isn't a leak underneath the tiles you are replacing, and the methods for doing so vary depending on the membrane used.

Advertising
three

Go some ceramic tile adhesive, or thinset tile cement and utilise it to the substrate with a notched trowel. ^[5] For small repairs, you may have to utilize a putty pocketknife to utilise this material.
4

Replace the tile by pushing it into the agglutinative or thinset firmly and then it is bedded in the material. Brand sure the joints around the tile are compatible, and the surface of the newly installed tile(due south) are affluent with the surrounding tiles.
5

Await for the tile adhesive to dry and then grout the joints surrounding any new tiles you accept installed. ^[6] Utilize a sponge and plenty of water to clean excess grout off the tile's surface.^[vii] In one case this material has dried and cured, it is difficult to remove.
half dozen

Utilize a proficient, waterproof bathroom sealant or caulk to repair whatsoever joints that practise not lend themselves to grouting, such as metallic trim or fixture penetrations. ^[viii]

Advert

Add New Question

Question

What is the best adhesive for shower tiles?

Fine art Fricke
Dwelling Renovation & Repair Specialist

Art Fricke is a home renovation and repair specialist and the owner of Art Tile & Renovation based in Austin, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in bathroom and kitchen renovations. Art focuses on a single contractor approach to customized renovation work, and performs projects such as installing custom tile showers, fixing tiled shower leaks, replacing cracked tiles, and installing floor and wall tile.

Home Renovation & Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Avoid dissentious adjacent tiles past breaking the tiles you intend to replace into small pieces with a hammer and chisel or a steel dial.
Read and follow manufacturer'due south directions on the materials you lot purchase to exercise these repairs.
Find extra replacement tiles before commencement this project. Matching colors and sizes of tiles may exist difficult.^[nine]

If at that place is non any membrane under old tiles, it is a skilful idea is to pigment surface with some fluid applied membrane.
When you break a broken tile you can impairment tiles around. Take special intendance to protect other tiles in shower and take care for your tools. Heavy hammer in the shower can piece of cake pause some more tile. Even very experienced workers can easy impairment some of the neighboring tiles, accept information technology slowly when yous remove broken tiles.
Wearable safe glasses when breaking out damaged ceramic tiles.
If there is membrane under sometime tiles practise not intermission it( exercise not make any holes in information technology)
Article of clothing leather work gloves when treatment broken ceramic tiles.

Things You'll Need

Replacement tiles
Grout
Tile adhesive
Hand tools

About This Article

Cheers to all authors for creating a page that has been read 316,772 times.

Did this article assistance y'all?