Bathroom tile repair: solving common problems

Repairing bathroom tiles is not such an easy task. Even though ceramic tiles are considered the most durable and moisture-resistant material, it happens that over time they lag behind the wall or floor, crack and lose their aesthetic appearance. This can happen for various reasons. Housewives often forget that no matter how durable the tile coating is, aggressive cleaning agents should not be used when caring for it. Over time, they corrode the surface, the pattern becomes not as rich as before, and sometimes it becomes scratched.

But ceramic tiles moving away from the wall or floor can occur due to non-compliance with the rules when laying them, the use of low-quality tile adhesive, or shrinkage of the new house.

Renewing the seams

Old tiles in the bathroom can take on a completely different look if you simply update the grout. To do this, you need to remove the old grout and go through all the seams between the tiles with new one, otherwise there will be no benefit from the update.

Removing old grout

There are several ways to remove old grout from joints:

• a knife, awl or other sharp instrument;
• grinder with a small diamond disc;
• using a suture expander;
• To remove old grout directly from the surface of the tile, use a weak solution of citric acid.

Removing old grout with a drill

The seams between the tiles must be thoroughly removed using a drill. To do this, you need to use the thinnest drill that has a cone-shaped tip.

To remove old grout with a drill you need:

• moisten the entire surface of the tile using a soft sponge and a vinegar solution (vinegar and water in a ratio of 1:2);
• wait about half an hour;
• select a drill that is suitable for the diameter of the seam (it is unacceptable that the diameter of the volume exceeds the width of the seams, as this can greatly damage the finishing material);
• turn on the drill at minimum speed;
• proceed directly to removing the old grout;
• use a wide brush to “sweep” all the dust from the cleaned seams;
• wipe the resulting grooves with damp cotton swabs.

[note]Be careful and attentive. Hold the tool securely in your hands. Since one awkward movement can lead to damage to nearby finishing material. [/note]

Removing grout with a joint expander

To remove grout with a joint expander:

• soften old grout using an acid cleaner;
• The grout is removed using a joint expander and a special saw;
• the resulting grooves must be treated again with an acid cleaner;
• rinse the seams with plain water;
• wipe with paper towel.

This method of grout removal is labor intensive and time consuming. After washing the seams, you need to wait about a day (all seams should dry well) before you start rubbing the seams with new material.

Grouting joints

Before you start grouting the joints, you need to choose the right grout. The grout for bathroom tiles is as follows:

• based on epoxy resin;
• based on cement.

[note]If the width of the joints exceeds 3 mm, then it is best to use epoxy or latex based grout. If the width of the joints is less than 3 mm, then any grout can be used. [/note]

In general, it is not recommended to use grout that contains large grains of sand, since when working with them you can greatly spoil the appearance of the tiles with scratches.

So, let's proceed directly to filling the joints between the tiles. Grouting tile joints in the bathroom requires the following tools and materials:

• grout for tiles of the required color;
• a bowl in which the mixture for grouting will be prepared;
• ironer;
• small rubber spatula.

Don't know how to grout bathroom tiles? Everything is very simple. Pour the required amount of dry mixture into a bowl and add water to it. The ratio of dry mixture and water is indicated on the manufacturer's packaging. Using a trowel, tightly fill the seams with the prepared grout, and remove the excess with a rubber spatula. After the grout has dried (usually this takes several hours), clean the surface of the tile with a dry cloth or sometimes a damp sponge.

Painting the tiles

If you decide to renovate bathrooms: the tiles have already lost their original appearance or their boring pattern makes you sad - use your imagination. Tiles are an excellent “canvas” on which you can paint whatever your heart desires. However, you need to have some knowledge to ensure that your wall masterpieces last as long as possible.

Choosing paint

Naturally, the paint for bathroom tiles should be of high quality and waterproof. Since in this type of room there is high humidity, droplets of which settle on the walls of the bathroom, as a result of which the paint can “inflate” and burst over time. It is best to use oil-based paint as it adheres well once it hardens. You should not use water-based paint to paint tiles, as it will not adhere well and will peel off quickly.

[note]It is not recommended to paint tiles on bathroom walls directly above the bathtub or shower. The paint won't last long. [/note]

DIY tile painting

You don't need any special skills to paint bathroom tiles. All you need is imagination and, of course, paint, brushes and a roller. But first you need to prepare the surface. To do this you need:

• clean the surface from various contaminants (dirt, grease, mold, etc.) using mild abrasive detergents, you can use a brush. Remember, you need to clean not only the surface of the tile itself, but also the seams;
• treat the entire surface with a special primer.

[note]Paint adheres better to a clean and rough surface. [/note]

Painting bathroom tiles begins with creating a background for the future pattern. To do this, you can use a regular roller and a medium brush to process the corners. Next, you need to wait until the tiles dry completely. While it dries, you can start creating stencils (if, of course, you want to apply a design). These can be various animals, for example, dolphins or swans, or some flowers. It all depends on your taste and the interior of the bathroom.

After the paint has dried, you need to secure the stencil to the wall with adhesive tape, and then begin applying paint with a brush.

If you do not want to see drawings on the walls of your bath, you can use the following option: paint the seams between the tiles in a different, brighter color than the tile itself. This, of course, is painstaking work that will take you a lot of time, but the end result will definitely please you.

Repairing tiles

If your bathroom tiles are coming off, this is not a reason to do a major overhaul. It is enough to simply fix the tiles in the old place.

If the solution remains on the wall you need to:

• Clean off the mortar from the back of the tile using sandpaper. It is necessary to clean until the tiles fit freely into the old place;
• Use PVA glue or epoxy glue to secure the tiles in place. To do this, a layer of glue is applied to the back of the tile and to the cement remaining on the wall;
• Press the tile tightly against the wall, hold it for a few minutes and release.

If the tiles come off in the bathroom along with the cement mortar, then you need to clean the surface of the wall with a screwdriver or knife, also clean the back side of the tiles with sandpaper and fix it using cement mortar.

If a bathroom tile is cracked in a visible place on the wall, don't be upset. It can be easily replaced. To do this, you need to remove the damaged tiles from the wall. To do this, you need to use a chisel to cut through the grout around the tile, carefully drill several holes in it and lightly tap with a hammer to break the tile. Then use a chisel to remove the remaining tiles. The main thing in this matter is to avoid haste. Because it can damage neighboring tiles. The joints must be cleaned of any remaining glue and mortar and a new one must be glued in place of the old cracked tile. The seams must be grouted with a suitable color grout.

Drilling tiles

Don't know how to drill bathroom tiles? This process is really difficult, since the surface of the tile is slippery and the probability that the drill will slip is high. To avoid this, mark the places on the surface of the tile where holes will be drilled and cover them with masking tape or “stick it on”.

It is necessary to drill at minimum speeds, using a pobedit drill or a drill with a diamond tip. Pressing the drill bit tightly to the marked location, slowly begin to drill a hole in the tile.

Tile is a finishing material that can be easily restored. Repairing it is not difficult, you just need to have patience and ability to use tools. Good luck in your endeavors!