Is the mortar used in holding your tiles in place pulling off? Have any of your bathroom tiles fallen off yet? If this is the case, then you may need to repair the bath tile before all of them come off. If you don’t repair them in time, water can get underneath the tile and cause more tiles to come off or ooze off a putrid smell. If you don’t repair the tile immediately it starts coming off, the small repair task may turn out to become an expensive repair.
Why Do Bathroom Tiles Come off?
There are different reasons as to why your bathroom tiles come off your wall in the first place and if you don’t take note, your tile may come off soon as this is something that almost every house owner would face at a particular time or the other. Hot water is a major cause of the deteriorating state of the seal holding the tiles as it can rupture the seal of the tiles and cause the tiles to fall if any of these issues occur:
- The tiles were not properly cleaned before application. When the tiles are packed in a store for a while before use, chalk dust usually covers its surface and can make it hard for the tiles to adhere to an underlying surface.
- The riles were not properly primed
- The grouting was carried out less than 24 hours before the tile adhesive set up
- The adhesive used in setting up the tiles cannot stand up to water (do not use water-soluble adhesives in kitchens and bathrooms)
- The grouting done on the wall was not waterproof
- The tiles were not properly grouted leaving room for water to seep in behind the surface.
- The grout mixture was not sealed with a grout sealant after application
These are just some of the issues that can make your bathroom tile fall off and they are tied closely to the installation process of your bathroom tiles. Therefore you should properly install the tiles so they will not fall off even in the busiest of bathrooms with hot water exposure.
How to Repair Bath Tile
Bathroom tiles are made strong during production making them quite durable. But they may not last on your walls if they become vulnerable to the effects of improper installation. If you find out that your bathroom tiles are peeling off, follow these quick steps to repair bath tile
Remove the Tile
If your bathroom tile hasn’t pulled off entirely but is broken or a particular section has pulled off leaving a few remainders on the wall, you would have to remove the remaining pieces.
When you want to install a new bathroom tile, your surface has to be free from any remnants of the former tile.
When removing the section of the tile that needs replacement, you have to be careful so you don’t damage the adjacent tiles. There may be some remnants left behind on the wall after removing the tiles, you have to scrap them off entirely. You may need to sprinkle some water to soften the remnants.
Install the New Tile
Before you install the new tile, you may need to choose your adhesive. There are different types of adhesives in the market with each made for a specific purpose. When installing tiles in your bathroom, it is advised that you use water-based mastic adhesive. Apply a thin layer of the adhesive on the back of the tile and place the new tile firmly into place holding it down for 30 seconds or more.
Grout the Tile
Performing a grout job on your newly installed tile would make the edges waterproof and tight so it’s essential that it is performed accurately. Let the adhesive you just applied dry for up to 3 hours before grouting the edges of the tile.
You can consider two types of grouting to perform namely
- Unsanded grout which is best used for tiles that are 1/8 of an inch or less apart or
- Sanded grout which is best when the distance between tiles are more than 1/8 of inches
Mix the grout with water until it is pasty then spread it onto the tile going past the edges to make sure it spreads evenly. Allow the grout dry for 30 minutes or more then wash off any grout on the surface of the tile.
Conclusion
Leave the tile to dry and set by itself for up to 24 hours or more. This way it will set properly and ensure that your tile is held steadfastly against the wall. This is a quite simple method of repairing bath tiles anyone can do. It is cost-effective and efficient if you follow the steps thoroughly.