(Newswire.net — June 26, 2020) — A floor surfaced with beautiful mosaic tile is considered as low-maintenance and durable a tile as you can get. It’s permanent, but only until an iron pot slides from your grip or you drop that heavy shower equipment directly on your precious tile.
Even then, it would be a miracle if you were to have tile underfoot, because they break that easily. But do not worry, as replacing or resetting a broken or cracked tile is as easy as it gets.
According to specialists and experts from the tile industry, it doesn’t take a trained person or an specialist to replace a damaged or broken tile. All it takes is some equipment, of which most are in your home, and your own “do it yourself” initiative. And if you are reading this, we will assume you have what it takes.
Before we move on to the central part, we have to get acquainted with the equipment we are going to work with. Some of the tools we are going to use are:
-Hammer
-Carbide-tipped scoring tool
-Drill/driver
-Notched trowel – 1/4-inch
-Chisel
-Safety Goggles
You will find these tools in your home. Even if you do not, it’s easy to get hold of them. Do not forget to use safety equipment like safety goggles, gloves, masks, etc. So, without any further ado, let us move on to how to reset a tile.
Removing the Grout
–Safety always comes first, so remember to put on safety glasses to protect your eyes from chips and dust. You can either buy them or order them online for a terrific deal.
-To start right away, start raking out the grout around the damaged tile using the carbide-tipped scoring tool that we mentioned. Be careful while doing this if this is your first time.
-Now, use just enough force to dislodge the grout but not so much that it disgruntles the other tiles. It will help you loosen the tile up a bit.
Loosening the Tile
–To get the tiles to loosen up, use painter’s tape around the corners of the neighboring tiles so that they remain protected.
-Ensure you drill equally spaced holes into the broken parts of the tile with a one-fourth-inch ceramic bit. It will help untangle the pieces from the substrate and will make it easier to chisel out.
Chiseling Out the Pieces
–Now, operating from the center, start moving toward the edges. Then gently tap out the damaged pieces with a hammer and a thin one-fourth inch chisel. Even if you don’t have a tile chisel, you can work it out with a cold chisel. Even a flat-blade screwdriver can and will do the job.
-Remember to begin with the chisel at ninety degrees to the floor. And then, switching to a forty-five-degree angle after you penetrate the varnish will help you pull it off.
-Once you have extracted the broken tile, use a broader chisel to scrape all the old thin-set off the substrate. The same technique will apply for all substrates, including cement backer board, plywood, or mortar.
Setting the New Tile
–You have to be a bit careful when installing the new tile. It might look a little too fresh, among other old tiles. And there is always the fear of an asymmetric tile within many when resetting tile.
-Use a brush to comb a tiny but enough amount of thin-set mortar over the substrate. Do it in straight furrows using a one-fourth of an inch indented trowel.
-To get the best adhesion, make sure you comb the back of the new tile with that mortar thin-set. It will ensure that resetting your tile won’t go in vain.
-Set the tile in place and press down a bit firmly to straighten it with the surrounding tile. Make sure the tiles are in symmetric position. Otherwise, it is going to look out of place. Then adjust accordingly so that the spacing is even on all sides.
Filling the Join with Grout
–You are supposed to wait at least two hours for the thin-set to fit, then set for mixing a batch of grout.
-Using a rubber grout float, slide the grout into the joints. Make sure you hold it at a forty-five-degree angle. Then wait another fifteen minutes for it to stick correctly.
-Try to touch the grout, and if it does not feel tacky anymore, try to clean it off with a water-soaked sponge. If it still feels tacky, try to let it be for a while.
Allowing the Grout to Dry
–This is the last step of the process, that is if you have not made any kind of mistake. If you do not allow the grout to settle, the tile you just reset might not only look out of place, but the whole aesthetic of the area would be in disarray.
-So, don’t walk on the tile for at least twenty-four hours. By then, the grout will have settled in, and you will have reset your tile to the perfection.
The Bottom Line
Accidents happen and they will happen no matter what you do, sooner or later. So, it is better for you to prepare for it beforehand. And you can always boast to your friends and family about your new DIY specialty!