Repair loose floor tile without removal - anyone tried it?

[TopDeadSenter 10,845]

We have a couple of loose tiles in every room. Quite annoying to walk on, and I remember having the same problem in a previous house which we ignored which finally resulted in every single tile coming loose.

 

 So in the search for an easy bodge/workaround I come across this guy that drilled holes in the grout, then injects epoxy resin thinned slightly with acetone. Makes sense this could work. The video on youtube is not promoting any product, hope it is OK to share as an example?

 

 

Has anybody here tried this, or any similar method with products available in Thailand?

[NanLaew 22,665]

Tile lifting suction clamps are available in hardware stores. I have seen them at Mr. D.I.Y. which would definitely be the cheapest.

 

Bulk epoxy adhesive resins are also available but the guy in the video specified the type in fiberglass construction? If there's not a boat-builder nearby, lazada would be a good option for that as well as the acetone and the syringes.

 

AFAIK toilet tissue on a roll is also widely available in Thailand.

 

I might give this a go as I have about five tiles in the lounge that 'tick' when walked on. I wasn't in the country when the ceramics guy was doing his stuff and forgot to leave my golf ball behind for Mrs NL to check on his work.

[TopDeadSenter 10,845]

9 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Tile lifting suction clamps are available in hardware stores. I have seen them at Mr. D.I.Y. which would definitely be the cheapest.

 

Bulk epoxy adhesive resins are also available but the guy in the video specified the type in fiberglass construction? If there's not a boat-builder nearby, lazada would be a good option for that as well as the acetone and the syringes.

 

AFAIK toilet tissue on a roll is also widely available in Thailand.

 

I might give this a go as I have about five tiles in the lounge that 'tick' when walked on. I wasn't in the country when the ceramics guy was doing his stuff and forgot to leave my golf ball behind for Mrs NL to check on his work.

Thanks for the info. Checked with a nearby boat supply shop they keep epoxy resin and hardener in stock. Acetone I can only find on Lazada. HomePro do sell an epoxy thinner which I may try instead of acetone. Other YT videos I watched about thinning epoxy resin with acetone showed it is a bad idea over (i forget exactly how much) a 3% mix because the resin never fully cures. That would be a disaster for floor tile repair.

 Well if you try it before me pls share your results, otherwise I will try ASAP on the most out of the way loose tile and report back with findings.

 

One note is the video guy has nice thick grouting allowing him to inject the resin easily. Here they really like to lay tiles close together with minimal space for grout. Could be problematic.

 

For your situation of 5 loose tiles this looks a perfect solution. The thinned epoxy flowing to fill the air space under the tiles. In theory seems a better solution than pulling up the tiles, grind out the old tile adhesive or concrete, then re lay the tiles - which will never be exactly level with surrounding tiles. Then due to unbelievable amount of dust that got everywhere from grinding, repaint and decorate the room.

 

[NanLaew 22,665]

^ My tiles are large but also have the same, really thin grout line. I'm not sure if using the cutting disk per the YT is practical. I do have a Dremel with much finer and thinner disks though. Pretty disappointing since the guy did three rooms plus the hong nams and the lounge was the only one he cocked up on.

[uncleP 527]

You can make a really thin tile adhesive mixture. Pour it over the loose cracks and tap the tile with a rubber mallet.  The adhesive should get into the cracks and fix the problem. 

[sometimewoodworker 3,029]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Acetone I can only find on Lazada

Every chemist (pharmacy) has it in stock 

[Artisi 15,811]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Tile lifting suction clamps are available in hardware stores. I have seen them at Mr. D.I.Y. which would definitely be the cheapest.

 

Bulk epoxy adhesive resins are also available but the guy in the video specified the type in fiberglass construction? If there's not a boat-builder nearby, lazada would be a good option for that as well as the acetone and the syringes.

 

AFAIK toilet tissue on a roll is also widely available in Thailand.

 

I might give this a go as I have about five tiles in the lounge that 'tick' when walked on. I wasn't in the country when the ceramics guy was doing his stuff and forgot to leave my golf ball behind for Mrs NL to check on his work.

Please you took your balls with you, wise move

[Susco 5,504]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I wasn't in the country when the ceramics guy was doing his stuff and forgot to leave my golf ball behind for Mrs NL to check on his work.

 

You think the golf ball would have given any indication of substandard work, even in the first weeks after he finished the job?

 

My experience is that it takes months, if not years, before you get that hollow sound.

[Artisi 15,811]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

^ My tiles are large but also have the same, really thin grout line. I'm not sure if using the cutting disk per the YT is practical. I do have a Dremel with much finer and thinner disks though. Pretty disappointing since the guy did three rooms plus the hong nams and the lounge was the only one he cocked up on.

It was ahead of the game and much to the disbelief of the Thai tiler, I insisted on 3mm gap and dark grout, easier to remove a tile if needed and dark grout doesn't get dirty looking of patchy black after a few years. 

 

Been down for 10 years 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Artisi

[Yellowtail 1,122]

15 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

You think the golf ball would have given any indication of substandard work, even in the first weeks after he finished the job?

 

My experience is that it takes months, if not years, before you get that hollow sound.

 

I can't speak to golf balls, but you can hear voids in the adhesive/loose tiles even before the adhesive is dry. Decent tile-setters (tradesmen, not grunt-labor)  check the sound of each tile as it is set. 

[Artisi 15,811]

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I can't speak to golf balls, but you can hear voids in the adhesive/loose tiles even before the adhesive is dry. Decent tile-setters (tradesmen, not grunt-labor)  check the sound of each tile as it is set. 

Correct, but doesn't overcome the occassional tile / adhesive parting company. 

[Susco 5,504]

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I can't speak to golf balls, but you can hear voids in the adhesive/loose tiles even before the adhesive is dry. Decent tile-setters (tradesmen, not grunt-labor)  check the sound of each tile as it is set. 

 

I know my tiler did that, and I don't have any 60x60 tiles inside the house that I'm aware of that have an issue.

 

But I have quite a few 20x20 clay tiles on my outdoor walkways that sound hollow, and they are usually a few next to each other, so i think the real reason for it is movement of the base

[Yellowtail 1,122]

On 12/3/2020 at 7:43 PM, Susco said:

 

I know my tiler did that, and I don't have any 60x60 tiles inside the house that I'm aware of that have an issue.

 

But I have quite a few 20x20 clay tiles on my outdoor walkways that sound hollow, and they are usually a few next to each other, so i think the real reason for it is movement of the base

 

I don't understand how the "base" moving could cause the tiles to come loose, can you explain how? The tiles should move with the base and or crack, they should not come loose

 

I think it more likely that (assuming there were no voids in the adhesive) the surface of the base and or tile was either contaminated or too dry. It could also be that the tile-setter used the adhesive too long and kept adding water to soften it up, rather than discarding it and mixing fresh. That might explain why they might come loose in clusters.

[Pilotman 18,396]

I wanted to watch the video, but the guys boring voice made me feel suicidal before I got to the fixing bit.  I think I need a large whisky before I try to look again. 

[4MyEgo 14,882]

On 12/3/2020 at 6:49 PM, TopDeadSenter said:

hen due to unbelievable amount of dust that got everywhere from grinding

I always have the wife next to me holding the vacuum so as to suck in the the dust before it escaped, works wonders.