Need help -- Tilesetters?

[Eagle]

I need professional advice. I had to replace a shower valve in the master bathroom. The walls are plaster, not sheetrock (it's a very tired OLD house), and the old valve was pretty tight in the plaster. I had to hammer it out. Vibration loosened about half a dozen tiles.

What's the best (recommended) way to reattach tiles that have fallen off the wall? My first idea was to use silicone sealant, but then I thought maybe it's better to use tile grout so all the materials are compatible.

Does anyone know for sure?

 

[Lou]

I'm not a professional (and I slept in my own bed last night).

In your situation I would(have done) use silicone(not latex). Reason being that you probably have remnents of the old mud/set on the tile or wall. If it's not easy to chipoff/remove the old set/mud, using the 'proper' stuff requires a thicker layer than silicone which would make the tiles proud of the original surface. You will propably have to match tile to original location. Silicone is a better adhesive anyway.

Use real grout between the tiles. You may also want to seal ALL of your grout(old/new) to prevent moisture seapage...and have the plaster deteriorate--resulting in tiles poping.

 

[rockwerks]

I need professional advice. I had to replace a shower valve in the master bathroom. The walls are plaster, not sheetrock (it's a very tired OLD house), and the old valve was pretty tight in the plaster. I had to hammer it out. Vibration loosened about half a dozen tiles.

What's the best (recommended) way to reattach tiles that have fallen off the wall? My first idea was to use silicone sealant, but then I thought maybe it's better to use tile grout so all the materials are compatible.

Does anyone know for sure?

Hey boss what I would do is use actual tile mastic to restick the tiles to the wall. and grout to seal the surface to match the patch in.

More important is how you did thw wall patch underneath where the tile goes. It must be dust free and more sound than the original area if not the tiles will loosen again. You can use silicone to seal around the valve protrusions

 

[logdog]

Hey boss what I would do is use actual tile mastic to restick the tiles to the wall. and grout to seal the surface to match the patch in.

More important is how you did thw wall patch underneath where the tile goes. It must be dust free and more sound than the original area if not the tiles will loosen again. You can use silicone to seal around the valve protrusions

What he said... You could also used modified thinset. Cheap and dries harder than a rock. Re-grout between the tiles with matching tilegrout. Be sure to seal the grout before using the shower.
I Just had to do this on the house I just finished. Worked great.

 

[Beej]

One more vote for the tile mastic. Also, grind away as much grout as possible from the edges of the tiles still attached to the wall around where the ones fell out. Ever seen that commercial with the dremel tool carving out the grout between tiles? Perfect use for that tool. Also, dust is your enemy when reapplying the tiles. Wipe it all down and then let it fully dry before reattaching the loose tiles with glue. Tiles that have been reapplied have a tendency to come loose again, so when regluing the tiles with mastic, jam a 2x4 across the shower enclosure so that it places pressure on the tile while its drying, this will help it stay flush and not sag out while its drying. Wait for them to set well before grouting. Definitely seal the grout before exposing it to moisture.

 

[XJJPR]

Premixed mastic is the best.

Clean the area, scrapping as much old thinset or mastic away from both the tile and wall. Use a dremel or a utility knife to remove any grout on tiles which touch the missing tiles. I like the dremel to work between the tiles still attached so when you re-grout the new grout can blend into the old. The mastic should be able to hold any normal size tile by itself without any pressure. Just check after a few minutes to see if any support is needed. Something just leaning against the tile should be enough.

Done this a bunch, if none of the tile broke you were LUCKY!!!

hinkley

 

[Ed A. Stevens]

Hey boss what I would do is use actual tile mastic to restick the tiles to the wall. and grout to seal the surface to match the patch in.

More important is how you did thw wall patch underneath where the tile goes. It must be dust free and more sound than the original area if not the tiles will loosen again. You can use silicone to seal around the valve protrusions

Another vote for tile mastic and good preparation before grout (no silicone, except as a valve/manifold/stem area sealer).

The wall under/behind the tile needs to be clean and solid for a tile backing. Fish some lath strip redwood inside the wall, and use deck screws to hold it tight to the inside of the wall. The heads of the screws can also help set the finished tile depth. Use plaster to seal the backing of the wall against the lath, with a scratch coat (rough finish to stick good to the tile mastic).

They now make a combination grout and tile mastic, premixed in tubs. After the plaster and screwheads seal and set the tile depth, the combination grout can set the tile to the wall, and seal the grout between the tiles. Large areas need the tile set, then allowed to dry, then grout the gaps later. Small areas, like around a shower/bath valve manifold, can be done all at once.

 

[Eagle]

Done this a bunch, if none of the tile broke you were LUCKY!!!

Not a one broke. They were MUCH too loose for that. Makes me wonder if perhaps the only thing keeping them in place for the last 15 years was habit, and the vibrations of hammering around the corner just woke them up and reminded them that there wasn't anything holding them in place.

 

[Hunter-LynchburgVa]

I am going to agree and disagree.

The best solution is to use thinset mortar, that should be what your tile was set with origionaly. It normally comes in 25# and 50# bags, I know at work we get broken bags all the time and make up bags in 1-5# incraments for customers who have repairs.

For the grout, just use your standard unsanded white wall grout (aka: Dry Tile Grout), you should be able to get this in small incraments, worst case scenario you are stuck buying a 5# bag it wont cost you more than $7. You DO NOT need to seal the grout. All new grout is mildew resistant, sealer is expensive, and sealing grout is not an effective way to "waterproof" or create a "moisture barrier" in your shower

Mastic is not recomended for high humidity areas. However there are 2 distinctly different types of mastic. "Type 1" or "101" and "Double Duty" are the two common names, but they vary by manufacturer. TEC Adhesives makes both of the fore mentioned. I would feel confident installing tile in a shower with Double Duty, however it is unlikely you will find a small container of it. You will only need a quart of adhesive if you went that route.

Silicone would work, but would be the least desirable of all the options given.


Hunter