Tile Repair: >> Repair Loose Tiles
Welcome to the section of the Tile Doctor dealing with an alternative to removal and replacement of loose tiles. Loose tile is often noticed by noise when walked on or a hollow sound when struck.
Loose tile can be caused by many factors. These factors can include improper installation and substrate problems. Nevertheless the procedure outlined in this section should be considered carefully.
Generally speaking, when loose tile are encountered it may be best to replace them. If this is undesirable due to the cost of the tile or for aesthetic reasons, the following procedure can be used. Put simply, the following procedure involves the injection of epoxy resin underneath the tile to re-bond the tile to the substrate.
The tools required are a drill motor, carbide tipped blade equal to the grout joint size (preferable a little smaller), a large construction syringe, a supply of quality two part epoxy, and a supply of matching grout.
Holes are carefully drilled into the grout joints on either side of the loose tile. Epoxy is mixed properly and injected into one of the holes with a tight fitting fixture until epoxy comes out the other side. Tile mechanics that have used this method have used golf tees in the opposite hole to ensure that the epoxy completely fills all voids prior to oozing out the other hole.
Nevertheless, the epoxy is dug out slightly and allowed to cure then the holes are grouted leaving the procedure complete.
