How To Secure a Loose or Hollow Floor Tile 01

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : How To Secure a Loose or Hollow Floor Tile 01


Sometimes a floor tile will loosen or sound hollow simply because the adhesive failed. Here’s a quick fix for the innocent kind of loose.

CONSIDER THIS

This repair will take at least 48 hours before the tile can be walked on. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for product drying times. The adhesive used in this project is not for use in wet areas like showers or pools.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Drill/driver
1⁄8-inch masonry bit
Rubber mallet
Vacuum
Tile-repair adhesive (elastomer type)
Caulking gun
Rag
Heavy object (like a toolbox or bucket filled
with water)
Matching grout and grouting materials

Playing the Grout Color-Match Game

When doing a spot repair on tile, matching grout color is daunting. Even with the same brand and color, old and new grout just won’t match. Grout darkens over time due to wear and reactions with cleaning products. So the very same color will be lighter than what is already on your floor. In this case, why not just start with a darker-patch color? Well, yes, that will match . . . at fi rst. But remember that, over time, that will darken too, becoming darker than the existing grout. Ugh! Of course, degrees of this darkening will vary. Bottom line is, matching grout is just not a perfect science. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to be a successful grout matchmaker:

• Scrub your existing tiles to brighten the grout and get its truest color
• Bring home a grout color chart and fi nd the closest match.
• You may need to mix two colors to get the right match.
• If you know that your existing grout has darkened a lot since its installation, choose a color that is
slightly lighter than what’s there (knowing that it will darken with time—catching up to the color
of the existing grout). Don’t go so light that the contrast is an eyesore.
• Know that dry grout, like paint, is the best representation of the color.
• You can use a grout stain and alter the grout color of the entire fl oor to ensure best uniformity.

How To Secure a Loose or Hollow Floor Tile 02