Ceramic tile falls off - causes, restoration work
Porcelain tiles are laid on the open terrace (part of the floor under a canopy, part open). Part of the bay, part on the steps falls off. How can I help you?
Boris
Expert Answer
Good afternoon, Boris!
The problems you described most often occur when there is a violation of the technology for laying ceramic tiles. Most likely, the surface preparation was carried out “anyhow”, as a result of which the adhesion between the base and the adhesive composition was significantly reduced. During operation, cracks appeared between the tile adhesive and the base, and the tile, as you say, began to “cobble” and fall off.
You can name another reason for the origin of such troubles. Tile peeling also occurs when trying to save on materials when laying tiles. Individual craftsmen do not apply glue to the entire floor surface (as provided by the technology), but only in local places, that is, in the corners and in the center of each tile. In some cases, this leads to the fact that the contact area of the tile with the floor is reduced by half, and in addition, significant voids appear under the tile. Physical activity and constant vibration leads to peeling of individual fragments (and even significant sections) of the cladding.
Unfortunately, there is still no proven technology for repairing tiles without dismantling individual tiles. Some home masters manage to repair damaged areas by filling cavities under a tile with a liquid adhesive mixture and various devices such as a sealant gun with a modified nozzle. Nevertheless, it cannot be called a full-fledged repair due to the same reasons for which, in fact, the peeling of the tile coating occurred.
The only way out of your situation is to remove individual tiles and disassemble the damaged areas, followed by restoration of the coating. Dismantling can be carried out using a spatula, a chisel or a special curved chisel made of a metal tire.
After removing the tiles, the remnants of the old adhesive and grout should be removed. The surface of the tiles and the floor are carefully cleaned from dust. Further, the base of the terrace is carefully treated with deep penetration soil. After this composition has dried, the surface layer of the concrete coating turns out to be bound by a polymer “crust”, which, among other things, has an increased adhesive ability.
Before starting laying, the ceramic tile is lowered into the water for a short time. After that, a solution of the type Ceresit CM 117 is applied to the prepared surface. The glue is leveled and the excess removed using a notched trowel. The tiles are laid in place. After all the defective areas have been repaired, the gaps between the tiles are filled with waterproof grout for outdoor use. The floor can only be started to operate after the adhesive has completely dried, which, depending on the outdoor temperature, can take from two to five days.
