- 1). Cut the grout using a grout saw halfway through the grout line all around the loose tile. This will relieve pressure on the loose tile as it is removed.
- 2). Lift the tile with a putty knife and remove it if you can. Some loose tiles will easily come away, others may require the floor chisel. Work carefully if you are going to try to reuse the loose tile. You may break the tile. Tape off and cover adjacent tiles to protect them from tools, mortar and grout.
- 3). Clean the substrate (subfloor) of the remaining mortar. Use the floor chisel and hammer to carefully chisel the mortar up. Be careful not to disturb adjoining tiles. Keep in mind that one loose tile may indicate a flexing subfloor and you may have several tiles in various stages of coming loose. You may need to use a rotary tool with a diamond sanding disc to remove additional thinset.
- 4). Remove the mortar from the back of the tile if you need to reuse it for the repair. Take off the remaining grout on the adjoining tiles by using a small chisel and hammer and lightly tapping at the grout. You do not want to chip the tiles. You can also remove some grout with the utility knife and a scraping motion.
- 5). Vacuum the empty tile spot to remove all debris.
- 6). Mix thinset and water in a small tub and trowel the thinset onto the substrate. Place the cleaned tile back in position and rock it slightly to seat it. Use something with a straight edge to make sure the replaced tile is level with the adjoining floor. Allow the thinset to dry overnight after wiping off any excess.
- 7). Grout the tile using a grout float. Draw the float across the tile joints at a 45-degree angle so that the grout will fill the joints. Clean the grout with a wet sponge after the grout starts to set up (within a few minutes). Remove the haze left on the tile. Allow the grout to dry overnight.
- 8). Seal the grout with grout sealer using a disposable paint brush. This will protect the grout from stains.
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