Advice for laying replacement tile


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Old 07-08-20, 01:09 PM
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Advice for laying replacement tile

I have a broken tile on my bathroom floor. I removed the tile and the bottom is a slab of concrete. I cannot break apart since I might cause further damage. How do I lay the tile back onto the floor without having it raise up. I tried thinset mortar but had to scrape it all off since it raised the tile too much.

Thanks in advance

 
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Old 07-08-20, 01:13 PM
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You'll have to remove more of the old thinset. Maybe use a hammer and chisel [carefully]
 
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Old 07-08-20, 01:18 PM
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Don't think it's thinset. I think it's concrete. Does it make a difference?

I tried to chisel it with a hammer and chisel but hardly scratched the surface. I tried drilling holes and then chipping and it also did not work.
 
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Old 07-08-20, 01:21 PM
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Is there some kind of glue to use ?

I heard of AcrylPro tile adhesive. Would that work ?
 
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Old 07-08-20, 01:38 PM
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It is thin set, there is no other material other than an adhesive used for tile and you have confirmed that it is thin set (cement like material).

You want to be careful with hammer and chisel, you dont want to make a larger problem than what you have but you will need to get that 1/4" thick approx of thin set removed so it cant be reinstalled correctly.

Thin set is actually pretty easy to remove, it's not as hard as concrete and can easily be chipped/ground/cut away.

My preference would be my die grinder with diamond saw and the big shop vac, it;s going to be dusty but 30 min tops to remove!
 
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Old 07-08-20, 02:25 PM
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I tried to chisel the stuff away but it was too hard. I guess I have to use more force.

If I did not chisel any more away would tile adhesive (or some other kind of glue) still work ?
 
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Old 07-08-20, 02:50 PM
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Short term possibly but your trying to find a band-aid repair when it needs to be done correctly.

And honestly, I have taken up entire rooms of tile and was able to scrape the mortar off the cement slab/underlayment with a stiff putty knife, it does come up relatively easy!
 
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Old 07-08-20, 03:36 PM
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I'm a pretty strong guy and it was difficult in chiseling out just a little bit. If you look closely, I even drilled a few holes in the cement and used those as starting points for the chisel. No luck !! It's just too hard.
 
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Old 07-08-20, 03:43 PM
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You're making progress, just keep at it!

Doing it right is always tougher than taking a short cut that will have to be resolved eventually!
 
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Old 07-08-20, 05:53 PM
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It also appears you need to install some grout between the tiles. That might be why the tile broke.
 
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Old 07-15-20, 06:55 AM
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I actually give up. I spent a couple of hour chipping away and have nothing to show for it except for a few dings in the cement. I'm going to hire a professional.

Thanks for all your replies.
 
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Old 07-15-20, 08:49 AM
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Use a 4 1/2" angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel and some water. Keep it wet while you grind to keep the dust down. That will get most of it. For the corners, an oscillating tool with a pointed diamond bit would eventually get it. Or, you could also try renting a rotary hammer with a cold chisel attachment but you would have to be very careful near the tile edges, you dont want to touch the existing tile.
 
 

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