After a homeowner purchased their new home, they set out to remove the previous owner’s handicap grab bars. As a result, their fully-tiled bathroom was left with some holes that needed patching. When they called the Ask This Old House team for help, carpenter Nathan Gilbert gladly headed out to help them patch up their problem.
How to Replace Wall Tiles
- Put on a pair of work gloves and safety glasses. Working with tile can mean creating and dealing with a lot of sharp edges and small, flying bits.
- Use a utility knife to relieve the grout around the tile. Drag the knife’s tip through the grout line to cut away at the existing grout. It doesn’t need to be removed completely, but the relief lines will prevent unnecessary cracking.
- Use a hammer and a cold chisel to cut score lines in the damaged tile. If possible, cut along a straight line between the holes to make removing larger chunks easier.
- Slip a pry bar under the tile and pry it off the wall slowly to prevent wall damage. Only pry against tiles you’ll be removing; otherwise, you could break other tiles.
- Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the majority of the dust and debris from the repair area. Use a dry sponge to remove any of the powder or dirt.
- Patch the drilled holes with construction adhesive to improve the integrity of the wall.
- Mix the repair mortar and water in a small pail according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Use the trowel to butter the back of the tile with the mortar mix.
- Place the tile into the repair area and press it against the wall to adhere it. Adjust its spacing so it’s even compared to the other tiles.
- Allow the tile to set for an hour or two to cure. Then, apply the grout by cutting the tip of the caulking tube at a 45-degree angle, placing it in the caulking gun, and applying a beat of caulk between the tiles.
- Use a pencil eraser to carefully shape the caulk and remove excess.
Resources
To remove the tile, Nathan first scores around the grout using a utility knife. Then, he uses a grout brush to clean out any dust. He also uses a carbide-tipped grout removal tool to help create a clean open line in the grout. He then begins carefully chipping out the tile with a hammer and chisel.
Once the gypsum board is vacuumed and wiped off, the tile is ready to be installed. To adhere the new tile, Nathan opts to use a tile repair mortar, applying it to the back of the tile using a 1/8 the notched trowel. Once the tile is laid in, Nathan checks that the depth of the tile matches the others with a level. To grout the tiles, Nathan uses an unsanded grout that comes in a caulking tube for easy application.
