Do you love performing home improvement tasks yourself? If yes, you can also work on the loose tiles to fix them effortlessly and efficiently. Undoubtedly, people prefer installing tiles in the bathrooms, kitchens and living areas because of their magical appearance.
Tiles are long-lasting and durable as compared to other flooring ways. However, it’s not an easy task to maintain the tiles, especially grout between them.
Even a thin layer of dust and dirt may make the tiles look ugly. Unfortunately, dirty tiles can leave a negative impact on the overall décor of your home. Anyhow, our main concern is about fixing the loose tiles, not their cleaning.
If you have installed the tiles with the help of professionals, they will not move for a long duration until there is any crack or gap between them.
Keep in mind that you have to resolve the losing and cracking tile issues on time. Otherwise, you may have to replace the complete tiled floor. On the other hand, mold or spores can grow effortlessly under the loose tiles compared to well-maintained and structured tiles.
So, there are many reasons to tighten the loose tiles on time. If you want to learn more about it, get instructions from this post. This article will help to understand all the basics required to tighten the loose tiles.
Now, you can fix the cracked or loose tiles yourself after reading this post! Enjoy handling this minor issue and save yourself from the professional maintenance or replacement costs.
Table of Contents
What Are The Main Reasons Behind Loose Tiles?
There could be several reasons behind the loose tiles on your floor. The main reason for this issue is inappropriately maintained grout. If the grout is not filled correctly inside the gaps of the tiles, tiles will slack their positions over time.
Moreover, the excessive use of spot-bonding will also damage the floor even after a few months. The spot-bonding creates the spaces between the tiles and increases the chances of loosening tiles.
Environmental-Changes
Like other flooring surfaces, weather conditions also affect the tiles. Tiles may expand during the summer season and contract in the winter season. However, you can minimize the chances of extraction and expansion by increasing the grout layers between the tiles.
Grout will help the tiles to stick with one another firmly even under strict environmental conditions.
Tiles Binding Material
The firmness of the tiles on the surface also depends on the type of used binding material or adhesive. If you are not utilizing a strong adhesive material, the tiles will slack earlier, even if you have installed the grout. That’s why to use a high-quality adhesive material to save the replacement and tile’s reinstallation costs.
Moreover, the thickness and consistency level of the adhesive material also matters. If the glue is thin, the tiles will leave their surface earlier but not if you use thick gluing material.
Fix The Loose Tiles
Fortunately, you don’t need to replace or obliterate the tile if you want to fix it again on the surface. However, you can change the tile if it is broken. Otherwise, it’s okay to go with the already installed tiles and firm them again on the surface. Follow the mentioned below steps and get a smooth tiled floor instantly!
- Cover the holes and hollow areas between the tiles using the broom handle or a wooden dowel. However, if the problem area is large, it’s better to mark the complete area before working. Moreover, earlier inspection will help to solve the issue effortlessly and efficiently. For marking the area, you can use temporary chalk paint or masking tape. Start covering the area from a specific side. So, you can end up without any stress or leaving any corner.
- Use a masonry drill of average size to put the adhesive under the tiles quickly. It’s better to make a giant hole. So, you can fill the gluing material evenly and effortlessly. Keep in mind that the number of holes on the tiles depends on the tile size. 2-3 holes are more than enough for a standard-size tile.
- All you need to do is fill the material in the grout lines, not directly on the tiles. The reason is that the direct drilling on the tiles will break the tiles. So, you have to take care while drilling to save yourself from additional risks and replacement costs. Additionally, straight drilling down in the grout lines is better than drilling in the subfloors.
- Even if there is no dust and dirt on the tiles, you have to vacuum clean the grout and tiles appropriately before filling the adhesive. If the dust is stuck between the grout lines, use a shop vacuum hose for better and effective cleaning results. In this way, you can suck out the maximum dust in less time and effort. Consequently, you can also use the rubber mallet to lose all the debris and adhesive residues.
- Use “fix A repairing floor tube tip” to fill the adhesive evenly inside each drilled hole into the grout lines.
- Once you have filled the adhesive, clean the tiles and grout after drying using the average temperature water.
- Fill the grout lines again with the matching grout in normal consistency. Moreover, you can also apply the grout sealant for long-lasting and durable results. Once the new grout has dried, wipe out the residues with a dap or mopping cloth.
Bottom Line
In short, there would be many reasons behind the tiles cracking and loosening, including environmental changes, tiles condition, tiles quality and low-quality adhesive material. Hopefully, after reading this post, you will not need to call professionals to fix the loose tiles.
After understanding the above points, it would be easy for all to fix the loose tiling floor. Enjoy replacing and tightening the tiles yourself without stepping out of your budget!
