For Tile Matchmakers, Patience Is the Most Important Tool

Q: DEAR TIM: I have ceramic floor tile in my kitchen. We removed a wall to open up the floor plan, and now I must replace the cut tiles with full ones to make the ceramic tile floor look perfect. My builder left behind a box of the original tile, so I have the pieces I need. Can you tell me how to install ceramic floor tile in this situation? I am worried about matching the height of the existing tile and getting the grout to match. -- Alicia R., West Fargo, N.D.

A: DEAR ALICIA: You are going to need a large bucket of patience and a few simple tools.

The first step is to carefully remove the old cut tiles. There are several ways to do this. You can chisel out the grout with a hammer and a small cold chisel, or you can try to use a power grinder to help cut away the grout. Be very careful as you work near the ceramic tile you want to save. Never chisel toward tile you want to save. Chip away from the tile.

Once the grout is removed, try to pop the cut tile from the floor using a wide, stiff putty knife that is driven at a low angle under the tile. Start the knife under the cut edge that was against the old wall. Tap the putty knife with a hammer. If you're lucky, the entire tile will lift at once. You may end up shattering the tile, and it will come out in pieces. That's fine -- just be careful not to cut yourself, as ceramic tile shards can be sharp.

When the old tiles are removed, scrape any adhesive from the floor. If the original installer used an organic mastic similar to cake icing, you may be able to use an adhesive remover to soften the old glue. If the adhesive is cement thinset, you will need to chisel or grind it off with a power tool. Use a wet-dry vacuum and pipe the exhaust outdoors, as the thinset will produce silica dust that is not good for your lungs.

Now, in the space where the old wall was, you need to bring up the surface to be level with whatever underlayment was used by the installer. If the tile was installed on a concrete slab, you may have to do nothing. But often a ceramic tile floor is installed over wood. You may have to install a strip of matching gypsum-based or cement board underlayment.

At this point, the hard work is complete. Laying the ceramic floor tile in this small area is no different than doing an entire floor. You apply an adhesive to the same thickness as the original and set the tile into it. Use a straightedge or a level that rests on the existing tile and the new ones to ensure that the replacement tiles are not higher or lower than the full tile already in place.

Matching the tile grout may be problematic. Even if the builder saved some grout, it may not be usable, as it could have hardened in the bag after several years. To match tile grout, you must clean the existing grout well to see what its color really is. You can clean ceramic tile grout fairly easily using a solution of oxygen bleach, which comes as a powder you mix with water. Once you have mixed it, apply the solution to the grout, let it soak for about 15 minutes and then scrub with a stiff brush. Years of dirt come up with ease.

Once the grout is clean, let it dry for two days so you can start to match it. Ceramic tile stores usually sell many grouts, and matching a color is not too hard. Your existing grout must be dry to get a perfect color match. As you mix the grout you buy, keep in mind that it always looks darker when wet. Mix up some test grout and let it dry before you grout your replacement tile.

Tim Carter can be contacted via his Web site, http://www.askthebuilder.com/printer_Submit_Question.shtml.

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