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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.

While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.

To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?

Thanks,

EJ in NJ
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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

Ernie Willson wrote in
m:

First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.

While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.

To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?

Thanks,

EJ in NJ


solvent for the mastic(paint stripper?),and a grinding wheel for the grout.

although there may be some chemical or solution that would break loose the
grout,without damaging the tile's glaze.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

On Mar 7, 6:31*pm, Ernie Willson wrote:
First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.

While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.

To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?

Thanks,

EJ in NJ


You might spend more time screwing with a few tiles than redoing the
whole bath maybe, and it may fail, so try different ideas, solvents
like laquer thinner might remove glue, acids might remove or loosen
grouts, but ruin the tile basing.
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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

On Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:31:57 -0500, Ernie Willson
wrote:

While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side.


Were good gloves. You can end up with six stitches on one finger. If
that happens use white cotton and duct tape. Finish the day out and
visit the local med center.

Salvage tile and you can get cut... just sayin'

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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

In article , Ernie Willson
wrote:

First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.

While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.

To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?


I just did the same thing to repair some greenwall on a shower wall. The
backs of the tile had tile adhesive (brownish) rather than thinset, along
with some of the paper from the greenwall. There were bits of grout on the
edges of the tile. I soaked the tiles for a day or so, but this didn't
loosen the mastic, though the paper did come off easily, but this didn't
do much good. I was able to get the mastic off two ways: 1) scraping with
a 5 in 1 or putty knife while the tile was on a hard surface with a cloth
protecting the glaze. Took some time, but was successful. 2) used a
grinder with a diamond blade on it. It caused dust, but I was outside. You
could also use a grinder wheel.

For the grout, using a narrow putty knife from the back edge worked for
most of it. Put the knife on the "lip" of the grout and a sharp blow with
the heel of my hand. Also was able to force bits of it off with just my
hand. Backup method was the diamond blade on the grinder, but this runs
the risk of damaging the edge of the tile, the bumps on the edge or the
glaze.

Took about an hour total, including clean up, for 27 tiles.

If the adhesive is thinset, then soaking the tiles for several days helps.
I ran mine through the diswasher, and cleaned up the bits that were on the
drain screen.


--
charles


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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

On Mar 8, 7:42*pm, (Charles Bishop) wrote:
In article , Ernie Willson

wrote:
First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.


While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.


To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?


I just did the same thing to repair some greenwall on a shower wall. The
backs of the tile had tile adhesive (brownish) rather than thinset, along
with some of the paper from the greenwall. There were bits of grout on the
edges of the tile. I soaked the tiles for a day or so, but this didn't
loosen the mastic, though the paper did come off easily, but this didn't
do much good. I was able to get the mastic off two ways: 1) scraping with
a 5 in 1 or putty knife while the tile was on a *hard surface with a cloth
protecting the glaze. Took some time, but was successful. 2) used a
grinder with a diamond blade on it. It caused dust, but I was outside. You
could also use a grinder wheel.

For the grout, using a narrow putty knife from the back edge worked for
most of it. Put the knife on the "lip" of the grout and a sharp blow with
the heel of my hand. Also was able to force bits of it off with just my
hand. Backup method was the diamond blade on the grinder, but this runs
the risk of damaging the edge of the tile, the bumps on the edge or the
glaze.

Took about an hour total, including clean up, for 27 tiles.

If the adhesive is thinset, then soaking the tiles for several days helps..
I ran mine through the diswasher, and cleaned up the bits that were on the
drain screen.

--
charles


Tile can take a lot of heat. I have cleaned them up with a torch. The
heat will cause grout and thinset to break down and burn mastic off
without hurting the tile.

Jimmie
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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse



JIMMIE wrote:
On Mar 8, 7:42 pm, (Charles Bishop) wrote:
In article , Ernie Willson

wrote:
First..let me thank everyone who responded to my earlier post about
matching the existing tile. Nothing has been found so I will have to
come up with a pattern in a contrasting style/color.
While taking the old tile up about 12 tiles were broken and need
replacement. To do this I had to take up about 27 tiles. This means that
about 15 tiles can be reused. These old tiles have grout on the edges
and mastic on the bottom side. The mastic appears to be some sort of
clear or light colored plastic.
To the maximum extent possible I intend to reuse the 15 existing tile.
What is the easiest way to remove the old grout and mastic without
damaging the reused tile?

I just did the same thing to repair some greenwall on a shower wall. The
backs of the tile had tile adhesive (brownish) rather than thinset, along
with some of the paper from the greenwall. There were bits of grout on the
edges of the tile. I soaked the tiles for a day or so, but this didn't
loosen the mastic, though the paper did come off easily, but this didn't
do much good. I was able to get the mastic off two ways: 1) scraping with
a 5 in 1 or putty knife while the tile was on a hard surface with a cloth
protecting the glaze. Took some time, but was successful. 2) used a
grinder with a diamond blade on it. It caused dust, but I was outside. You
could also use a grinder wheel.

For the grout, using a narrow putty knife from the back edge worked for
most of it. Put the knife on the "lip" of the grout and a sharp blow with
the heel of my hand. Also was able to force bits of it off with just my
hand. Backup method was the diamond blade on the grinder, but this runs
the risk of damaging the edge of the tile, the bumps on the edge or the
glaze.

Took about an hour total, including clean up, for 27 tiles.

If the adhesive is thinset, then soaking the tiles for several days helps.
I ran mine through the diswasher, and cleaned up the bits that were on the
drain screen.

--
charles


Tile can take a lot of heat. I have cleaned them up with a torch. The
heat will cause grout and thinset to break down and burn mastic off
without hurting the tile.

Jimmie



Jimmie...It sounded like a good idea, however, when I heated a test tile
up to the point that the mastic was starting to burn the tile cracked. I
guess it depends on the tile in question.

EJ in NJ
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Default Cleaning Ceramic tile for reuse

replying to Ernie Willson, Julie Artchamber wrote:
ewillson wrote:

Jimmie...It sounded like a good idea, however, when I heated a test tile
up to the point that the mastic was starting to burn the tile cracked. I
guess it depends on the tile in question.
EJ in NJ



As an art teacher with much experience firing ceramics, one should always
heat and cool tiles (clay) slowly. The ceramic firing process takes long
hours because of the stress the clay endures and heating and cooling the
clay must be done gradually. Also, tiles come in a variety of clays, from
terra cotta which is more porous and fragile, to porcelain and stoneware
which are fired at much higher temperatures. These are not nearly as
porous, or fragile.

In another related problem, I found a solution to removing caulk residue
from ceramic tile (after scraping most of the caulk with razor blade).
using Goo-Gone or WD-40 seemed to be the most effective products. I tried
several suggested chemicals, like acetone, alcohol, paint thinner without
success. I can't deal with odors very well and found the Goo Gone to be
least "fragrant" and most effective while scrubbing with a plastic
scrubbie.

--


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