Hi,

I'm in the process of replacing some tiles in the bathroom in a 1950's home. All the tiles being replaced are on interior walls. Access to one of the interior walls (from both sides) has revealed what I believe to be mortar on metal lath construction. The tiles are being replaced for aesthetic reasons—there is no damage to the substrate. Some of the tiles being replaced are in the bath cove.

So far I have managed to remove the majority of the tiles I indend to replace using a grout removal tool, a chisel, and a hammer. I have the following questions about proceeding with this project:

• The exposed surface under the removed tiles is either smooth (entire tile came off clean), or rather uneven (tile took a lot of chisel work to come off). What is the best way of preparing the surface for the new tiles?
• I've read somewhere that a cement paste may have been used to adhere the original tiles to the mortar substrate to give a good, long-lasting bond that was not succeptible to moisture problems. What would be the recommended method of adhesion today to achieve a similar level of performance and durability?
• Despite a lot of patience (and only a little bit of frustration), some of the neighbouring tiles that were not intended to be replaced were accidentally chipped. The worst tile has about 1 sq. in. of glaze missing adjacent to one of its edges. What would be the best way of treating these tiles if I don't want to replace them?
• The original tile grout is very hard (the tint is green, altough I'm not sure if this is relevant) compared to grout used today. While the exposed grout areas are now a dirty gray, the grout appears to be in excellent shape. What is the likely composition of this original grout, and would I want to use it during replacement tile installation?

Any help with the above questions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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Arthur

Hello Arthur,

In the early fifties everything was put together with neat cement (portland cement). That's the setting material and the grout. Nowadays you would use thin set mortar to re-attach your tiles. Versa Bond (sold at Home Depot) is a good one. Get the white.

I wonder if it's possible that you remove another row of tiles to get rid of the ones you messed up?

John, thanks for your reply and the information you provided. Unless my technique improves, I'm reluctant to remove another row of tiles. I'm afraid the chipping will continue until no more tiles are left at all, and that's a lot of tile!

Do you have any suggestions for a method of getting the tiles off clean? I've been using a Dremel with a grout removal bit to get the grout out, although I found it difficult to "steer" — it had a tendency to move off the grout and onto the softer tile material. I have also bought a manual carbide saw for grout removal, but haven't tried it yet. I can only guess that my difficulties may be in part caused by, as you have suggested, the fact that the grout I'm trying to remove is portland cement.

I'm still not sure on how to deal with the uneven surface. What should I use to even it out before putting on the new tiles? I want to be sure there is good adhesion to the existing mortar substrate.

Thanks again!
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Arthur

Hi Arthur
The easiest way to remove the tile without chipping the tile next to it, is to remove the grout completly.Unfortunatly, those grout tools don't work very well..especially on wall tile with a tight joint. We, who do this type of thing everyday, use an angle grinder with a 4 inch dry cut diamond blade attached. Then we cut the joint out right to the bottom of the tile. This relieves any pressure against the adjacent tile and we can remove them without chipping any next to it. You can buy a grinder and a blade for less than a hundred bucks.(it does make a lot of dust though).
If you buy a 4 inch razor scraper, you can probably remove most of the old cement off the wall. It has a 12 inch handle with a 4 inch scraper on the end....works great.
Any damage to the walls can be fixed with thin set..white is best(much easier to clean up) Versabond from HD is good. And you should be able to find a green grout that comes close to what you have too. Use the same white thin set to set your tile.

John and Bri, thank you very much for all the advice. I'll be resuming work on the bathroom this weekend, and will proceed per your suggestions.

Thanks again!
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Arthur