Loose Tiles on a Damaged Shower Wall

Damaged Walls

• When the wall itself becomes damaged, it must be repaired prior to beginning any tile work. Damage to a shower wall leaves the area behind the shower open to mold and mildew growth -- a potentially hazardous situation. All products used in a shower must be waterproof and able to resist mold or bacterial growth. Remove all tile from the damaged area, either with a hammer or chisel. Remove the damaged drywall and prepare it for a new piece. This cut should be squared off and encompass all parts of the damaged wall. Severe damage will probably require replacing one or more whole sheets of drywall. Once installed, apply a layer of drywall mud along the seams, tape it off with mesh tape and apply a second layer of mud. Once all of this has dried, it is time to retile and grout. When the wall is severely damaged, completely replacing the tiles is more likely than salvaging existing pieces.

Loose Tiles

• The repair process will vary greatly depending on the severity of the tile damage. Re-grouting a shower tile which is just somewhat loose is a fairly basic task. It requires filing out the old grout with a grout saw and applying a new layer. The process isn’t difficult, but is often time consuming. If the tile is loose enough that it moves or falls out completely, reattaching it to the backing board is required. This means removing the tile or tiles and reattaching them with mastic or thinset. It might also mean replacing the existing tile with a new one.

Mastic or Thinset Problems

• If several tiles are damaged, loose or falling out, mastic or thinset could be the problem. The repair process is going to depend largely on the scale of the problem and includes everything from a simple repair to a full retiling. If there are a few loose tiles and the wall is in good condition, drilling holes into the grout joints is an ideal repair method. These holes are filled with an epoxy resin, which provides a stronger bond between the tile and substrate material. Once this epoxy has dried, the holes are covered with grout to look good as new.

Chips

• Chips are more an aesthetic problem than a structural one and, with most materials, are able to be repaired. If the chip is large and the pieces of the tile haven’t shattered, use an epoxy resin to fill in the chip and place the tile pieces on top. Give the resin some time to dry completely and cover the tile with a waterproof sealant. If the chip is small or the pieces aren’t usable, prime and paint the chip so it matches the rest of the tile. Fill in the gap with clear epoxy so the damaged area is the same depth as the rest of the tile.