OT: Shower tile

On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:26:17 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>>
>>>
>>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>>
>>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>>> 1850 degrees.
>>>
>>
>>He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>>temp to glaze a tile.
> I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
>amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
>that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
>you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
>salvaging the tile.
>
>Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??

Lime Away a product, is very useful for cleaning tiles and stuff with
alkalinity build up. Especially when it is warm. I would do it with
gloves and warm water. Great for coffee machines, just needs to be
purged a few times before using it to make coffee again.

Silicone based products get a bad rap in my book, but not for the reasons m=
ost don't like it. It started years ago when it was touted as a product th=
at would seal any surface, could be used as an adhesive, would work for all=
kinds of minor repairs, and was the must have sealer/adhesive/caulk/waterp=
roofer for repair and remodeling.

Then we find out the hard way (NO warning from the GE people 40 years ago) =
that silicone sealer isn't UV resistant. So all the sheet metal flashings =
that have been sealed with this will leak in about 3 years.

We didn't know that surfaces to be sealed had to be PERFECTLY clean. Any t=
ype of surface residue will prevent a good seal.

No one told me it wasn't paintable. So with the really nice paints that I =
use that will adhere to motor oil (just a joke...) they would stick to the =
silicone, but peel off later.

Found out it worked reasonably well as an adherent, but did not penetrate c=
ertain surfaces well enough to call it an adhesive.

Result: No silicone product in the truck or on the job for the last 25 yea=
rs. There are much better products out there for each one of the tasks men=
tioned above, and they are a lot less money, too.

I see now they have different products that correct all the problems I had =
long ago, but on examination of the tubes I found at HD, they still don't h=
ave one product that is UV resistant, mildew resistant, paintable, etc., in=
one tube.

No thanks. I like PERMANENT repairs, repairs that I walk away from and nev=
er think about again.

If I was replacing a tile, I would use DAP with Microban. When do a tiny r=
epair like that I get the small tube in the correct grout color and glue it=
in, then use the DAP as grout.

As far as the problem with the glaze on the tile, no need to reiterate good=
solutions.

Robert

On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>
>>
>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>
>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>> 1850 degrees.
>>
>
>He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>temp to glaze a tile.
I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
salvaging the tile.

Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??

On 1/4/2016 7:09 AM, Bill wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>> On Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:57:08 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
[snip]

>> Since it was installed with mastic in the first place (a mistake, in
>> my opinion) just glue it back in with tile mastic, PL cement, or
>> silicone. No guarantee it won't fall out again - but no guarantee the
>> one beside it won't fall out first. Re grout after gluing.
>
> Thank you. Since I've just got one 2" tile, I'm trying to keep the cost
> under control. The space is so minimal (between tiles), that I think a
> little extra silicone will suffice as "grout" (assuming the silicone has
> some adhesive properties, as you seem to imply). Did I read that
> right? This is a tile "on the corner" (two edges showing).

Silicone is both. In the situation you describe it will function quite
well as an adhesive. If you have white grout (and kept it that way<g>)
after you set the tile back in place the silicone cures, carefully mask
the grout line are to just expose the width of the grout line showing on
the other tiles. Squirt a small amount of the white silicone into the
grout line and then take a WET finger and firmly press down and trace
the grout line ONCE. It will leave you with a nice clean line. After
it begins to set up, carefully remove the masking tape and pat yourself
on the back.

On Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 8:17:39 PM UTC-6, Bill wrote:

> Thanks for your post. So, if I follow you, you use the DAP as the
> adhesive too. Carefully scrape off all the old mastic, huh?
>

Yes. But depending on the age and type of mastic, I use an old chisel (like my POS Buck Brothers) or even a box cutter to cut away the mastic. The old mastic should have penetrated the tile backing well enough to make it impossible to get it all off.

The good thing about the DAP is that it is thick enough to make a dandy gap filler behind the tile, allowing you to put a good amount of the DAP onto the tile, and mash it gently into place, stopping when the tile is flush with the surrounding tiles.

After mashing into place, run the appropriate sized bead of DAP around the tile to match the grout joints, wipe away the excess DAP with a wet paper towel and give it a day to dry before use.

Robert

Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.


> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>
> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
> 1850 degrees.

On 1/2/2016 9:19 PM, OFWW wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:26:17 -0500, [email protected] wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>>>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>>>
>>>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>>>> 1850 degrees.
>>>>
>>>
>>> He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>>> temp to glaze a tile.
>> I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
>> amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
>> that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
>> you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
>> salvaging the tile.
>>
>> Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??
>
> Lime Away a product, is very useful for cleaning tiles and stuff with
> alkalinity build up. Especially when it is warm. I would do it with
> gloves and warm water. Great for coffee machines, just needs to be
> purged a few times before using it to make coffee again.
>
So is vinegar.

--
Jeff

If hair spray - or soap film ...... I'd try a solvent.
Long before I rip them out...

Martin

On 1/2/2016 5:35 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/2/2016 6:01 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>> A small section of the floor ceramic tile appears to have lost its
>> glaze -- or whatever coating allows it to repel water and dirt. Any
>> thoughts about what to use to restore it before I set out to rip and
>> replace?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Larry
>>
>
> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>
> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
> 1850 degrees.

On 1/4/2016 8:09 AM, Bill wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>> On Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:57:08 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> As long as the conversation is about bathroom tiles, what is a good way
>> to put re-adhere one that fell off (due to the vibration from sliding
>> shower door being slammed too hard into the wall). It's 2" square, and
>> both the wall and the tile have remnants of brown adhesive. It is in 2
>> pieces now, due to hitting the floor, but I consider that a non-issue as
>> the pieces fit together seemlessly. If it makes any difference, the tile
>> is in the "shower area" but not in an area that normally gets wet (it's
>> higher than that).
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Bill
>> Since it was installed with mastic in the first place (a mistake, in
>> my opinion) just glue it back in with tile mastic, PL cement, or
>> silicone. No guarantee it won't fall out again - but no guarantee the
>> one beside it won't fall out first. Re grout after gluing.
>
> Thank you. Since I've just got one 2" tile, I'm trying to keep the cost
> under control. The space is so minimal (between tiles), that I think a
> little extra silicone will suffice as "grout" (assuming the silicone has
> some adhesive properties, as you seem to imply). Did I read that
> right? This is a tile "on the corner" (two edges showing).
>
> Bill
I personally hate silicone in the bathroom it molds over quite quickly.
I started using the old standard DAP with mildewcide.. I think it's
microban 2000.

I like it better than silicone. I have limited my use of silicone more
and more, going back to other means, and only using it when needed.
BTW , they make grout in a tube for small fixes, or having to seal the
plumbing to the tile... Can't remember the name, great stuff.

--
Jeff

On Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:57:08 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
wrote:

>OFWW wrote:
>> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 22:58:29 -0500, woodchucker <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 1/2/2016 9:19 PM, OFWW wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:26:17 -0500, [email protected] wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>>>>>>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>>>>>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>>>>>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>>>>>>> 1850 degrees.
>>>>>> He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>>>>>> temp to glaze a tile.
>>>>> I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
>>>>> amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
>>>>> that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
>>>>> you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
>>>>> salvaging the tile.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??
>>>> Lime Away a product, is very useful for cleaning tiles and stuff with
>>>> alkalinity build up. Especially when it is warm. I would do it with
>>>> gloves and warm water. Great for coffee machines, just needs to be
>>>> purged a few times before using it to make coffee again.
>>>>
>>> So is vinegar.
>>
>> Yes, but no where near as effective.
>
>As long as the conversation is about bathroom tiles, what is a good way
>to put re-adhere one that fell off (due to the vibration from sliding
>shower door being slammed too hard into the wall). It's 2" square, and
>both the wall and the tile have remnants of brown adhesive. It is in 2
>pieces now, due to hitting the floor, but I consider that a non-issue as
>the pieces fit together seemlessly. If it makes any difference, the tile
>is in the "shower area" but not in an area that normally gets wet (it's
>higher than that).
>
>Thanks!
>Bill
Since it was installed with mastic in the first place (a mistake, in
my opinion) just glue it back in with tile mastic, PL cement, or
silicone. No guarantee it won't fall out again - but no guarantee the
one beside it won't fall out first. Re grout after gluing.

On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>
>
>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>
>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>> 1850 degrees.
>

He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
temp to glaze a tile.

OFWW wrote:
> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 22:58:29 -0500, woodchucker <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> On 1/2/2016 9:19 PM, OFWW wrote:
>>> On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:26:17 -0500, [email protected] wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>>>>>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>>>>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>>>>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>>>>>> 1850 degrees.
>>>>> He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>>>>> temp to glaze a tile.
>>>> I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
>>>> amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
>>>> that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
>>>> you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
>>>> salvaging the tile.
>>>>
>>>> Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??
>>> Lime Away a product, is very useful for cleaning tiles and stuff with
>>> alkalinity build up. Especially when it is warm. I would do it with
>>> gloves and warm water. Great for coffee machines, just needs to be
>>> purged a few times before using it to make coffee again.
>>>
>> So is vinegar.
>
> Yes, but no where near as effective.

As long as the conversation is about bathroom tiles, what is a good way
to put re-adhere one that fell off (due to the vibration from sliding
shower door being slammed too hard into the wall). It's 2" square, and
both the wall and the tile have remnants of brown adhesive. It is in 2
pieces now, due to hitting the floor, but I consider that a non-issue as
the pieces fit together seemlessly. If it makes any difference, the tile
is in the "shower area" but not in an area that normally gets wet (it's
higher than that).

Thanks!
Bill

[email protected] wrote:
> On Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:57:08 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> As long as the conversation is about bathroom tiles, what is a good way
> to put re-adhere one that fell off (due to the vibration from sliding
> shower door being slammed too hard into the wall). It's 2" square, and
> both the wall and the tile have remnants of brown adhesive. It is in 2
> pieces now, due to hitting the floor, but I consider that a non-issue as
> the pieces fit together seemlessly. If it makes any difference, the tile
> is in the "shower area" but not in an area that normally gets wet (it's
> higher than that).
>
> Thanks!
> Bill
> Since it was installed with mastic in the first place (a mistake, in
> my opinion) just glue it back in with tile mastic, PL cement, or
> silicone. No guarantee it won't fall out again - but no guarantee the
> one beside it won't fall out first. Re grout after gluing.

Thank you. Since I've just got one 2" tile, I'm trying to keep the cost
under control. The space is so minimal (between tiles), that I think a
little extra silicone will suffice as "grout" (assuming the silicone has
some adhesive properties, as you seem to imply). Did I read that
right? This is a tile "on the corner" (two edges showing).

Bill

Unquestionably Confused wrote:
> On 1/4/2016 7:09 AM, Bill wrote:
>> [email protected] wrote:
>>> On Mon, 4 Jan 2016 00:57:08 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
> [snip]
>
>>> Since it was installed with mastic in the first place (a mistake, in
>>> my opinion) just glue it back in with tile mastic, PL cement, or
>>> silicone. No guarantee it won't fall out again - but no guarantee the
>>> one beside it won't fall out first. Re grout after gluing.
>>
>> Thank you. Since I've just got one 2" tile, I'm trying to keep the cost
>> under control. The space is so minimal (between tiles), that I think a
>> little extra silicone will suffice as "grout" (assuming the silicone has
>> some adhesive properties, as you seem to imply). Did I read that
>> right? This is a tile "on the corner" (two edges showing).
>
> Silicone is both. In the situation you describe it will function
> quite well as an adhesive. If you have white grout (and kept it that
> way<g>) after you set the tile back in place the silicone cures,
> carefully mask the grout line are to just expose the width of the
> grout line showing on the other tiles. Squirt a small amount of the
> white silicone into the grout line and then take a WET finger and
> firmly press down and trace the grout line ONCE. It will leave you
> with a nice clean line. After it begins to set up, carefully remove
> the masking tape and pat yourself on the back.
>
Thank you! I'll print this out. And I may "crazy glue" the tile too, as
OFWW suggested. I would not have thought of that , and it would seem to
eliminate the possibility of ending up with the "cracked tile look"
(which is probably more likely, than not, without the crazy glue).

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Bill

[email protected] wrote:
> If I was replacing a tile, I would use DAP with Microban. When do a tiny repair like that I get the small tube in the correct grout color and glue it in, then use the DAP as grout.

Thanks for your post. So, if I follow you, you use the DAP as the
adhesive too. Carefully scrape off all the old mastic, huh?

Bill

>
> As far as the problem with the glaze on the tile, no need to reiterate good solutions.
>
> Robert
>
>
>
>

[email protected] wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 8:17:39 PM UTC-6, Bill wrote:
>
>> Thanks for your post. So, if I follow you, you use the DAP as the
>> adhesive too. Carefully scrape off all the old mastic, huh?
>>
> Yes. But depending on the age and type of mastic, I use an old chisel (like my POS Buck Brothers) or even a box cutter to cut away the mastic.

Thanks! You guessed right. I used a box cutter. I even had to put
a new blade in it (and it was still "impossible to get it all off", as
you wrote below--but I think I got enough of it off). I found that my
Crazy Glue was dried-up, so I'll pick up some of that with the DAP
adhesive tomorrow. I hope my experience will serve as a good lesson for
everyone not to shut their sliding shower doors too hard (and I'm glad
I'm not upset at anyone else over it)! : )

Bill


> The old mastic should have penetrated the tile backing well enough to make it impossible to get it all off.
>
> The good thing about the DAP is that it is thick enough to make a dandy gap filler behind the tile, allowing you to put a good amount of the DAP onto the tile, and mash it gently into place, stopping when the tile is flush with the surrounding tiles.
>
> After mashing into place, run the appropriate sized bead of DAP around the tile to match the grout joints, wipe away the excess DAP with a wet paper towel and give it a day to dry before use.
>
> Robert
>
>

On 1/2/2016 6:01 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
> A small section of the floor ceramic tile appears to have lost its glaze -- or whatever coating allows it to repel water and dirt. Any thoughts about what to use to restore it before I set out to rip and replace?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Larry
>
Goto home depot or Lowes. They sell sealer , there are different types.
One of them will do what you need. BTW there are many bathroom
remodellers that will reglaze your bathroom, so the stuff is out there.

And no you don't need 1850, these are chemically done.

--
Jeff

On 1/2/2016 8:22 PM, woodchucker wrote:
> On 1/2/2016 6:01 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>> A small section of the floor ceramic tile appears to have lost its
>> glaze -- or whatever coating allows it to repel water and dirt. Any
>> thoughts about what to use to restore it before I set out to rip and
>> replace?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Larry
>>
> Goto home depot or Lowes. They sell sealer , there are different types.
> One of them will do what you need. BTW there are many bathroom
> remodellers that will reglaze your bathroom, so the stuff is out there.
>
> And no you don't need 1850, these are chemically done.
>

That is an epoxy based coating, not a true reglaze. It may be
acceptable in a pinch, but tile glazing is essentially a glass coating.

On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 22:58:29 -0500, woodchucker <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On 1/2/2016 9:19 PM, OFWW wrote:
>> On Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:26:17 -0500, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 2 Jan 2016 19:04:58 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 1/2/2016 6:47 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>>>>> Thanks, Ed. I like a hot shower, but 1850 degrees is a tad hotter than I prefer.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
>>>>>> of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
>>>>>> in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
>>>>>> 1850 degrees.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> He was referring to the oven temperature. 1850 degrees is the required
>>>> temp to glaze a tile.
>>> I'd be checking to see if it has truly been etched or if it has
>>> amineral build-up. Try cleaning with CLR or some other mild acid. If
>>> that doesn't work, try polishing with a very fine abrassive to see if
>>> you can restore the gloss. If you can, perhaps there is a chance of
>>> salvaging the tile.
>>>
>>> Sounds to me like you might have very agressive alkaline water ??
>>
>> Lime Away a product, is very useful for cleaning tiles and stuff with
>> alkalinity build up. Especially when it is warm. I would do it with
>> gloves and warm water. Great for coffee machines, just needs to be
>> purged a few times before using it to make coffee again.
>>
>So is vinegar.


Yes, but no where near as effective.

On 1/2/2016 6:01 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
> A small section of the floor ceramic tile appears to have lost its glaze -- or whatever coating allows it to repel water and dirt. Any thoughts about what to use to restore it before I set out to rip and replace?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Larry
>

First, I'd check to see if the tile lost its glaze or it it is a buildup
of hair spray. You'd understand that if my daughter used your bathroom.

The only way to restore a glaze is to coat it with glaze and fire it
in a kiln. You can do it in you home oven if you can rig it to go to
1850 degrees.