Re-Laying old cement tiles

Finally after most of the masonry works were over it was time to re-lay the old patterned tiles.  Having 2 different patterns in the 2 rooms that we opened up to each other, we opted for plain white tiles to fill the voids left by the removal of walls and widening of doors.  Upon calculating the square area and making up for allowances on possible breakages and waste due to complete inexperience in laying tile we were short quite a few tiles.

We managed to find (from more than 1 source) a fair amount of white tiles by using a local recycle site.  Being manufactured by different people at different times (some tiles were rather old), we decided to lay them at random, in keeping with the school of beauty seen in imperfection or randomness.  Being an older property we thought that we could afford this.

Different shades of white to
bridge the gap where
 the wall once stood

Needs list: a long spirit level, rubber mallet, sand, cement,     angle grinder, sponge, brush, knee pads, 3 buckets, drill and mixer attachment, trowel (kazzola) and hawk (flawt) and lots of patience.

My rookie mistake here was to start laying tile without checking if both rooms were level.  It was only half way through the work did I notice that there were various levels in both these rooms.  Getting an idea beforehand is definitely easier and prevents removal and relaying not to mention tile wastage.

Preparing the substrate

The areas which had to be tiled where cleaned, and a fresh substrate of bedding (torba) was laid. The bedding was compacted by hand (being a small area) using a flat piece of wood  and water was sprayed over it to aid settling of the bedding.  The tiles were soaked in water beforehand to allow for a better adhesion and a fresh batch of mortar consisting of fine sand and cement was mixed using a drill and mixer attachment.  The ratio I used was 3 parts sand to 1 part cement.  I found personally that the mixture should not be too soft as the tiles could sink further below the desired level and not too stiff not to allow adjustment.

Here is the laying process in point form:

1. Prior to laying the edges of the tiles (that were already laid) were gently ground down using an angle grinder.  The edges will have left over mortar and grouting stuck to them.  This allows for good apposition of the newly laid tiles.
2. Using a trowel apply an amount of mortar relative to the size of tile and slightly higher to the required level of mortar (you may check with the neighbouring tile).
3. Place a wet tile on the mortar and gently tap around it  starting from the edge closest to the neighbouring tile outwards to allow the excess mortar to move outwards.
4. Check level with neighbouring tiles throughout the process.  Is tile level?  If level is too low, remove tile and add mortar.  If level is too high remove some mortar and re-lay tile.  If the tile is level move on to the next tile.

Red arrows mark the badly damaged tiles that were replaced

Whilst in the process badly damaged tiles were removed and replaced.  With damaged tiles that were surrounded by others in good condition removal consisted of cutting a grid like pattern into the tile (using a grinder) as well as cutting around the border of the tile.  This approach did not damage any neighbouring tiles.  After lifting out the pieces the edges were ground down using a grinder.  The replacement tile was laid in the same manner above.  The surrounding tiles were used as a reference level.

The edges were left to the end.  In this way broken tiles were used to cut down to size.  The remaining whole tiles were kept as spares.

  

The decision to mix and match different whites worked out well for us.  However that is just a matter of taste.

Edges were left till the end

All that remained was to bring in a professional tile polisher to breathe life back into the tiles.  This is not a job that can be done without the right industrial tools.

Cleaning of old cement tiles

Cleaning needs list:  drill / angle grinder with rough grit sanding discs, metal scrapers /chisels, goggles, dust mask, small pickaxe

The excess mortar and substrate was gently removed by gently scraping with a small pickaxe or chisel. keeping the tile vertical.  The sides and bottom were then cleaned using the sanding discs.  It is important to clean the sides as when re-laying the tiles will not fit together neatly.
ATTN: at this point lots of dust and bits and pieces will fly about so wear protective equipment.
Finally scrape the underside and sides using the metal scraper, and store the tiles for re-laying.

Tile after removal

Drill with sanding disc used for cleaning

Tile after cleaning

Ready for a second chance

Removing old cement tiles for recycling.

A couple of rooms in the house had old patterned cement tiles.  We decided to keep these, however we had 2 issues.

We had a thick wall that was to be removed between these rooms, and the door leading to the outside was to be widened, which would leave quite a gap in the floor.  We decided to retile these using white cement tiles.  We also had to replace a few broken tiles and lift out quite a few of the tiles to lay the electrics and plumbing for a kitchen island.

Red outline marks some of the areas where new tiles had to be laid

Removal of floor tiles for installation of plumbing and electrics

Lifting these tiles out is not so simple.  They are brittle and break easily.  Most patterns are replaceable however the idea was to have a floor that did look like it had some age to it.  We were lucky to discover that another floor that was to be replaced had 2 layers of tiles, most of which were still in good condition so I decided to start the surgery on this part before taking on the kitchen floor.

Removal needs list: small pick axe, hooked tool (to rake out the masonry joints), angle grinder, 1 mm grinding disk, respirator mask, eye goggles, metal scraper

You will need a steady hand for removal.  Work slowly and carefully.  The angle grinder was fitted with a 1mm grinding disc.  This was the thinnest one I found.  Start at one end and cut along the tile joints the length of a couple of tiles.  You may need to sacrifice the first tile to be able to lift the others out.  I sacrificed a white one from the border, as these are easily replaceable.  I did this process for a couple of rows of tiles at a time as I found that this will weaken the substrate underneath and allow for easier removal.
Unless the tiles lift out easily (this is not always the case) loosen and rake out the substrate underneath.  Avoid the temptation of using leverage as you may break most of the tiles.  I also inserted a thin metal scraper between the joints and gently tapped downwards along the length of the joint to loosen the area around each tile.  Lift the tiles out gently in preparation for cleaning.

diditmyselfDIY - Intro

I have decided to write about my DIY experiences in the restoration of an older property.   Originally I had decided to take on some of the minor works myself for a variety of reasons.  The main ones being (besides the obvious satisfaction of contributing to the completion of your future home):

- difficulty in finding people to tackle small jobs

- cost / budget

- time

- knowledge about various tools and products needed for any specific job

- learning the skill

I am sure that there are many out there wanting to take on some works, however do not know where to start.

When we decided to embark on this restoration / conversion project our architect warned us that these houses tend to be like "opening a can of worms".

Prior to taking the plunge I spent countless hours on calculating potential costs on spreadsheet, and came to one conclusion.  Taking this project on meant rolling up my sleeves and doing all the minor jobs that I thought would be within my reach, such as sanding down apertures and beams and repainting, pulling out old tiles and possibly re pointing (tikhil) the whole place, that is after scraping down the walls which had numerous layers of paint, etc, etc, etc.

Now that the project is nearly over I can say that I have done much more than anticipated, however I have learnt that with some observation, patience, the Internet and the courage to take the plunge in trying a new skill, most of these projects are possible.  Purchasing proper tools is a necessity, however compared to the cost of hiring a professional these are minor.  Tools also make various processes easier and less time and energy consuming.  They also guarantee a better result.  Also the range available out there is impressive.  The money saved can be used in areas where you cannot possibly do yourself, are not willing to venture into or may require a licensed professional.  In my case this was plumbing, electrics, building, and parts of the glazing and apertures.

I will deal with all the areas I have learnt to work in, not necessarily in the order tackled during the project itself unless the work being described follows a sequence.  There will be a mention of generic products and tools.  The processes described may not always follow what is described in literature, however in my opinion there is no harm trying new approaches or ideas that come to mind provided that they are safe.  This is how innovation comes about.

Watch this space.

P.s.  Some friends and family still think that I was out of my mind.