Removing grout/adhesive from terracotta tiles.....

[mims&pip]

Hi all,

Just looking for suggestions as to the best way to remove old grout and adhesive from terracotta wall tiles please.....

We have around fifty Fired Earth 'Marrakech Bahia' tiles, including some cuts. Back in 2013 at our last house we used these in the kitchen for a backsplash behind the range and butler sink. We initially extended the sink backsplash to the sides but decided it was too much so removed the excess tiles a week later. Unfortunately both grout and adhesive are still evident and as we now wish to reuse these (they are £8.95 each so don't want to waste them :shock: ), I am looking for a way to clean them off with minimal damage to the terracotta. The tiles are thick but soft/fragile. Would soaking them in something - warm water - then gently loosening the adhesive/grout, work?

Thanks in advance,

Mims x

 

[Feltwell]

I had to remove some very old, rock hard grout and adhesive from some tiles last weekend.

Chipping it off is not a good idea - the chances of breaking a tile are high. I used a wet diamond blade tile saw, with the guard removed (naughty me) to cut the adhesive off the outer part of the back and the grout off the edges. I then got the remaining adhesive off the centre of the back of the tile using an angle grinder with a dry diamond masonry blade.

Noisy, messy, time consuming job but it put very little stress on the tiles and worked a treat, leaving me with clean tiles with (relatively) smooth backs.

You could try soaking your tiles but I doubt it will do anything - the adhesive and grout should be waterproof. Up to a day or 2 old and you'd have a fair chance of scraping it off if it was still soft, but now I don't fancy your chances! Still, a soak in hot water won't do them any harm, worth trying with one......

 

[plasticpigeon]

We got cement adhesive from the backs of quarry tiles by cutting lots of channels in with an angle grinder and then chipping off the little cubes with a small pneumatic hammer. pretty drastic! maybe brick acid might work, but might discolour the tiles.

 

[kreyszig]

I'd have a pop with a grout removal blade on a Fein/other oscillating tool like these

 

[Penners]

I'd have a pop with a grout removal blade on a Fein/other oscillating tool like these

Me too. However, I'd place a small bet that, after you've done a dozen or so tiles, you'll be prepared to spend any amount of money on new ones, so as not to have to clean off any more!

 

[kreyszig]

i don't doubt it. one of those "is my time really worth this little" moments

 

[mims&pip]

Ooh, lots of great suggestions.....thanks guys Plenty to keep me busy next week whilst Pip is away helping our son with some plastering......

I know what you mean about thankless tasks - having partaken freely of plenty of these during our years of property restoration :lol: These tiles are gorgeous though and definitely not on the budget for this place (don't mind buying a *few* more, but am not prepared to spend the £££ we did at the last house) so if I can salvage them for reuse I will!

Cheers chaps!

Mims x

 

[Feltwell]

I'd have a pop with a grout removal blade on a Fein/other oscillating tool like these

They are absolutely brilliant for getting old grout out from between tiles that are in-situ, prior to re-grouting. Might be a bit slow for getting adhesive off the back though - it would work, but very slowly if it's more than just the odd blob I reckon. Worth a try though.

My task started off as getting old grout out from between tiles in our shower cubicle in order to re-grout. Then I realised some of the tiles near the bottom were actually loose. Then I discovered they were only stuck to plasterboard, and the plasterboard had long since turned to mush due to a leak - the shower cubicle walls having been built with ordinary plasterboard nailed (not very well) over the top of the original lath&plaster wall :roll:

So, as ever, what starts out as a quick job ends up being anything but. Hence the need to carefully get the very thick adhesive off the old tiles - I have no spare ones, they have to go back where they came from or it's re-tile the whole room!

Why didn't they use aquapanel to stick the tiles to? I shouldn't be too shocked that it was a bodge job really, as the standard of workmanship of the visible elements in that room is poor. Eventually I'll re-do the whole room.............

 

[Zebra]

Diamond blades are a girl's best friend, Mims.