How to fix fallen external wall tiles?

[ew2338]

Hi I really need some advices.  My house has 2 pieces of external wall tiles fallen yesterday and luckily no one was hurt.  I temporary applied some duct tape on the adjacent tiles as I worried it may fall as well.   

Based on the 'glue mark' on the wall, its seems that the adhesive did not adhere to the wall and similar situation also found at the adjacent tiles.

Hence I have the some questions regarding how to fix the issue and the safety measures below:-

1. Is there any immediate danger that the adjacent tiles be fallen as well?  How to secure it properly?  Can I apply liquid nails between the tiles to secure them?

2. Why the adhesive cannot be adhered to the wall?  Will the same thing happened in the future if I simply repair/adhere two new tiles on the wall?

3. Should the work be done by professional or can it be DIY?  I picked up a rail after the incident and it looks like it is the bottom of the tile support but I doubt how it work if it couldn't adhere properly without drilling.  

Thank you so much for your help and advices in advance!

[JacobZ]

Hi @ew2338,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

You should start by testing whether the adjacent tiles have adhered well. Is there any movement at all if you gently pull on the edge of the next tile over? Does it feel like it is solidly attached? If there is any movement when the tile is pulled on, considering they have almost certainly used the same adhesive and technique, then it is likely worth removing and reattaching the tile.

You'll then need to clean up the surface and remove any remaining adhesive that can affect how the tile adheres to the substrate. Use a 100mm Sharp Edge Paint Scraper to remove as much of the solid adhesive as possible. Once the adhesive has been scraped off, use warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush to remove any dirt or residues that can affect the tiles' adhesion.

Once prepared, apply Davco 1L Ultraprime Surface Primer to the substrate and use a high-quality external tile adhesive suitable for wall tiles such as this Davco 20kg SMP Evo Tile Adhesive. Ensure you follow the instructions on the packaging closely to ensure it is mixed to the right consistency. You will need to use a Mixing Paddle with a drill.

Use the notched side of a QEP 12mm Square Notch Handyman Adhesive Trowel to apply beads of adhesive to the surface, then use the smooth side of the trowel to apply a smooth coat to the back of the tile. When putting the tile in place, push down and move the tile side to side so the beads of adhesive break and suction is created between the two masses of adhesive.

The metallic tile trim can then be slipped behind the tile. It is held in place by the tile adhesive.

While everything is setting, tape the tile and trim in place to give it extra strength while the adhesive is setting.

Once the tile adhesive has set, grout the joins between the tiles.

This repair is certainly achievable as a beginner, but if you have any concerns, it is likely worth contacting a tiler for assistance.

Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[ew2338]

Hi Jacob,

Thank you so much for your detail reply.  Initially I thought I can fix it by myself just by reapplying 2 new tiles but seems that there is a lot of work behind.  I believed it's a techniques problem that the original tiler didn't scrape the render paints before applying the adhesive for the tiles.  Possibly the same thing may happen to the adjacent tiles in the future. 

Do you have any advice how to secure the adjacent tiles at this moment?  Say for a few months before a full retiling?  Can liquid nails work or should I drill holes on the tiles?  Thanks.

[JacobZ]

Hi @ew2338,

Unless you can pump the liquid nails behind the tiles, then this would not really help.

If you test the adjacent tiles and feel they are not as stable as you'd hope, then taping them as you have is the best solution to give them some additional support until they can be removed and reattached.

As the tape will need to be there for a while, I'd suggest using a high-quality weatherproof tape such as this Gorilla 48mm x 22.8m All Weather Tape. I would also suggest making the lengths of tape much longer so that there is more contact area on the top and bottom of the landing.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[ew2338]

Thank you Jacob!  Really helpful for your advice!