Adhesive between tile joints - Tile Advice

[SilverSide11]

Hello Everyone, I’m a trainee tiler, I’m doing a lot of labouring at the minuite for the other tilers, has anyone any tips on removing set in Adhesive from the floor tile joints, also removing the plastic clips that are left in between the joints after the wedges have been kicked off, I’m using a Stanley and a grout removal scraper, they do the job but very time consuming, has anyone ever tried using a multi tool ?

 

[eddcottee]

Hello mate. When I first started, I also wasted too much time removing adhesive from joints. The simple answer is to work more cleanly. Use the appropriate sized trowel for the tile and if you do get any mess, remove it before it sets. It's well worth taking your time to clean up as you go along and work cleanly. It will save you an awful lot of time versus digging out set adhesive with a stanley.

As for the clips, it's probably the same issue to be fair. You've got too much adhesive setting in between the joints, so work more cleanly and you shouldn't have that issue. Sometimes, the cheap ones I often use from Topps do have a tendancy to break and need digging out. I just remove the wedges by hand and pull the clip out with a pair of grips and just give them a swift pull. They always break clean that way for me

 

[Joe8189]

I agree with Edd. Keeping tiles clean is the answer. I tend to have a paint brush in my sponge bucket and if it gets messy especially around the clips just wash it down before inserting the clip. The clips need to be tight, again I use the puller to keep the tension equal. If they do break wrong the best tool is to invest in a Fen saw and a grout blade. They work well removing the plastic without damaging the tiles.