To Gripfill or not to gripfill, that is a question!

[BlueFrog]

Hi Guys

This is my first post so please be gentle. First off I know this may be, on the face of it, a "stooopid question" but please read on and see that it is a quandry more than a "stoopid" question.

I have been asked by a customer to replace some tiles in a commercial kitchen that have broken and or come out. On inspection, these have been stuck down with some sort of adhesive that could even be Silicon. The tiles have lifted or cracked in places and he is looking to get them repaired. It is a working kitchen that cant be shut down for more than a morning so I am going to have to get in, replace, grout and get out by 4pm which shouldnt be a problem using fast drying adhesives but therin lies the issue. If I use proppper tile adhesives they tiles are going to sit proud and produce a "trip hazard" and as most of the floor is already laid with the "sub standard" adhesive I am in a quandry what to do. I cant relay the whole thing so ....

1. Will gripfill spread over the whole back of the tile with a mosaic notch be suitable?
2. Is there a better option?

Your help is greatly appreciated!!

Darryll

 

[beanz]

You can't really "spread" gripfill!?! Can't you do the work out of hours?

 

[Bubblecraft]

Hi & welcome to TF. As above, you can't really spread gripfill. If you do manage it, your trowel will be fit for the bin.
What are the tiles & what is the substrate that is to be fitted to?

 

[Bubblecraft]

Also, how many tiles are you replacing in percentage to the area of floor that is covered?

 

[BlueFrog]

Thanks for your quick replies. In % m2 it equates to about 1.5m2 of about 15. To do it out of hours is not an option as the owner wont stay up late and as an indian restaurant late is unfortunately very late! They are very thin quarry tiles (only about 5mm thick and going down on concrete sub strate. The tiles have been a nightmare to sourse as they are half of what normal quarry tiles are and also not something that the usual suspects carry as stock. HAve found some though which are arriving tomorrow.

The trowel I was going to use is an old one anyway so not too fussed about tossing it out after the job. Would love the job of redoing the whole floor but that is shut down, pull out all appliances etc and not very feasable.

 

[danmasey]

Can't you use rapid set adhesive with as thin trowel bed as possible. Even 4mm? Anythings better than grip fill.

 

[BlueFrog]

Danmasey, having looked at that as a solution, I was tempted to do it but the trip concern in the kitchen, which isnt very big, and the fact that the floor is incredibly slippery, being an indian with greasy food being cooked, I am loathe to do it.

I appreciate the advice from all of you, I promise I do but I need to get it as close to existing as possible and am concerned that even a 4mm bed will result in a lifted tile and a chef with either a "fried hand" or "split heard" and as I get my curry from them I may also have concerns about my future wellbeing 😉

I suppose I could mix up a small amount of rapid set and try it out and if that fails use gripfill! I do agree though it does seem a shame to do a "bodge" to fix a "bodge"

 

[peteablard]

Can't you break out the old adhesive when you lift the tile?

 

[BlueFrog]

Peteablard, there is no old adhesive under there. It was origionally spot fixed with some sort of adhesive that looks like its Silicon or gripfill! I am pulling what little hair out that I haev. Not a pretty sight I can tell ya!

 

[AliGage]

I don't quite understand this. A 4mm bed would cause a trip hazard???? The "Silicon" the others are fixed with must be so thin it's invisible surely?
If fixing straight down to the concrete floor (no old addy or debris) is what you're doing i can't see any reason for not using the correct adhesive to be honest.

 

[Alan.P]

Exactly as Ali says, using a 4mm trowel will result in a bed of +/- 1mm so whatever they are stuck with now must surely be higher.

 

[BlueFrog]

Thanks for all of your feedback guys. I will try some rapid set and see how proud the tiles turn out. Failing that I will try some other type of bodge to see if I can get the tiles to adhere at the same level. As pointed out by Aligage, the adhesive that is existing on the tiles that have lifted is absolutely minimal. It is clearly a bodge job to get the restaurant ready to run in the least possible time and could do with a complete redo with propper adhesive. If it just a mil that it is prout then we may get away with it but I feel it may be more.

Thanks again to all of you for your feedback! You have been extremely helpful. Will update tomorrow to tell you how it all worked out.

 

[afright]

If you do not have enough depth try using rapid set cement mixed to a slurry coat.

 

[BlueFrog]

Thanks Afright, how much longer does it take to go off, I am limited with the timescale I have to get them to set! The broken ones are right in the work are that is busiest (as they would be of course)

Thanks again,

 

[beanz]

If you don't have enough depth, you could use a Hammer and Bolster..? 😀

 

[BlueFrog]

Thanks Beanz, sounds like a great idea to be chipping away screed all morning to replace with adhesive on a tight timescale. Ill remember that for next time lol. I am going to try what Afright suggested and hope that it holds. I am sure I will eventually do the whole floor in dribs and drabs.

 

[afright]

Rapid cement goes of very quick so only mix a small amount at a time.

 

[AliGage]

How is the finished edge on the tile, square, rounded etc. I understand what you're saying about lippage but can't see it being a huge problem in your case. If one comes out one must go in. However, you could feather the edge around the area with grout. Mixing it a bit on the "thick" side will mean it's a little more malluable (you'll have to check that spelling) feather the grouting a little so it's more raised than lipped if that makes sense.

 

[Alan.P]

Or if your that worried about lippage and it's only a few and you think your likely to get the whole floor just use radid to fill the tile space, no lips 😳

 

[BlueFrog]

Thanks for all of your help guys, In the end settled for a thin rapidset and just made sure there was minimal lip. All looks ok and customer happy!!

You guys have been most helpful. Thank you again