How to repair grout for mosaic shower tiles?

Nix

Hi, I have some damaged mosaic tiles in my shower. Replacing tile wall at present isn’t an option financially so I’m needing to do a little repair and seal to buy me some time. 

I’m hoping I can clean up tiles (seems they have a calcification of the grout or something), then glue a tile or two back that will likely fall off, then regrout over what’s there to help seal them….and then maybe use some sort of sealing paint (like pond seal paint or similar) to buy me some time. I’ll also likely have to remove silicon and re do. 

Is that all even possible? No tilers are willing to touch it because it’s mosaic but I can’t leave it like this where water will/is seeping in. 

Thanks in advance, Nic.

(Previous owners had attempted some sort of repair it seems)

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Nix. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing tiles.

What you have mentioned sounds like a reasonable approach. You might want to contact a few more tilers, as mosaic tiles are commonly used in bathrooms, so there is no reason why a tiler wouldn't take on your job, especially if you are only wanting a temporary fix. They might struggle to replace any broken tiles with something similar, but there should be no issue glueing a few tiles on, grouting and sealing with caulk.

I suggest you try to chip away as much of the calcification as possible; a scraper will be handy, but avoid scratching the tile surface. Using CLR Ready to Use 750ml Calcium Lime Rust Remover might help break down the calcification. Please do a test section first, and I have concerns that this product might adversely affect your iridescent tiles. Glue any loose tiles back into position with Dunlop 250g White Ready To Go Tile Adhesive And Grout. Grout with Dunlop 800g Jet Black Ready-To-Go Coloured Grout, then remove the damaged caulking and replace it with black silicone.

Here are some helpful guides:

• How to tile a bathroom wall

• How to grout wall tiles

• How to apply silicone sealant.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell