Renovating your home is a costly project and you will certainly look for saving some dollars. The tile of your home is something that can be reused while renovating your home.
However, tiles have cement stuck to them, which can be hard to remove. But don’t worry in this blog, we will discuss how to remove tile cement from old tiles so that can be reused.
Basic Steps To Remove Tile Cement From Old Tiles
Required Materials
Some of the materials are crucial to have before starting the cleaning process. They are :
- Safety glasses
- Rubber gloves
- Plastic container or a bucket
- Muriatic acid
- Scrub brush
- Paintbrush
Wear Your Safety Gears
Safeguarding your eyes and other body parts is crucial. Safety gear is necessary to wear because it will protect you from harmful chemicals. Moreover, you will be able to complete the process quickly and efficiently.
Tile cleaning procedure
- Wear protective items like safety glasses and rubber gloves. Now, fill 5 gallons of water in the plastic container. Pour 1 cup of muriatic acid into the water. Mix the solution well.
- Place as many tiles as possible in the solution-filled container. Let these tiles submerge inside it. Let the tiles stay in the container for 5 minutes.
- Take one tile piece from the container. The acid and water mixture dissolves the cement and leaves a residue on the tiles, as seen here.
- Remove the mortar from the tile by scrubbing it with a scrub brush. Then, rinse it with clean water.
- Leave the tile to dry for at least 24 hours.
- Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for all tiles and then reuse them.
Tips you can follow
- You can find muriatic acid in any home improvement store. Also, muriatic acid can be mixed in different combinations, as it depends on the mortar layer present on the back of your old tiles.
- It works if you mix ceramic and man-made tiles (porcelain and glass), but never natural stone tiles, as the acid can change the color of tiles and may harm them.
- So, to treat natural stone tiles, directly apply the acid with a paintbrush on the backside of the old tiles. Then, scrub them and rinse them with water.
- Apart from all these tips, you can use different tips for tile and grout cleaning on your own.
Summing up
Rather than wasting money on new tiles, this is how you can remove tile cement from old tiles, regain and reuse them. Make sure to take all the safety precautions while doing this task.
