Loose floor tiles
moderate 2–5 h
Tools: grout saw, hammer and cold chisel, putty knife, notched trowel, grout float, sponge and bucket, safety glasses · Materials: matching tiles (spares from the original box if you have them), modified thin-set mortar, grout matching the existing colour, grout sealer
Steps
- Tap every tile in the room with a coin and mark the hollow-sounding ones — the loose tile you noticed rarely travels alone.
- Cut the grout around each loose tile with a grout saw, then lift it with a putty knife; a tile that comes up whole can be reused.
- Chisel the old thin-set off the floor and the back of the tile until both are flat, and vacuum the dust; look at the subfloor for cracks, damp or movement.
- Spread modified thin-set with a notched trowel, back-butter the tile, and press it down level with its neighbours, checking with a straightedge.
- Let it set for a day, then grout the joints, wipe the haze, and seal the grout after it cures.
- Leave the expansion gap at the walls open (under the skirting) and fill it with flexible caulk, not grout.
Stop and call a pro if
- more than a few tiles in a line are loose, or the floor flexes underfoot — the subfloor is moving
- the subfloor is wet, soft or stained under the tile you lifted
- the tiles are over a heated floor or a shower pan
What a pro does that you can't
A tile contractor stabilises a flexing subfloor with an uncoupling membrane or extra screws and a new underlayment, then re-lays the affected area so it does not fail again.
DIY cost: $20–60 in thin-set, grout and sealer