Can you clean up old tiles and re use them?

Question

Hi guys and girls, We've just knocked down a wall in our kitchen and would like to re use the ceramic tiles in another part of the kitchen. The trouble is that the gunk that holds the tiles to the walls is still all over the back of the tiles. Is there a way of removing this stuff without breaking the tiles? Maybe soaking them in something?

Answer 1

Of course you can. It is done all the time without people even knowing. I had a couple of bullnose tiles fall off my kitchen counter and All I did was soak them in some hot water and scrub the back with a wire brush. Soak some more and scrub some more. That is why you have to grout ....to keep the moisture away from the thinset. It breaks down with water. You could add some vinegar to the water also after most of the thinset is gone. You don't have to make the back look perfect like new ones. It's work but it only costs you time.

Answer 2

Not a chance you will just break the tiles you will have to replace them I'm afraid

Answer 3

  Not a chance in heck.. If it s a grey or white cement looking adhesive and bonding well you can reset them in  thinset being carefull to get a full spread  so as to get the tiles flat and even.. A little extra on the back of the tiles may help.. Be carefull, as you said you took them off the walls and want to use elsewhere.. Are they wall tiles going on the floor? Or back on the wall? Some tiles you can t use elsewhere..  Carefully scrape edges of a;; grout and adhesive before resetting  GL

Answer 4

Hubby has been a tiler for 30 years and what you need to do is soak them in a dustbin/bath for a couple of days.  This will work, as long as a really good waterproof adhesive was not used to fix them to the walls in the first place.

Good luck.

:)

Answer 5

go to home depot they must have something you could use i would go there and ask them or even call it is worth it if your going to reuse the tiles.or lowes.