Fix A Floor repair loose ceramic tile! DIY

About a week ago, the poorly built kitchen in my house had yet another issue- two ceramic tiles became loose from the subfloor below. Not like completely unattached- but just loose enough so every time I would walk over the affected area, it would make a clicking noise where either the mortar would release from the plywood below, or the tile would release from the mortar.
I had this stuff in the house from an impulse purchase years ago, and decided to give it a try........

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Sorry - my first time using a Lav microphone and it was an inch from my throat which leads to me sounding like a farm animal chewing food (no offense meant to farm animals). Try to ignore.

[@knowyourjoe8826]

Thanks for taking the time to record and post this. I found it informative.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@wanderingsoul2909]

Congrats Sam on a great DIY fix to a very annoying problem. I have 4-6 loose tiles in my Master Bathroom and I will give this a try. Very good job piecing together all the videos. Thanks !

[@remix30us1]

Thanks for this vid. I got 2 tiles as well with this issue. I'll definitely try this. Thanks again! Great video!

[@ydocc3374]

Got some, it's good! Thanks for your video.

[@CaToRi-]

Your instructions are so much better that the one printed on the tube. Thank you very much 🙏

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate your comment. I'm glad it helped!

[@KablethaKiid]

Throw some household dust, I usually get from my vacuum cleaner, on to the grout to help match the old grout. I do this to concrete cracks when patched up with caulk. Learned this from Mike Haduck, excellent KZbin videos.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks but its pretty much filthy already! Its a high traffic area and such light grout was definitely a mistake. But I will definitely keep that idea in mind. Its a good one.

[@paulff3]

Nice job!

[@daveribbons3050]

This stuff works great if you do it properly. Used it several times.

[@aysendundar1552]

I actually appreciate this video, I will be using this product to fix the 2 loose tiles on bathroom floor.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Best of luck. I’ve had good success with it the two times I have used it. It’s thin and messy so make sure you have a roll of paper towel or newspaper etc when you puncture the end.

[@aysendundar1552]

Ok I actually did fix my floor and I can't believe it did it myself. I literally followed this video to the t. At some point, I wasn't sure if it was going to work, the product itself is really runny but it worked like a charm. To put in perspective, I was quoted $1400 just for the removal of old tile, toilet excluding the cost of new tiles to replace 2 squeaky tiles that did not even have water damage. The whole thing costed me under $40. I even baught the same brand grout. This video is great cause I am so sure I couldn't just do it through the smallest fonts on the back of the tube.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@aysendundar1552 that made my day. Glad it worked. Thanks for letting me know

[@patricknelson]

@@aysendundar1552Now that’s why you DIY! Wow, glad you didn’t dump over a grand on that!

[@TheBeardedTiler]

I got the grout out …poured this in and re grouted !!!!!! It works …this stuff actually works

[@Samlol23_drrich]

So far so good for me too

[@marksmith7786]

Believe me this stuff works l had 6 tiles in a bathroom that had gone off use it left it for 2 days done the job l would say to buy the bits to go with it as my grout lines was small

[@migsmarq5114]

Just an idea. When ever trying to drill to a specific depth, easiest way is to put painters tape or any kind of tape at the marking leaving a little flag on it so it lets you know when you hit the depth you want.

[@dirkdiggler9379]

Exactly what he said

[@user-kr4do2ix8i]

Good job

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thank you for the nice comment. I had to make sure I was looking at the right Channel

[@jesiemixtv..479]

Good job idol

[@chogg611]

Nice vacuum.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

It’s my wood working “dust extractor “. Well worth the high cost. I use it for everything. Thanks.

[@titodejesus6238]

Dude love to see a DIY warrior want to be ( like myself) scratching their head about how to tackle this things and coming out out on top.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Doesn't always work out that way- unfortunately! As long as there are more wins than losses- right? Thanks for watching

[@jesiemixtv..479]

Galing idol

[@waybornjohnson4311]

How do you mirror your laptop to the television?

[@nyrubin]

What’s would be difference in just pumping something like liquid nails

[@MrLalla2020]

Good demo,,,👍 But I think if u keep that some dust after drilling nd fill in the holes with that, that's looks better 🤔.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks. Luckily it's still holding. You're suggestion is a really good one. Next time. Thanks for commenting!

[@jonathanparenteau8194]

Nice rolex bluesy.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks. Bought it new in 2002 and have worn it 24/7/365 every day since. Besides my house it's my only possession that's been used a lot and has increased in value. The new ones are crazy expensive. Thanks for the comment.

[@alibahrami2885]

what kind of glue do you propose to use instead of « fix a floor » : because I couldn’t find this brand in my country.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I would do it the "right way" if you can't get the fix a floor. In other words pull up the loose tile remove the old cement and re install the tile. I can't recommend anything else.

[@mjbminer8381]

can you apply a light vibrator to the tile while injecting the fix-a-flat to help fluid migration?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

That is probably a good idea but it's extremely thin already so I'm not sure how much it would help. But maybe take a hammer drill and run it with the handle touching the tile to help get out any air that may be trapped. It couldn't hurt. Good idea actually. Thsnks

[@user-fe5lr9zt3y]

use rubber hammer !

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@user-fe5lr9zt3y good idea

[@wanderingsoul2909]

Hey Sam, Good instructive video. You said you didn't know how long it would last ? 3 years later status ? Thanks :)

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I did this area and another near my washer dryer. So far they are both holding up perfectly. Good luck. It’s very thin stuff so shake it and get a bunch of paper towel to wipe up the excess.

[@wanderingsoul2909]

@@Samlol23_drrich Thanks, In the loose tiles in my master bath, I tried injecting the fluid and it came right out all over the place ! What a mess. :( Only 1 hole seemed to fill. I will find out tomorrow if the tiles are more stable. Thanks !

[@jacob23689]

Thanks for sharing! Does It still work after 2 years?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

So far it’s still holding. I’ve used it in two places and so far so good. Thanks for commenting.

[@jacob23689]

Thanks again. Good luck!@@Samlol23_drrich

[@BethePandaGames]

How has it been holding up? Been thinking about doing this to a few of my tiles around the house.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Very well. It’s been two years and the tile I worked on in the video has not loosened yet! Worth the effort. Thanks for watching and good luck.

[@BethePandaGames]

@@Samlol23_drrich thank you for making this video. I know the extra effort it takes to make these videos and I really appreciate it.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@BethePandaGames Thank you very much. It takes effort to leave a nice comment as well- so its much appreciated!

[@patricknelson]

@@Samlol23_drrichAwesome, great to see that status report here 😊 Also: Cool flashlight! I just found it, it’s pricy but I’ve definitely been needing something like this. Thanks for the video by the way! Great to see the struggle from start to finish, hah.

[@KLNYC]

I need to do mine too. I got my oscillating tool with a grout blade. i hope i can do this job :)

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I wouldn't use that unless you plan to remove the tile completely. This fix a floor fills in the void and relies on a few small holes drilled in the grout into which you inject the fix a floor. Removing the grout will make a mess and you will wind up with a different color

[@gustadirani169]

You know it's a video from Dec 2020 when the kids are playing Among Us in the background 17:16

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Good ears!

[@pv4669]

Were you using a masonary drill bit?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

No, just a regular drill bit since grout is relatively soft and it only had to drill the depth of a tile maybe 1/4''

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thank you.

[@jayc4715]

So...did it last?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Its still good, but its only 6 months.....

[@bsd9230]

Just like drilling a tooth and filling a cavity!

[@Samlol23_drrich]

You might be right.........except the floor doesn't move!

[@alanfrancis9225]

Seems like a good job. I have some hollow tiles and have some to use. Does it expand after it gets under tile or just goes hard?Also would it be getter to fill from hole one and wait until it comes out of hole two. Then file hole three and again see it coming out of hold 2. Just an idea ?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

It definitely does not expand, just hardens. What you suggested about filling the holes would depend on the void not being under all the holes but rather each void being separated. If that were the case it would be great to follow your suggestion. There is just no way of knowing and the potential to Underfill. Thanks for the comment and suggestion. I've used it again and it does work well.

[@mjbminer8381]

try a small vibrator for fluid migration.

[@jayc4715]

Sometimes it works.. sometimes it doesn't..better than nothing tho

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Agree. Thanks for commenting

[@hanafiahharoon5412]

I need to get some sleep bro...

[@kimcolijn594]

Just tried this product in my kitchen. Tiles 60x60 cm grout 2 mm. Absolute disaster. Glue everywhere except underneath the tile. Money gone :)

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Sorry I didn't see this until today. That absolutely sucks. I must have gotten lucky and hit the void under the tile when I drilled the holes in the grout. If you don't hit the void, the fix a floor stuff won't have anywhere to go and yes, its like liquid. Sorry again and thanks for commenting

[@aperez8601]

Unfortunately for you this product is child proof... you have to have some kind of common sense to use it properly. Look at the comments, you're the only one that F@$k this up. Just bust out some cash and let a real man do this job right.

[@kimcolijn594]

@@aperez8601 are you ff'in kidding me? A real man wouldn't post such a disgusting comment!

[@peterfernandes6216]

Hi, how can i drill without cracking the tile if i have less than a millimeter gap between tiles. Thanks,

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I’m not sure, so I don’t want to give you bad advice. If it were me, I would use only a brand new bit that can drill through tile, as thin as possible and know that you are going to take a bit away from the tile on each side of the hole.

[@Chungetje]

I removed the grout with a sharp tool. In Dutch it's called "Zweihaak". You can also use any other sharp tool (has to be thinner than the gap). This way I could remove the grout easily with a gap of 1mm without damaging the tiles.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@Chungetje I looked up Zweihaak,images.app.goo.gl/oyJCXXJ1Ds6nbwC77 and its a sliding woodworking bevel gauge for replicating angles. I actually have one and it would definitely work. But I would buy a cheap one cause it would get ruined for sure. Good advice its definitely thin and sharp

[@zhiwujiang7377]

Where to buy?

[@redamkmn1019]

Amazon

[@loufedel1182]

Home Depot. I used it happy with results

[@soccerguyyo1988]

I dont think I'd use this. Around 15.50 sec if you listen closely when right before he says no more noise you can hear the tile most to the right flex under his weight.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

It totally depends on the situation. Our kitchen was remodeled before we bought the house. It’s “good from far, but far from good”. There are 18” ceramic tiles and they didn’t properly reinforce the subfloor in my opinion. There is flex, a couple of tiles around the perimeter are cracked, and the floor has dips and isn’t completely flat. If I owned a five million dollar home with beautiful tile, I would have a pro reset the tile. For my house, it’s good enough. So far it’s still working. You may have heard some other tile flex, there are many throughout the kitchen. The other way of doing this, of course is to remove the grout around a few tiles, pry them up, use a rotary grinder to remove the mastics thinset from the subfloor, soak the tiles in muriatic acid for a day or two outside to remove the thinset, then retile the area and re grout. Much larger job, and so far still not necessary due to the fix a floor. Thanks for commenting.

[@joella64]

Good ear!

[@eb3168]

I have guests coming on 2 days. Sounds good for a quick fix.

[@avs7871]

Hi Sam, still OK?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Me or the tile repair?? But seriously, yes still perfect

[@amayaamaya2066]

Un kulay puti knina mtamis

[@Edward-xd1td]

you need to give your grout a good cleaning then it will match the color that you put in

[@Samlol23_drrich]

You're not kidding. Its absolutely disgusting and I know it. Any suggestions on how? I bought a diamond grout remover, a bit for my Dremel and finally another grout removal diamond for my oscillating saw. All messy and removed too much grout. Looking for a chemical. Any suggestions would be appreciated

[@Edward-xd1td]

@@Samlol23_drrich yeah you only want to dig grout out if it's loose and chipped and then you can squirt that glue in like you did and then re-grout otherwise the best way is just clean it with a really good Degreaser looks like it's your kitchen area so just use some Degreaser from Home Depot or Lowe's with hot water like 50/50 and scrub it really good with one of their scrub brushes that you get on the end of a stick and then mop it I clean tile and grout for a living and do repairs out here in the Palm Springs area I use a little bit of acid with my Degreaser but I don't know if it's something you want to do or not anyway even something like Simple Green or greased lightning will work like I said mix it with hot water let it sit for a few minutes scrub it really good and mop it and you'll be amazed at how clean everything will come out there's a lot of dirt on your tile to that stuck in the pit holes I see

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@Edward-xd1td thank you. Yes, it’s awful, what acid do you use? Muriatic?? It is really difficult to remove the dirt from the pitting. A few years ago I spent a month doing four tiles each night with a wire brush and some strong Chemical. It just came back.

[@Edward-xd1td]

@@Samlol23_drrich just use hot water with a degreaser get a good stiff brush that's on the end of a stick so you don't have to be on your hands and knees and due for 6 Tiles at one time let the solution sit for a few minutes and yes you can use muriatic Home Depot sells a safe Green version of it with hardly any fumes but you can't let it touch or be around any metal I would just try the hot hot water Degreaser first flood it let it dwell then agitate and rinse

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@Edward-xd1td thanks very much. That acid is crazy. I use it for my pool and soaked tiles to remove the thin set and reuse them. Even outdoors need a respirator

[@gatbik2615]

So I used that product and after 3 days it it still not dried...anybody experienced the same?

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Honestly wiped up everything I could see or feel and whatever left was under the tile so I’m not sure. It’s still holding in my case. Sorry it didn’t seem to dry.

[@gatbik2615]

Ok lets See how it goes. I guess it must dry at some point

[@I-islam575]

Drilling there could be underfloor heating 😳😳😳

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Yeah, but its my house and there isn't. If I had radiant heat I would pull and reset the entire tile the "right " way. Its still holding well, by the way.

[@I-islam575]

👍

[@avanti-palestra]

I guess ur tile is cracked.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Not the loose ones. But other ones are. Crappy tile job by prior owners. Subfloor not reinforced enough

[@avanti-palestra]

@@Samlol23_drrich you're right. I saw now.

[@gedionsamuel2256]

This stuff is horrible! I’m glad it somewhat worked for you but It’s probably not gonna last that long. If it had indeed gone throughout then underneath the tile(s) it would’ve squirted out of one of the holes. So you probably got some underneath the holes which is causing that area to stick. Definitely not a permanent solution. We bought a couple of the larger sized bottles in hopes of doing the same on tiles that became loose due to a previous hot water leak underground. Drilled the holes, and did everything but resulted in a mess. In fact the bottles top portion couldn’t handle the pressure and busted and started leaking from the top. Made sure to drill deep enough. Either way, the only permanent solution was to cut/grind the grout out, carefully remove the tiles one by one, scrape/clean and use thin set, and grout again.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Unfortunately you’re probably right. The stuff did squirt out of all of the holes that I drilled, but no idea how much is under there and where. Had the stuff lying around for at least a year, figured I would try it. But there are No short cuts.

[@TheSpatulaCity]

Technique is to try and drill a little sideways to get an opening under the tile. My complaint is that it's quite expensive for one tube that ends up leaking everywhere and loosing half of the glue.

[@mirandoful]

it is not Messi if you prepare yourself before ......... many videos in KZbin you coulf follow

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Thanks. I had no idea you tube had videos on this

[@josephmalgioglio5116]

Did you have to chew gum ffs!

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I’m a dentist. I don’t chew gum. Just crappy audio with a microphone right near my throat. Sorry. I agree it sounds bad.

[@nl212ep]

Just because nobody can see you doesn’t give you the right to be rude. You people who comment on stupid things like lip smacking are missing the point of the video. Losers.

[@froblivion8284]

Good job Sam. Don’t pay that silly comment any heed. I’m going to have to do this myself soon - yay!! All the best from Ireland & thanks for the video. 👍🍀👍

[@douglasreid3675]

This isn’t a fix. It just will mask the issue for a while. The subfloor is flexing and popping the tiles loose. They most likely didn’t use cement backer board or didn’t sufficiently secure cement boards with enough screws. People shouldn’t put out videos of work like this and proclaim it a fix. Do it right or get someone to do it right.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

I was with you until your last two sentences. I totally agree with everything you said and I am well aware that it is not a remedy for a poor tile job. The ceramic tile work.in my house sucks. I inherited the problem when I purchased the house. In order to properly fix the floor, the entire kitchen and family room would need to be ripped apart. All of the granite removed, the ovens, sinks, cabinets, two subzero refrigerators, dishwasher, wine cooler everything taken out. Then the tile would have to be demolished and both layers of subfloor removed down to the joists. Then they would have to level and install a subfloor and place cement board and level everything before re-doing the tile and reinstalling the appliances, cabinets and plumbing. I don't happen to have an extra 50k nor do I feel like living without a kitchen for two months while the work gets done. The product is called "Fix a floor". I never said it was a permanent solution to an improper tile job. It does what the manufacturer says that it does- it stopped the loose tile from making noise by injecting a probably thin flexible material into the void. If you don't want to use the product, then don't. But to make an arrogant and nasty comment on a video showing how to use a product that is on the market is aimed at the wrong target. You don't like it and think it masks a problem write to the manufacturer so they can pull it off the market. Otherwise if you cant offer helpful advice on my channel than dont offer any.

[@douglasreid3675]

@@Samlol23_drrich your yourself in the video said it was fixed. It’s no arrogance note is it nasty to do the work in the correct manner. Many manufacturers put out gimmicky products to attract those who look for the easy way out and those who know no better. Don’t be so thin skinned. You claim to be a dentist so think of it this way. Someone has a cavity and it runs deep. You observe another dentist surface drill and fill with a gimmicky product with no long term background. You know you must address what lies beneath to actually fix the problem. But the dentist who did the work proclaimed it a fix. The cheap product has fix in its title and you said it was a fix towards the end of the video.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@douglasreid3675 you mean like whitening toothpastes that don’t actually work? No. The difference is that this fix a floor product is marketed to and done by homeowners. It’s not a product used by people in the trade. I would agree with your analogy if I was a contractor making a video but I’m a homeowner and for my purposes it’s fixed. Just as someone painting stuff on their teeth that proctor and gamble calls a whitener does nothing to actually whiten the teeth. I don’t tell the people using the product not to show others how it “works” even though I know it’s not a long term whitener. Your initial comment would be fine if I was a general contractor or a tile installer. But as a homeowner it is, in fact fixed cause it’s all I’m doing about it. Anyone that thinks throwing some latex based glue under a tile is fixing the cause of the failure is a dummy. I don’t think anyone does. What I’m doing now is called feeding the trolls. I’m done commenting.

[@douglasreid3675]

@@Samlol23_drrich you’re acting very immature for a man of your age and education. For someone who merely stated that the introduction improper work to those who are seeking a “ how to “ answer isn’t good. You’ve managed to call my comments arrogant, nasty,and now I’m a troll. I never said your video was intended to mis guide or do I call you a name. You inherited someone else’s bad work from the previous owners. You’re not realizing that many people are seeking resolutions to issues they may have at home and this caulk the floor technique could be passed on to the next buyer. If you don’t see that putting stuff like this out there can be problematic then you just don’t get how much people have become accustomed to KZbin being used as the official “ how to” on everything. Like I said I meant no ill will towards you but videos like these could create an inherited mess for some perspective buyer in the future.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@douglasreid3675 I was taught a long time ago if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. Did I make a video telling people to run their generator in their garage to stay warm? Or anything else requiring comment to protect the public from my video? Nope. Used a common product I bought in Home Depot with the full understanding of its limitations. Made a video I’m case someone else wanted to see if it does what it claims. And it in fact does. I would expect that anyone using a product understand what it does and how. Not gonna fix a row boat cut in half with flex seal. And it’s not necessary to tell people that isn’t a proper fix. So next time simply say “you know that doesn’t address the underlying issue” and the poster will say “yes” and move on.

[@metroboom25289]

But this is just a temporary fix

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Probably. But it’s been 3 years. Way easier than pulling the tile, soaking it in muriatic acid overnight, grinding the mortar on the floor down to plywood, resetting and regrouting the tile. When it fails I plan to leave a pinned comment but so far so good.