lifting floor tile

[boart]

Hello all,
What are your thoughts on lifting a damaged marble tile?
Let me explain, Ive tiled the downstairs of a new build in 305 x 305 x 10mm marble tiles. The tiles have a slightly polished finish. They were laid on Bal ptb flexible over ditra matting The floor has been grouted with Bal flexible grout with 4mm joints. the floor has been finished for about 6 weeks. Some fitters who fitted a vanity unit in the ensuite chipped a tile, the chip size being about 3mm deep 8mm x 12mm in size. I think they may have dropped their router onto it . Its close to the wall line as opposed to the middle of the floor and its weeks since the fitters finished and I didn't notice it until I started wall tiling as I've had dust sheers down everywhere. Now the question is do I lift it and replace it or do I live with it? How easy is it to lift without it turning into a horror show, and the repair looking worse than the hard to spot chip. I have a fein multimaster which I thought may tackle the grout but not quite sure how cleanly this would work on marble. I quess I should add I am the customer, be interested to hear your thoughts.Thanks in advance.

[whitebeam]

If your happy looking at a chipped tile then leave it, it would haunt me so I would change it

[faithhealer]

if you are the customer, your choice. It'll take an hour to get it out and clean enough to replace. (Marble will break along the veins) or what about filling the chip in, perhaps not with grout but there may be another product on the market that someone knows about!

[boart]

how would you remove the grout from around the damaged tile? will it be difficult to remove grout from adjacent tiles without damage?

[jay]

hi norm use a grout rake or a stanlly knife be carfule also break tile from centre out so not to damage adjoining tiles take your time

[guppy]

Hello,you might be able to cut the grout from around your damaged tile with a dremel or similar

[RockCeramics]

This would be the route i would take to remove tha damaged tile.
1: cut the joints with dia cutter (if you are confident enough to do)
2: drill tile with sds 6mm bit
3 : remove tile with small chiesel / cheap possy screw driver. or
hammer drill with armeg sds tile remover

[boart]

Thanks all for your replies'
Yes it haunts me also, when I sorted through around 1500 tiles putting aside out of square and chipped ones specifically for cuts, it grieves me that I now have to deal with this, but such is life.
Thanks for your suggestions on removal of grout and plan of attack for lifting tile.
Cheers

[Dave]

You need to remove the grout surrounding the tile....if you try to just start in the middle of the tile without removing the grout , then as you tap with a hammer etc this can send shocks to the sides and crack/chip adjacent tiles..so a knock on effect can happen..

So remove the grout and then break out the tile..

Depending on how tight the joints are, the fein grout removal blade will do the job..if 2mm or smaller then it prob will chip the tiles nect to it...so use a grinder with a continueous rim blade and cut a few mm inside the damaged tile and then break away the remaining few slithers....taking care at all times not to work to quickly and damage surrounding tiles...

Good luck..

[doug boardley]

I'd remove it Borat, I use a small slotted screwdiver and a pin hammer to gently remove grout from around the tile