Graeme
Having skills to change a tile is not that difficult! It is more about knowledge and having the right equipment. To change a tile ideally you need the following equipment
1. Exakt Saw DC 270
2. Fein Machine
3. Bucket & Bucket Trowel
4. Grout Float
5. Plastic Straps in the case of Large Tiles.
6. Bolster Chisel & Hammer or Kangoo Type Hammer
There will be Tilers who jump on here and say Nah! you don't need all that and if your skilled you can get away without some of it but essentially in my mind it makes life easy. Here is the method:
1. Take the Exakt Saw DC270 and set depth guage to depth of tile + 5/6mm.
2. Run the Exakt saw around the grout lines of the tile you want to remove.
3. Now cut the tile with the Exakt Saw corner to corner both ways diagonally so you cut an X into the tile.
4. Ease your bolster chisel into the cut from the centre and start to lift the tile working from the centre out until all the tile is removed.
5. Once all the tile is removed you now need to clear the area of adhesive where the tile was ready to accept the new tile and adhesive.
6. Take your chisel and knock of any lips of adhesive to get the area as flat as possible using the saw cut lines as your depth guide.
7. Now take your Fein Machine or similar Oscillating machine and fit the triangular diamond carbide rasp and then grind the surface area flat and around 8mm below the existing tile height (allowing for thickness of tile so if tile is 12mm you need to 20mm) making sure you take the old grout gently off the adjacent tiles.
8. Offer the new tile into the space and check you have room to apply an even thickness of adhesive all over whilst not making the tile proud. (so in this case with 12mm tile the tile should now sit 8mm below surface to allow for adhesive)
9. Mix adhesive and fit new tile.
10 Once adhesive is cured, grout around tile and that's it. SIMPLES Eh!!!
The only thing you need to be careful about is Underfloor Heating. You need to establish if they have UFH and if so what type otherwise you could find yourself changing a tile and either paying to have their underfloor heating fixed or fixing it yourself and that is another skill. I am not trying to scare you but there is a bit more to Tiling than people imagine. A very useful skill though if you are restoring floors!
Intensive Short Course Tile Fixer Training is offered by various schools but ensure you get references and reviews first. Alternatively go and do a 2/3 Year NVQ Course.
Hope this Helps
Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics