Can you reuse wall tiles?

Heliocentric

Hello,

Before my mum passed she bought these cute wall tiles that are on our kitchen wall (I can no longer find them anywhere). I need to get a window fitted which will mean creating a bigger opening in the wall where some of these tiles are. I would like to keep the tiles and then get someone to put them in another area of the kitchen. Is this feasible? I am useless at DIY so I would be paying someone to do it. Is this a specialist job or can any builder do it?

Thanks.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6660272/can-you-reuse-wall-tiles

Wall tiles are usually brittle and will crack very easily. To get them off the wall without cracking the tile you'll need to remove them with the plaster and hope the bond between the wall and the plaster is relatively weak. Some of the tiles will still crack.

If you manage to get any tiles off whole then you'll find they'll have tile adhesive (and plaster) still attached. Unless you reuse them with a very thick bed of new tile adhesive, you'll need to remove much of what is stuck to them.

Using any kind of force to chip or lever the old adhesive off will likely crack the tile. The only method I've found which works with a decent rate of success is to use an angle grinder to grind the adhesive away, whilst the tile is face down on a flat surface.

Salvaging and preparing wall tiles for reuse is a skilled job and time consuming. The average builder is likely to avoid taking the job on, or else will agree to do it but will probably only manage to save a very few tiles - blaming the poor quality of the tiles or excess strength of the plaster/adhesive for the low success rate.

You really need someone with building conservation skills…. but it would be expensive. It might be cheaper to get someone to handmake a small batch of tiles to replicate the originals, if you really want to go down that route.

Emmia

Do you have a picture of the tiles, or have you tried doing a Google lens search with a picture of one of the tiles.

stuart45

I agree with Section62. You can't be sure how well the tiles are going to come off until you get started. You could end up paying for someone to break them all. They'd have to be really valuable tiles for an expert to take such care to virtually guarantee restoring them.

Heliocentric

Thank you all. Looks like it's going to be hard work and not many people would take it on. It's these ones. The grouting is bad in the corner and at the bottom anyway. The white ones on their own could probably go but the ones with the embossed fruit would be the ones I'd want to save and well as the big tile with the fruit bowl.

GrumpyDil

Yup, it's a small number of very specific tiles. Unless you are very lucky I can't see that working out.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81928382#Comment_81928382

I would sacrifice some of the plain white ones to 'stitch drill' around the ones you want to keep (plus a safety margin). The stitch drilling would introduce a weakness in the plaster and hopefully increase the chances of getting them out whole - but absolutely no 'hammer'.

Some of the plain ones could be removed using the same technique first to get a feel for how difficult the job would be.

The fruit bowl is likely to be challenging, especially with the bunch of grapes right next to it.

You also need to think how you'll reuse them. Getting plain tiles of exactly the right size, colour and texture might be difficult, and inserting the embossed ones into wall of a different type of tile may look odd. You may want to use them in a way where the difference is obviously intentional.

Heliocentric

Thank you so much. Do you think a specialist could do this or would know how to do this/would think to do this as you've described? I'm not sure who to contact? Any specialist tiler?

stuart45

A tiler would probably be your best bet. They look like they could be quite thick tiles. Small, thick ones are easier to get off and clean up. Depends on how well they are stuck on.

Do you know what the backing wall is. E.g. Plasterboard or block and plaster?

Emmia

Using your photo I did a Google lens search for the tiles. I can't find exact matches but there are companies producing similar tiles if you wanted to have the same look (although I appreciate they won't be the ones your mum picked)

https://tilesahead.co.uk/products/original-style-winchester-classic-summer-fruits-handpainted-tiles

Heliocentric

I'm not sure what block & plaster is but from knocking on it, it sounds like plasterboard.

Thank you, I did see those tiles and they are cute. I was just hoping I could keep these ones I've got and not have to fork out so much money as they are quite pricey.