Laying a floor tile so it can be removed "easily"

Tree

So thanks to the previous owners getting the new tiles laid over the old, the dishwasher only fits under the counter when you remove the tile in front of it (the tile under it was removed when the dishwasher was replaced (couldn't left with the top off like the old one was)).

When we installed the new dishwasher, we laid the tile in front, adhesive, grout, all good. Then the dishwasher needs repair. It's a to do to lift the tile (remove the grout, try to pry up the tile hoping it doesn't crack, chiseling up the adhesive).

Is there anyway to put the tile down so it comes up more easily in the future? Retiling the kitchen isn't in my 2024 plans.

Kaisr Sose

Laying tile on tile is a very lazy or cheap way to retile.

Is the tile you want to be reovable under the dishwasher or in front of it ?

You could fix tiles with a modified hybrid sealant. A good one will hold tiles down. Instead of grout, use a coloured sicone sealant in the same colour as the grout. Mapei, Botament do them in the same colours as their grouts, as do B&Q/Screwfix in No nonsense brand in select colours. It still requires care to remove tile to avoid cracking.

That said, my last tiling job was removing old tiles, grinding off the quickset adhesive to make floor flat (great outcome) and instaling Vinyl Tiles (LVT). They look great. The down side is the floor level l is lower than previous tile were. Main advantage is they can be removed wiout all the hard labour and replaced with ease.

GreeBo

Before you pull up tiles, are you 100% sure that the feet on the dishwasher are as low as possible? "Tighten" them to lower them.

If the dishwasher is so close to the bottom of the countertop that you cant slide it out then I would strongly suspect your dishwasher is on raised legs.

DC999

Or...take off the legs. I had to do that on a fridge that had no clearance (for same reason you have). Worked fine.

Dishwashers are light enough so won't be hard to remove without the legs. Just need some cardboard under to stop it scrapping floor when you do pull it out. Only need that the day you move it out.

Tree

The tile under the dishwasher is long gone, and the tile in front of the dishwasher is up. It gives an extra 13mm height to play with. Even at that, to pull the d/w all the way out it's snug when you angle it up on to the next tile to clear the counter. The tile that needs to be quick remove is the one in front of the d/w, I guess I should be thankful for large format tiles as it's only one to come up.

Legs are as up as they'll go, and the ones at the back are fixed. It already scrapes along the floor in this condition.

I'll try the sealant route, hopefully I don't need to pull the tile up again (until I finally arrange rennovation). Thanks!

astrofool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121567425#Comment_121567425

The back legs are usually adjustable by a screw at the front that connects to the back, would be very odd for the back legs to really be fixed.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121567425#Comment_121567425

Can you share a picture as that seems very bizarre!

What height is your countertop at? How tall is your dishwasher?

You must have a tiny kickboard under your presses?

GreeBo

tbh it sounds like the back legs are the problem here. Typically the front legs can be directly screwed up or down but the back legs either have a single, central screw that moves them both, or they will have individual adjustment screws that are directly above the front legs.

or

Kaisr Sose

This is the space I have on mine and it's only one layer of tiles. OP has tile on tile. I could reduce the depth of th fill in piece at top to get more space if needed. First I have to take appliance out, which if I recall, the OP said is the problem/difficulty they have

Laying tile on tile may be quick, clean and easy with modern adhesives, but it creates problems like this.

Tree

There's 7.5mm clearance under the counter with the dishwasher with the feet maximally up, sitting on original tiles. The "new" tiles are 13mm higher than the old, so either I shave my dishwasher by 6mm or I remove the tile. Obviously removing the tile is safer than dismantling my dishwasher, which, thanks to the door opening robot, has wires running all over the upper part.

As mentioned by me and Kaisr Sose it's absolutely a problem of cheap/lazy tiling jobs. I've watch spiders drag whole wasps under the tiles near the patio doors to finish them off. When time comes to pull them up that'll be nice and easy but the original tiles are firmly in place and will need more considered removal.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121572419#Comment_121572419

It'd be easier to shave 6mm from the underside of the counter than from the top of the dishwasher.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121570064#Comment_121570064

I've never seen a "fill in piece at the top"...usually they would go at the bottom...as an extension of the kick board?

blackbox

I was talking to the owner of a tile display centre and she said they put down a sheet of polythene before installing tiles so they can be removed later.

Tree

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121573955#Comment_121573955

ooooooooh that's a clever move