How to make a waterproof repair to exterior tiling?

[sisimon510]

Hello everyone,

I've got a broken tile in the outdoor area. With this hole I expect rainwater to go through it and leak into the underlying structures. 

If I want to fill the hole to provide waterproof / water-resistant ability for the layer, what material should I use to do the job? As the hole is not that bad, I don't plan to change the whole tile.

Thanks so much for your help!

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @sisimon510. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about filling a hole.

You could use Earl's 1kg Concremate Expanding Cement to fill that area. If suitably filled, it will do a good job of preventing water from penetrating. I'd recommend taping off the surrounding area and using a scraper to really pack and push the filler down into the crevices.

After you've patched the area, you might like to run a bead of sealant between it and the wall, as that will help prevent water from penetrating. The filler is grey, so you'll need to paint it to match the tile's colour.

Let me mention one of our knowledgeable members @Dave-1, to see if they have any other suggestions.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Dave-1]

Good morning @sisimon510 and @MitchellMc 

lol I saw the hole and my brain went "I know what I could use!" and yep its the expanding concrete MitchellMC suggested.

I will see if I get some time later to post some concrete patio repairs I did last week using the product. They turned out absolutly outstanding.

If you use the concrete mix, its a dry powder (I expected it to be a paste) and less water is more type thinking when you add water to some to make it fluid. 

The concrete didnt "expand" as in rise like bread, it does look like it went into every nook and crany of the repair. and may have risen a mm or two.

In your pic it looks like the water has gotten behind the paint/render? Id also remove all the loose cracked stuff with a small cold chisel/old screwdriver.

I will try and tag you in the post later. But the concrete mate seems to be solid product. 

Dave

Dave

[MitchellMc]

The expansion it does is to combat the shrinkage experienced with cement products @Dave-1. So, as you mentioned, it doesn't expand out further than the amount you put in, but it also doesn't shrink. That makes sure it locks into position instead of separating slightly from the substrate. 

Thanks for your feedback on the product, and I look forward to seeing your images. 👍

Mitchell

[Dave-1]

Good afternoon @sisimon510 

Just posted my patio repair. It shows how I used concretemate. Its probarly what i would use in your situation. Id just go for the snaller sized tub

Concrete-patio-repair 

Dave

[sisimon510]

Any idea who long it takes to "cure"? 

It's been raining on-and-off for the past 2 weeks in Adelaide, so I guess I need to plan ahead, otherwise the rain might ruin it :S

[sisimon510]

Thanks so much! That's really a nice job

[MitchellMc]

Hi @sisimon510,

The Earl's Concremate sets in 30mins and achieves full strength after seven days. If you expect rain within 24 hours of using the product, I'd suggest taping some plastic over the area to prevent the rain hitting the repair directly.

Mitchell

[Dave-1]

Morning @sisimon510 

It really went off fairly fast. As @MitchellMc  said within 30mins. I was surprised to see it change as I was trying to smooth it out. Thankfully we didnt have rain just cold and windy tho I was stressed when it started sprinkling. (It had cured by that time). Just rem less water is more

Dave