Replacing Cracked Tile

Professionals often replace a damaged tile but this isn t necessary with a hairline crack for which epoxy filling provides an effective way to seal and hide the crack.

Replacing cracked tile. If you don t have a matching tile to replace the broken one with evaluate how the rest of the floor tiles look. If you have ceramic glazed tile and cracks here is an easy fix. Patching hairline cracks is. If not you ll need to either.

If your cracked or chipped ceramic tile is too big to repair as described above then replacement is probably necessary. It s a job most any homeowner can handle says joe ferrante a tiling contractor who s worked with the this old house television show for nearly 20 years. On the following pages are ferrante s steps for a perfect repair. Damaged tiles allow moisture to get under the tile so replace broken ceramic tiles right away.

For a small job like replacing a broken tile use pre mixed grout. Stir the grout to eliminate any settling and to loosen the material for easier application. But even then you ll be glad to have tile underfoot because replacing a broken or chipped one is pretty simple to do. Perhaps it would be better to replace the entire floor.

If the tile only has a thin hairline crack in it you can fill it with an epoxy. Or for a more diy option try using wood glue and nail polish. Work the grout into the seam using a grout float. Once it s up remove the rest of the tile with your hands.

Watch the grout lines around the tile to ensure the grout and surrounding tiles don t also crack. Breaking the old tile can scatter jagged chunks and small sharp slivers. If the tile is too badly cracked to repair it you can just replace the damaged tile. You can add mastic to raise a replacement tile that s too thin but a tile that s too thick calls attention to the repair.

Place the cold chisel on the deepest crack in the tile and carefully hit it with the hammer until the cold chisel is underneath the tile. Move the float across the seam diagonally rather than along the gap to avoid pulling the grout out. If replacing a tile isn t in your budget or if the tile isn t badly damaged you can repair the tile. Find a nail polish or a combination of polishes and mix to match your tile.

Ditto for clay tiles. Slowly pry the tile up with the cold chisel. That makes work gloves and eye protection critical.