Replacing Cracked Tile

If you have ceramic glazed tile and cracks here is an easy fix.

Replacing cracked tile.

Watch the grout lines around the tile to ensure the grout and surrounding tiles don t also crack. Once it s up remove the rest of the tile with your hands. Debris from this project also can scratch acrylic tubs and showers. If your cracked or chipped ceramic tile is too big to repair as described above then replacement is probably necessary.

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. 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. Perhaps it would be better to replace the entire floor. Ditto for clay tiles.

Find a nail polish or a combination of polishes and mix to match your tile. 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. Damaged tiles allow moisture to get under the tile so replace broken ceramic tiles right away. But even then you ll be glad to have tile underfoot because replacing a broken or chipped one is pretty simple to do.

You can easily replace cracked and broken ceramic and clay tiles if you kept extra tiles and grout mix. 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. 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. Replace broken or missing ceramic tiles to prevent further damage. Stir the grout to eliminate any settling and to loosen the material for easier application. Slowly pry the tile up with the cold chisel.

Or for a more diy option try using wood glue and nail polish. If not you ll need to either. That makes work gloves and eye protection critical. Breaking the old tile can scatter jagged chunks and small sharp slivers.

Patching hairline cracks is. If you don t have a matching tile to replace the broken one with evaluate how the rest of the floor tiles look. Work the grout into the seam using a grout float.