Ceramic and porcelain tiles are the best choice for bathroom and kitchen floors due to the lack of pores in the material that make them nearly waterproof. They are also easy to clean and can last for long until a heavy object falls on a tile and cracks it. Minor cracks can be filled with epoxy and painted over but major cracks are hard to hide, so the broken tiles need to be replaced. Fortunately, with the right tools and materials, you can conduct tile repair in Parker on your own. The materials needed don’t cost a lot and the process doesn’t take a lot of time.
Tools & Materials Needed For Tile Repair
Tools - safety glasses, face mask, drill, vacuum/brush, grout scraper, grout float, notched trowel, putty knife, rag, hammer, spacers, chisel and painter’s tape
Materials - Grout, mortar and replacement tiles
Most of these tools and materials can be bought from a hardware store at a low price depending on the amount you need for the project.
Steps For Tile Repair
Put on the safety glasses and face mask before beginning tile replacement to prevent dust particles from getting in your eyes and lungs.
thin-set
Check The Floor Before you begin the tile repair in Parker, you need to be sure if the crack is serious enough to warrant a replacement and how many tiles you need to replace. Once you are sure, order replacement tiles and necessary tools and materials if you don’t have them. Make sure that the tiles match the existing pattern.
Scrape Grout To remove the broken tile, you first need to loosen it. Use a grout scraper with serrated edges to scrape the grout around the damaged piece. Make sure that you don’t damage the surrounding pieces. If you have to remove multiple pieces close by, you can scrape grout around them too.
Protect Surrounding Pieces Before moving to the next steps, cover the edges of the pieces around the broken tile with painter’s tape to protect them.
Drill Tile Drill, the damaged piece to make it easier to remove. Drill the holes with even gaps in between. Use a ¼ inch bit to drill the piece.
Remove Piece Use a hammer and chisel to loosen the piece and remove it. Start chiseling from the center then move towards the center. Place the chisel on the piece and tap it lightly to chisel. Angle the chisel at a right angle to remove the glaze, if any, and then at forty-five degrees. Remove the broken pieces and dispose of them.
Remove Old Thinset The old thin-set that attached the old piece to the floor may get in the way to the new piece and cause it to bulge. Remove the old layer with a chisel and hammer or by scraping it with a putty knife. Also, scrape any dust and debris that may remain on the edges.
Clean Gap Clean the gap with a vacuum or brush. Get rid of all dust and debris to make space for the new piece.
Lay New Tile Apply some mortar to the floor with a notched trowel in straight furrows. For extra adhesion, apply some to the backside of the new tile as well. Place the new piece in the gap and push it in firmly such that it’s even with the rest of the floor. Make sure there’s enough gap between it and the surrounding pieces. Use spacers if needed. Wait for the mortar to dry, the time needed may vary depending on the manufacturer.
Pour Grout Once the thinset dries, mix the grout as instructed by the manufacturer and pour it in the gaps around the new piece using a grout float. Wait for fifteen minutes until it hardens, then wipe any grout that smears the tile’s surface with a rag. Then wait for twenty-four hours until the grout dries.
Repeat these steps for other damaged pieces if needed.
