Repairing Damaged Ceramic Tile

Intro

If the grout is soft and powdery, remove it and regrout. If the cracked grout is hard, remove it and fill the joint with a matching colored caulk. Cracked tiles on a long length of floor are caused by either a faulty adhesive bond or an underlying crack. Before you remove the tiles, tap them lightly with a metal object, such as a wrench. If you hear a hollow sound, the bond is probably at fault. A thorough cleaning and new mortar will fix the problem. If the wrench "rings," the bond is probably solid; you may need to isolate the crack with a membrane.

Prestart Checklist

Time
About 1 1/2 hours to remove and replace grout and tile, at least a day to regrout a large area

Tools
Grout saw or utility knife, small sledgehammer and cold chisel, putty knife or margin trowel

Skills
Breaking tile with a hammer and cold chisel, driving fasteners, troweling

Materials
Replacement tiles, thinset, grout, tape

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Removing ceramic tile

To remove old ceramic tile, create a starting point in a central area by cracking one tile with a cold chisel and small sledgehammer. Grip the chisel firmly and strike it with a sharp blow of the hammer. Wear eye protection.

Break out the remaining area of the tile with the sledgehammer and brush the loose pieces out of the recess. Chip out the grout along the edge of the adjacent tiles.

Tap a wide chisel at an angle under the edge of the adjoining tile, and pop off the tile. Repeat the process for each tile until you have removed the entire surface. Dispose of the broken tile and scrape off any remaining adhesive.

Step 1

To repair damaged tile, remove the grout with a grout knife. Using a small sledgehammer and cold chisel, break the tile, working from the center to the edges. Wear eye protection.

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Step 2

Pull out the chips of broken tile. Scrape up the fine pieces with a margin trowel or putty knife. Using the same tool, scrape off any adhesive remaining in the recess. Dust out or vacuum the area so the adhesive bonds securely.

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Step 3

Using a margin trowel or wide putty knife, apply adhesive in the recess. Use the same general type of adhesive (mastic or thinset) as the original.

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Step 4

Back-butter the replacement tile with a margin trowel or putty knife and push the tile into the recess until the adhesive oozes from the grout joints. Check the tile for level with the rest of the surface, wipe off the excess adhesive, and let it cure.

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