Broken, cracked or chipped tiles can cause a tile installation to look damaged and flawed. . . It is impossible to fix broken tiles and make them look 100% new again so replacing the broken tile is the best option to make the tile installation look new again.
The best solution for dealing with cracked, chipped or broken tiles is to replace the damaged tile with a new tile. It is always recommended to order extra tiles when having your tiles installed. After a few years most manufactures will stop making the tiles that you have installed. It is nearly impossible to locate a replacement tile when the tiles are no longer being manufactured.
Before you do any work to remove a broken tile you should first locate a tile to replace the broken tile with. If you can not locate an exact spare tile for your tile installation then it may be necessary to search for a tile that closely resembles the broken tile. Locating a closely resembling tile to your broken tile may require going to multiple tile stores and searching different styles from different tile manufacturing companies.
If you are unable to find an acceptable looking replacement tile then it may be best to leave the broken tile in place rather than replacing it with an odd looking tile. Sometimes model airplane paint can be mixed together and used to color over small chips in tiles and make them look acceptable. Also simply applying grout over a section of broken tile can make the tile look somewhat better than before. Also many tile installations have subfloor issues that are causing the tiles to break up and crack. In these cases a new tile will just break apart just like the old tile did. Many times movement of the subfloor is the cause of these issues or an uneven subfloor can cause tiles to break when they are walked on. It is best to replace the tile installation and correct the subfloor movement problems and level the floor with a self leveling compound before installing new tiles on it.
Before removing a broken tile all of the grout around the broken tile must first be removed. You risk breaking or chipping the surrounding tiles when removing the original broken tile if the grout is not first removed. You must remove the grout all the way to the thinset to avoid damaging the surrounding tiles while removing a broken tile.
Removing the grout around a broken tile can be done in many ways. A dremel with a grout removal bit can be used. Dremels can be difficult to control and you may be required to use many grout removal bits if the grout is extremely hard. A multimaster type of tool with a diamond coated grout removal bit can also be used for removing grout. Multimaster type tools are the easiest to use and control when removing grout. You have the least risk of damaging or chipping adjacent tiles when using a multimaster tool. Multimaster tools can be expensive especially if you only plan to use them one time to remove a single broken tile. The good thing about multimaster tools is that they have many uses for remodeling and home improvement besides just removing grout.
The cheapest and most efficient type of grout removal tool is a simple angle grinder with thin cement cutter blade. This type of tool will go through the hardest grout easier than any other type of tool. The concrete cutting blades are inexpensive and they are readily available at most home improvement stores. There are some downsides to using an angle grinder for removing grout. A lot of grout dust will be generated creating a messy job site. Also removing grout with an angle grinder is somewhat dangerous to yourself and people in the work area. Proper eye protection is definitely required and as with operating any type of power tool there is a risk of injuring yourself. This type of tool can also easily slip and cut adjacent tiles when trying to remove the grout so a steady hand and careful attention is a must when removing grout with an angle grinder.
After removing the grout around the broken tile the next step is to remove the actual broken tile itself. A hammer and a chisel work best to break apart and remove the broken tile. Chips and pieces of tile are sharp and can fly in all directions so wearing appropriate eye and body protection is a must. You can use the hammer and chisel to break up the broken tile into little pieces. After words small pieces of the tile can be chipped away with the chisel until all of the tile has been removed. It is important that all bits and pieces of the tile have been totally removed. If pieces of the old tile are left in place then there will be lippage where the new tile sits above the adjacent tiles.
It is important to remove all remaining pieces of grout from the edges of the adjacent tiles. The chisel tool can be used for this purpose. Just simply tap on the edges between the tiles and grout to chip away any stray fragments of grout from the tile edges. Use extreme care not to chip any of the tiles while trying to chip away the grout. The layer of thinset that the broken tile was attached to should not be removed. This layer of thinset will be used to place the new tile onto so that there is no lippage between adjacent tiles. You should vacuum away any spare pieces of tile and grout off of the layer of thinset.
The next step in the tile replacement procedure is to glue the new tile to the layer of thinset. When attaching the new tile you will have a lot of lippage if you attempt to use thinset, mastic or other types of tile adhesive products. These types of adhesives will all add depth to the new tile and cause it to stick up above the adjacent tiles. It can be extremely difficult to remove the existing thinset, place a new layer of thinset down and have the new tile sit at exactly the same height as the existing tiles.
The easiest way to glue down the new tile so it sits at the same height as the adjacent tiles is to use a thin layer of polyurethane adhesive. A thin layer of the polyurethane adhesive can be applied directly to the new tile and then the new tile can be compressed in place. Any excess thinset will ooze into the groves of the existing thinset and not cause any additional height to the new tile. Polyurethane adhesive is an extremely strong, waterproof and durable adhesive product. Additionally the polyurethane adhesive will provide a quick bond so you can typically grout around the new tile within 2-4 hours time.
After the new tile has been glued and set in place then the new grout can be installed. You should make sure that the new tile has sufficiently bonded to the thinset and the tile will not move while you are grouting around it. You do not want to grout around a tile that is shifting while you are grouting it. It can be difficult to pick a grout color that matches the existing grout. You should always choose the correct type of sanded vs unsanded grout. In many cases the original brand and color of grout is not known. You may have to do your best when choosing the new grout color. Even if the proper brand and color of grout is known the new grout will most likely not blend in 100% with the existing grout. In many cases the new grout color will match adequately enough and then you can just wait 72 hours for the grout to cure. In many cases the new grout will stick out like a sore thumb and you may not be happy with the look of the grout around the newly replaced tile.
The best option for restoring an original color and look to the new grout is to color seal all of the grout in the tile installation. Colorsealing all of the grout is the only sure way to ensure that all of the grout looks the same even color. Colorsealing grout will also seal the grout and make the grout look like new again.
Replacing a broken tile and color sealing the grout is a dangerous and sometimes difficult procedure. In many cases it is best to hire a tile restoration professional to do this difficult task for you.
You can read some valuable information and tips on how to hire a tile, grout and stone cleaning and restoration contractor at our contractor information page here. Tile Restoration Professional