Many showers have cracked or broken tiles that can distract from the look of the shower tile installation.  Also it is important to replace these cracked or broken tiles because they can allow water to get through the tiles and into the walls of your home

 

 

While it may be necessary to replace any broken or cracked shower tiles there is always a risk of damaging your shower when replacing a shower tile. You should always first examine the broken shower tiles and consider all of your options before actually replacing any cracked or broken shower tiles.

There are many reasons why shower tiles can crack and break. Some times tiles are cheaply made and they can develop cracks in them that occur with normal age and usage in a shower environment. Often times older tiles develop hairline cracks in the glaze of the tiles surface that makes the tile looked cracked. What may look like a hairline crack in a tile is not necessarily a reason to replace the tile.

In many other cases of broken or cracked tiles there is an underlying tile installation issue that is causing the tiles to break. There are many different faulty tile installation issues than can cause tiles to crack and break. Sometimes the tiles were not set properly and the tile adhesive did not adhere properly to either the tiles or to the wall on which they were set. In cases of improperly set tiles the tiles can simply become loose and pop out in the tile shower installation. Also if the tiles do not adhere to the wall properly then they can easily break or crack with normal shower usage.

Many other faulty tile installation issues can result in newly replaced tiles cracking just like the old tiles did.  It is often difficult to diagnose what caused the tiles to crack in the first place and there is always a risk that newly installed tiles will crack or break just like the old tiles did. Underlying tile installation faults can rarely be fixed and it is sometimes necessary to tear out the entire shower tile installation including the surrounding walls and properly retile the shower.

Many tile shower installations can develop small hairline cracks in the shower tiles. These hairline tile cracks usually do not allow water to get through the tiles and they are simply a cosmetic issue in the shower. For tiles with small hairline cracks it is usually best to just leave the shower tiles in place rather than replacing them. It is usually impossible to find an exact matching tile that has the exact same color as the existing tile. Even if the existing tile looks like an exact color match in the tile store when you actually bring the tile home and install it the tile may not be a 100% color or design match. In many cases the new tile can stick out like a sore thumb and make the shower look cheap and ugly. Often times small hairline cracks in shower tiles will look much better than replacing these tiles with tiles that do not match the existing tiles.

 

 

The biggest obstacle to replacing a shower tile is removing the old tile.  In some cases the old shower tiles will simply come out of the tile installation with no problems.  In many other cases the broken and cracked shower tiles were installed correctly using thin set and cement board or hardibacker board for the walls. These properly installed tiles can be extremely difficult to remove. The tiles must be chipped away in small pieces with a hammer and a chisel. Chipping away the old tiles takes a steady hand and patience. It requires extreme care to remove a broken or cracked tile without damaging the surrounding tiles or the underlying wallboard in the process.

Another potential problem when trying to remove a broken tile is damaging the backerboard wall behind the tile.  Sometimes shower tiles are installed over drywall and a section of the drywall will be removed along with the tile. Even a proper cement board or hardibacker shower wall can be damaged or removed while removing a shower tile. When the underlying wall is missing or damaged attaching the new tile can be extremely difficult if not impossible to do.  You could potentially cause irreparable damage to the shower tile installation when removing a shower tile. Often times a small tile repair job can lead to the irreparable damage to the shower tile installation.

In general it is never a good idea to just replace a shower tile for cosmetic reasons alone.  Just living with the cracked tile is usually a much better option.  In many cases of small shower tile cracks grout or even caulking can be applied to prevent water from getting into the walls of your home.

There still are many cases where badly cracked and broken tiles must be replaced to keep water from flowing into your walls of and causing water damage in your home.

The first step involved in replacing a broken or cracked shower tile is to find a new matching replacement tile for your shower.  You should pick a replacement tile that closely matches the existing tiles. It may require going to various tile stores to compare different tile brands to find tiles that match your existing shower tiles. It always helps to be able to bring home a sample tile and hold it up in the shower to see how well it matches. You also want to ensure that the tile you choose is the same size or bigger than the existing tile. A tile that is too big can be cut down to fit in where the cracked tile was. A tile that is too small will require wider grout joints than the rest of the tiles and look out of place. You also need to consider the edge profile requirements for the replacement tiles. Tiles on ledges and at the edges of the tile installation require bullnose tiles to match the existing tile design. A tile without the proper edging will also stick out like a sore thumb.

After you have chosen the necessary replacement tiles then the existing broken or cracked tile must be removed. The first thing to do before removing the existing shower tile is to remove all of the grout surrounding the existing tile. The best way to remove the grout is with a multimaster tool and a diamond grout removal blade. Many people do not have a mulitmaster tool so you will need to use a utility knife or a grout grabber tool to remove the existing grout around the broken tile. It is important to remove all of the grout surrounding the broken tile so that when you break apart and remove the broken tile you do not damage or chip any of the surrounding tiles.

 

 

Breaking apart the broken tile so that it can be removed requires using a hammer and a chisel.  Wear eye protection so that bits of tile do not fly out and damage your eyes. Breaking apart existing tiles requires precise hammer and chisel skills so that you do not damage the surrounding tiles. You should keep hammering the existing tile until it breaks apart and smaller pieces of the tile can be chiseled away.  After you remove the existing tile then scrape away any high areas of thinset that was used to attach the broken tile. You should not scrape away all of the existing thinset.  You only want to scrape away any high spots that may cause the new tile to sit above the existing tiles.

 

 

After you have removed all of the broken tiles then you will need to attach the new replacement tile. When attaching new replacement tiles you want to ensure that the new tiles will fit in the open space left behind by the old tiles. If the new tiles are too big then they will need to be cut to fit the space where the broken tile was. You also want to ensure that the new tiles will be the correct height and will not sit lower or higher than the surrounding tiles. In most cases using a thick layer of thinset to glue the new tile in place will cause the new tile to rise above the adjacent tiles.

When attaching a new tile you typically want only a thin layer of adhesive when attaching the new tile so that it does not rise above higher than the adjacent tiles. The best type of adhesive to use in these situation is a 100% polyurethane adhesive. A 100% polyurethane adhesive is waterproof and will provide and extremely strong bond with all types of tiles as well as all types of wallboards. In many cases the wallboard can be partially torn away.  There can also be a layer of mastic on the wall that was holding the old tile in place. Using thinset to attach the tiles in many situations will not only raise the height of the new tile too much but it will also not bond to many different types of surfaces.  The polyurethane adhesive will bond to just about any surface and provide a durable waterproof bond for the replacement tiles.

 

 

You can use a caulking gun to apply the polyurethane adhesive but you should always spread it thin so that it does not create bulk and cause the tile to rise above the existing tiles.  If the tile sits too low you can add some more of the polyurethane adhesive to raise the tile up a little more.

 

 

Apply the polyurethane adhesive to the tile and then press the new tile in place on the shower wall.  You should use painters tape to hold the tile in place on the vertical walls so the tile will dry in the correct place. It will only take a few hours for the polyurethane adhesive to dry enough so that the tile can be grouted in place.

You should use a grout that closely matches the existing grout as much as possible.  It is typically impossible to get an exact matching grout especially if you do not know which grout was used in the initial installation.  Picking the most closely matching grout will help the new tiles blend in with the existing tile installation.  You should then wait 72 hours for the grout to dry and then seal the grout and caulk the shower as necessary.  After the caulk dries then you can begin to use your newly repaired shower again. 

 

 

Repairing a broken shower can be a difficult and you could potentially damage your shower while trying to repair it.  You may want to consider hiring a professional tile installation contractor to do you shower tile repairs 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 Installation contractor service.