Replacing Broken Ceramic Tiles

The First Step is to Get Some Advice at the Hardware Store

Here’s a question often heard every day in hardware stores: How do you repair ceramic tile in your bathroom or kitchen without calling in expensive professionals?

The best way to repair ceramic floor or wall tiles is by first preparing yourself for the job. That means understanding what ceramic tile is, how ceramic tile adheres to a surface, what purpose grout has, and what can go wrong if you do not take your time with the repair. 

A common problem is having a cracked ceramic tile you wish to replace with an identical tile. First, it will be necessary to remove the cracked tile starting with the surrounding grout. Grout is a substance which allows tiles to adhere to each other and, at the same time, prevents water from harming the floor or wall behind the tile.

Depending on the type of grout used, there are two ways of removing it. Using a sharp object like a putty knife, slowly begin cutting into and removing the grout around the damaged tile. Take your time and allow it to flake off.

If the grout is too hard to simply peel off using a sharp knife, it will be necessary to break it apart with a hammer and thin chisel. This is more problematic, since it is also possible to accidentally crack adjacent tiles. So work slowly and gently. Once you have cracked the grouting, return to using your knife to gently remove the pieces of grouting.

By the way, save pieces of the grout so you can take it to the hardware store to match the color with your new grout.

If the cracked tile is loose, lift it away from the floor or wall. If, most likely it is not loose, there are a number of ways to remove the tile. Carefully use the thin chisel and hammer to gently chip away at the adhesive backing on the damaged tile.

If there is no room to place the chisel in position, it may be time for a professional trick. Use a small carbide drill bit to drill a series of holes into the damaged tile. Then take the chisel and hammer to gently break through the tile where the line of holes was drilled.

Depending on the adhesive used, each piece of the bored tile may need to be gently chiseled away. Again remember that you do not want to break any other tiles while hammering.