April 19, 2019

How to repair cracked tiles

repair cracked tiles in your bathroom

Are you trying to move to a new house, but the old one needs renovation? Your tiles in the house are damaged and cracked and you need to repair them, which requires extra costs? Or imagine moving long distance to a new house and realizing some tiles in a bathroom are cracked. Hiring a repairman or ceramist, as well as buying new tiles can cost you a lot.  You must be wondering how you can save money and how to repair cracked tiles? Don’t worry, even if the tiles on your floor are cracked or damaged, you don’t have to replace it all. Of course, new and clean tiles look great, and tiles with cracks can make your home look old, messy and dirty. Tiles are fairly durable and often resistant to moisture, scratches, and impacts. But over many years, minor damage is clearly visible. Moreover, there are injuries from broken tiles.

 Repair cracked tiles starts with gathering tools and things you need

When it comes to repairing tiles in your home, check every tool you need. If you are unsure about that, we’ve prepared a list of important things you need. You can start with dish soap, water, cloth, towel, a small paintbrush, wooden stick, oil-based paint, hair dryer, marine epoxy, putty knife and other, depends on how big damage is. There are so many tools and things you need when you’re trying to find the best way on how to repair cracked tiles. But these are the most common things. If you’re busy repairing tiles in your house, let Belle Meade Movers ease your relocation.

kitchen tilles
Clean and tiles without cracks and damage contribute to the visual beauty of your home.

 Repair cracked tiles starts with repairing small cracks

You don’t need to replace all tiles in your kitchen or a bathroom if they have small cracks and scratches. But you’re certainly wondering how to repair cracked tiles like that. Sometimes, it will be sufficient to repair small cracks in tiles by using oil-based paint with the same color as the tile. You will be using: a paintbrush, water, soap, cloth, epoxy, towel, oil-based paint. 

professional tiller with a tile
You can find a lot of DIY tips and tricks on how to repair cracked tiles on the Internet.

First, clean the tile with soapy water and cloth in order to remove the dust and dirt. When you make sure the crack is totally clean you can go on step two. If you have time you can let tile to dry naturally or be fast and use a hairdryer. If you’re on a budget buy a good primer and put it on the crack. Then let it dry for 2 hours. When it’s dry you can paint onto the crack in the tile. It’s important to leave the paint to dry for at least 24 hours. Use a small paintbrush and apply epoxy over the crack. If you’re moving to Tennessee check this amazing DIY tips on how to repair cracked tiles and make your home look more lux during selling. Let it dry and it’s done! 

Replacing individual tile

You replace your tile when it suffers too much damage of course. Here you start by placing a rag over the damaged tile and then shattering it with a hammer. That would be step number one. Now onto the next step, here you need to have a chisel. Remove the tile chips with a chisel, and clean out the old adhesive with a putty knife, also a must own tool for this experiment. Start by scrapping around the edges of the remaining tiles to remove dust and debris that might get in the way.

tile pattern
Possible income on the side as a professional tiller!

Furthermore, use a notched trowel to spread adhesive on the back of replacement tile, and set it in place. Remember, try it a few times prior to the replacement act. This finishes the second step. Now you need to allow the adhesive to dry for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer.

Construction issue for cracking tiles

One of the most common reasons that tiles crack is because they are not constructed properly. Ceramic tile is made from clay base and then protective finish under it. Now, this is the part where mistakes happen. The clay might not be completely uniform. It could reopen potentially and get an air pocket. When this happens a weak spot is born in the tile. After a certain amount of time, these spots manifest in the form of cracks in the tile. Now, another thing to consider is the human factor. The installer did not make sure there were no gaps in the adhesive under the tile. Remember tile adhesive is like concrete when it hardens. Furthermore, it provides a lot of support for the tile once it hardens. The key feature here is, in case there is a gap under the tile. 
This is a basic how-to guide to get your start and a first responder when it comes to your own house. It takes a while to get some experience, but someday you can finish all your repairs on your own. And let your family be proud and safe. Plus on the other side, some knowledge about tiles cannot harm you, and can potentially be some extra profit on the side, or a career. So, consider this as a small push in the right direction. Follow these steps and you are sure to fix your own tiles in no time. And in case you need some assistance when packing small appliances we got some tips for you as well.

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