Especially in the old-style bathrooms you will often find the small, but still clearly visible crack in a tile. But do not worry, replacing a wall or floor tile is not as difficult as it may sound. With our instructions, you can easily repair a broken tile!
Fortunately, when a heavy object falls on the tile floor, flaking off a corner, or a failed hole “decorates” the wall, you do not have to renovate the entire bathroom. Mostly it is enough to get a suitable tile and use it. For a smooth exchange, it is good if you have a tile in the exact size and suitable color available and can repair a broken tile.
Tip: When tiling a floor or wall, always keep a few spare tiles. In rental properties, it may be worthwhile to ask the landlord!
The exchange of tiles can be done by anyone, an expensive craftsman is usually not necessary for this. What you need and what you do, we explain here.
Replacing broken tiles: You need
Multifunction device with milling attachment and joint cutter (thickness depending on joint width)
hammer
chisel
notched trowel
rubber joints
sponge
Brush or vacuum cleaner
safety goggles
tile glue
grout
In the following you will learn step by step how to proceed with the tile exchange.
1. Remove broken tile
Start by editing the joints. A milling tool is very helpful. Carefully guide the diamond-tipped cutter along the joints. You go so deep until you reach the ground.
Unfortunately, the tile will not fall into your hands, because it is stuck to the wall or floor. Therefore, you must now tee off the tile – but so that the adjacent tiles do not break! Place the metal blade of the chisel on a joint or at the defective point and hit it with the hammer with feeling on the tail until the tile comes loose (in individual parts). If necessary, protect the surface of wall tiles.
Tip: Stick the edges of the tile with tape, so that no further quirks occur with the adjacent tiles.
With tiles still relatively intact, a hole in the middle can help find a first point for the chisel. Since the items jump off unpredictably, we recommend wearing protective goggles.
You must now also remove the traces of the old tile adhesive, either with hammer and chisel (or a spatula) or finer remnants with the milling tool. Then brush off or vacuum thoroughly.
2. Insert new tile
Apply tile adhesive to the back of the new tile using a notched trowel. For smaller dimensions choose the smaller teeth. Then place the new tile in the gap and align it, then allow to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tip: The glue is mixed ready to use even in smaller container sizes in the hardware store.
3. Apply the grout
Mix the grout and distribute diagonally to the joints. Remove any excess material and wipe the tiles with a damp sponge. It also go a few times without pressure to smooth over the joints.
Gerhardt Richter is a writer and a trainer at trade technical colleges, specializing in carpentry, plumbing, mechanics and construction.
