How To Replace Cracked Ceramic Wall Tiles Yourself

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Preparatory stage
• Procedure for removing destroyed tiles
• Remove grout
• Replacing cracked tiles
• Self-repair of tiles with scrap materials

Ceramic tiles are widely used as a decoration material.

No matter how carefully you handle it, cracks appear on the ceramic tiles over time.

Cracks not only worsen the appearance of the room, but also cause dirt and moisture to get onto the walls. And this can lead to the occurrence of mold, fungi. How to remove a tile without damaging it?

There are many ways to remove damaged ceramic tiles.

We are interested in those that can be easily done at home by a novice master with his own hands. In order to repair damaged ceramic tiles, the damaged area must be carefully removed.

Preparatory stage

Place a piece of plastic wrap on the floor. Prepare protective equipment:

• glasses;
• gloves;
• respirator or gauze mask.

It is recommended to pre-protect the areas adjacent to the removed tile. For this, insulating tape, masking tape or tape is glued to the tile.

True, there are traces of adhesive tape on the tiles that must be removed at the end of the work.

Procedure for removing destroyed tiles

Repairing cracked tiles begins with an inspection of the area to be removed.

First of all, you should make sure that there are no electrical wires or pipes of water supply or heating under the tile.

Dismantling work begins by removing grout from all edges of the cracked tile. The grout can be removed manually, or you can use a power tool. For example, an angle grinder equipped with an abrasive wheel and a vacuum cleaner. But you must immediately warn that the use of a grinder is accompanied by the formation of a large amount of dust.

For manual grout removal, it is best to use:

• putty knife;
• screwdriver;
• chisel;
• sharp boot knife.

And you cannot do without a file.

Care must be taken before replacing damaged tiles.

Remove grout

Use a sharp knife to cut along the seam line. Use a spatula or chisel to remove the old grout from the edges to the cut line. Clean the remaining pieces of grout with a file.

By the way, grout can also be removed chemically. But for this you need to know what material the grout was made of.

After removing the grout, you can proceed to dismantle the cracked tile.

A dozen holes must be drilled in the damaged parts, evenly distributing them over the entire surface. This relieves stress and does not damage adjacent tiles.

Using a hammer and chisel, all pieces of cracked tiles are carefully removed. It is recommended to use a hammer weighing up to 200 g and a sharpened chisel to remove the pieces. The chisel angle should be no more than 60 °.

Hammer blows should be soft, without accent.

Try to remove the tiles in small chunks to avoid cracking the adjacent tiles.

After removing the pieces of old tile, move on to cleaning up any traces of tile glue or mortar.

To answer the question of how to replace a cracked tile, one must not only arm oneself with information, but also prepare the necessary tool and auxiliary materials. We have already talked about the tools above.

Replacing cracked tiles

Take a new tile, attach it to the prepared place, check with a building level or ruler. If the tile does not lie flat, remove any spots or elevations that prevent the tile from adhering to the wall.

Before laying new tiles on the floor surface, vacuum and treat with an acrylic primer.

Having fitted the new tile in place, proceed to apply glue to it. It is recommended to use dry tile adhesives, which should be applied with a notched trowel. More details on how to make tiling work.

Ceramic tiles with glue applied to them are applied to the wall and easily pressed down. Plastic crosses are inserted into the space between joints. Tile alignment is best done with pressure or a rubber hammer, but don't overdo it.

Replacing cracked tiles is completed by applying grout and removing traces of glue and grout.

Self-repair of tiles with scrap materials

At home, you can glue broken tiles with almost any type of sealant. It is important to remember only that acrylic sealant cannot be used when the tile is in contact with water. But silicone sealants hold it perfectly, and even an inexperienced craftsman can easily glue the fallen off tiles in place. This method is often resorted to for local repair of lost ceramic tiles. A good option is liquid nails. In this case, you need to read the instructions and pay attention to the method of application and the fixing time of the glue.