How to Repair Ceramic Kitchen Tiles

A repaired ceramic tile kitchen floor.

Ceramic tiles in a kitchen can easily show wear and tear. Even clumsy (or not so clumsy) mistakes, like dropping a heavy dish on the tile floor, can quickly ruin a tile job. You do not need to completely remove the entire tile floor to fix a broken tile. Instead, repair a broken ceramic tile in a kitchen by simply replacing it.

Things You'll Need

• Chisel
• Hammer
• Vacuum
• Thin set mortar
• Notched trowel
• Grout
• Rubber grout float
• Sponge
• Water

Instructions

1. Remove cracked and broken ceramic kitchen tiles. Use a chisel and a hammer to remove the tiles. Place the chisel on one corner of the tile and hammer the chisel until the corner of the tile breaks or loosens. Once one part of the tile is loose, carefully chisel out the rest of the tile. Avoid breaking any of the surrounding tiles.

2. Vacuum the floor to remove dust and dried particles of mortar or tile.

3. Mix the thin set by following the manufacturer recommendations. Apply the thin set to the floor with a notched trowel. Place the replacement ceramic tile on top of the thin set mortar and press it into the thin set. Adjust the tile so that there is even spacing on all sides of the tile. Let the thin set mortar dry for 24 hours.

4. Mix the grout by following the manufacturer recommendations. Using a rubber grout float, apply the mixed grout to the empty tile joints. Remove the extra grout from the top of the tile with a damp sponge. Allow the grout dry for 24 to 48 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to always keep leftover tiles from a tile job. Doing so will allow you to replace broken ceramic tiles at a later time.

References

• Ron Hazelton: How to Repair Floor Tile