It's natural for a tub or shower to sometimes get cracks, gouges or holes because of the constant wear and tear on the appliance. In most cases, the entire tub or shower won't break, but it's the smallest of areas that can suffer from a crack. One may think that these small nicks don't need to be fixed unless they look unsightly, but even the smallest of holes in a shower or tub can cause significant damage. The small hole will allow water to get behind the surrounding material, which can cause deterioration to your entire bathroom. Have no fear though: There are ways of patching holes in ceramic tile.
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Access How You're Going to Repair the Hole In the Tile
Before you start the project of shower wall repair, you have to access how you're going to patch up the hole. Most showers are tiled, so you may have to replace the entire tile. If you don't have to replace the whole tile, you can patch up the area.
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Clean and Reinforce the Tile
Most fiberglass tubs and showers don't break in a neat line and the small fibers can shatter. Before patching up the hole, make sure to clean and reinforce the tiles. First, you're going to need to trim away pieces of the loose fiberglass. You can use a utility knife. If you don't have one, you can purchase them at any of your local home improvement and hardware stores. When trimming up the loose fiberglass, you're going to make sure all of the edges around the hole are clean.
How to Patch Up the Hole
When you get ready to patch up the hole, you can purchase any tub or shower refinishing kits from your local home improvement and hardware store. The kits will have the resin needed to create a durable patch on your shower or tub wall. When creating the resin patch for your shower or tub wall, there should be simple instructions in the kit. If not, all you have to do is mix up the compound and hardener. Using a putty knife, you are going to apply the resin to the hole. It's important to use as much ceramic tile filler as the hole will allow. You want to fill the hole entirely and get the patch level to the shower or tub wall. Make sure to let the entire filler dry. It should be stable when you touch the filler.
After the Filler Dries
After your ceramic tile filler dries, you are going to sand down the patch to make sure it is smooth. You want to completely sand down the area until you can't tell the difference between the filled patch and the surrounding area. When everything is level, you can paint the area to match the color of the tub or shower. Make sure to let the paint dry for over 24 hours before you use the shower or tub.
If You Have to Replace Individual Tiles
Trying to replace a tile can be a bit of a more difficult job. Not only do you have to match the tile, but you don't want to mess up the surrounding tiles. If you don't have extra tiles from the original installation, break off a chunk of the broken tile and bring it to any of your home improvement or hardware stores. The staff will be able to help you match the shade and texture of the tile. Also, don't forget to measure the size of your tiles. Having a sample of the tile will help you tremendously so you aren't searching through the inventory in the store.