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| Ceramic floor tile repairs |
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Ceramic floor tile repair and repairing small grout lines
Lets start with grout repair first:Normally you never want to re-grout an entire floor, it is a huge job that takes a lot of time and energy. Grout lines that are stained or in the case of bathrooms or basement tiles that have mildewed grout are better cleaned with a cleaner that is formulated for this job. However you will need to fix damaged grout, that has chipped or broken, otherwise you have a hole in the floor and if moisture gets in there you will be replacing all of the floor tiles. If the floor has colored grout, then be prepared for a slight color variance, unless you have some of the old grout left over. To start you need to cut the grout from the damages area out with a grout saw (hand tool). Make a cut between the tiles of no less than a 1/16 inch 1/8 is better. Try not to go right through because this is only a repair not a replacement. If the grout is broken you need to take it all out and then feather it over the connecting grout line that is not chipped. Clean this with a grout cleaner when you are done and be sure to vacuum all chips and dust up. If you are using a powdered grout mix you need to add a latex admix or you will be doing this again. Some types come premixed in a pail with this admix already in it. Apply the grout as you normally would with a rubber float. Press the grout into the cracks and the entire area you are fixing. (Do this all at once.) After this wait about 15 to 20 minutes and then use a damp sponge to clean off excess buildup. After use the damp sponge to clean the hazy film after it is totally dry. Read the package instructions to see how long this takes. Repairing and replacing a ceramic floor tile
It is inevitable that you will have a tile break at some point in time. Lets just hope that you kept a few spares when the ceramic tile was first installed. If not try to get one as close as you can in color and design. The most important part is getting one of the same thickness. If you cant make sure you use more mortar to build it up. Start by removing all the grout. Use your grout saw to cut down into it and then a small chisel to tap it out. This is the tricky part because it is easy to damage a good tile. What I have done in the past worked very well for me and it might for you. What I did was to just score the grout all the way around the tile that was cracked or broken. When I say score I mean not a small scratch but a deep cut at least an 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. Wear safety glasses to do this; It only takes one tiny chip to damage your eye. Tile chips are as sharp as glass so be careful. I have known tile installers to do this a 1000 times without a problem and then one day they did it once and hurt themselves. Now score the ceramic tile diagonal from corner to corner. You are making a big X of at least 1/16 inches deep. Now take a chisel to the center of the tile and hit it with a hammer. Not real hard just start tapping it until you have the force that will break it. If you swing your hammer hard it may glance off and hit a good tile. Keep banging the chisel along both lines until the tile is completely broken up. Now take a wide chisel and start removing all the mortar, and grout along the edges. Sometimes you don't have to go right to the wood floor if you feel there is enough room to put down a 1/4 inch of thinset. If you can find it there is a thinset made just for repairs, look at Lowes hardware or home depot for it. If not mix your thinset up according to the directions and spread it out on the floor making grooves where the old tile was. Now spread another layer in the opposite direction or angle on the back of the ceramic tile. Put the tile into place and make a slight twist as you go, make sure it is lined up the way you want and leave it alone until it is cured, normally 24 hours, before you apply new grout. Make sure you place a couple of buckets around the tile so nobody steps on it until it is dry.
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