Removing and replacing
a single ceramic floor tile is not too hard, depending on how it was installed.
The first thing I recommend when removing a floor tile is to carefully remove
all the grout around the tile. This can be done with a power tool or by hand.
Use safety glasses and good lighting.. Take your time so you do not nick or
scratch the tiles adjacent to the cracked tile.
If you’re going to do
this by hand, you need to use a hammer and an older beat-up flat-head
screwdriver. You slowly and carefully chip away the grout. With the grout out
of the way, there’s now less chance that you’ll damage any adjacent tile during
the removal process. If the tile you want to remove is touching up against any
other tiles in the floor, the initial stress of removing the tile pieces can
put pressure against the adjacent tiles and possibly crack or chip them.
If the floor tile is
not touching any other tile, you can tap the tile with a dull masonry chisel
near a corner and start to crack off small pieces about the size of a dime.
After you crack a piece off, do whatever is necessary to get the piece up from
the floor.
Once the entire tile is
out, now you have to excavate the thinset mortar or organic adhesive that was
used to set the tile to the floor. You can do this by hand or with a power
tool. If you have to do it by hand, you might discover that a stiff 1 1/2-inch
putty knife held at a low angle does a great job.
Once you think you
have all the thinset out of the way, test it and see. Drop a replacement tile
in place of the cracked one and use a straightedge over the tile to see if you
have at least 1/8 inch of space between the entire top of the tile and the
bottom of the straightedge. You want the straightedge to be resting on the
adjacent tiles on all sides of the replacement tile to check for the air space.
Rotate the straightedge at least 90 degrees to check for the needed gap.
I’d recommend using
cement-based thinset to stick the tile to the floor. Be sure the substrate is
free of all dust and loose material. You can buy small notched hand tools
to help put down the correct amount of thinset. The size of the notches depends
on the size of the tile you’re installing. Go to a store that sells just tile,
and the manager there will make sure you have the correct tool.
When you set the tile
in the new thinset, you need to make sure the entire tile is contacting the
thinset and there are no gaps. This may mean you have to put the thinset on
different thicknesses if the substrate is not in the same plane as the top
surface of the finished tile floor. Gently drop the new tile onto the fresh
thinset and lightly tap in place so its top surface is flush with all the
adjacent tiles. Use the straightedge again to help you here.
Allow the tile to set
and cure for at least 48 hours before grouting it. Protect it so no one walks
on it. You need to match the grout color as close as possible. When
grouting, do not add too much water to the new grout. You want it the
consistency of cake batter. After grout has dried wipe up remaining grout and
you are done. If you don’t feel like replacing broken tiles call us at
602-741-4131 or go to azcarpetandtileinstallation.com
