Replace broken or missing ceramic tiles to prevent further damage. Damaged tiles allow moisture to get under the tile, so replace broken ceramic tiles right away. Ditto for clay tiles!
You can easily replace cracked and broken ceramic and clay tiles if you kept extra tiles and grout mix. If not, you'll need to either purchase matching tile or take a tile from some place it won’t be missed, like inside a closet.
Gather your materials: Tile cutter, replacement tile, grout, an iron, tile adhesive, putty knife, mineral spirits, rags, sponge, rolling pin.
You’ll need just a small tub of tile adhesive.
Cut between the tile and the grout by using the tile cutter.
Get a special tile cutter from a home improvement or tool rental store.
Warm the tile with a hot iron.
Heating the tile with a warm iron will loosen any adhesive that might still be holding the tile.
Lift out the loose tile with a putty knife.
Carefully lift the loose tile with a putty knife, working from center to edges on all four sides. Set the tile aside.
Dissolve the adhesive on floor.
A rag dampened with mineral spirits works great to dissolve the adhesive.
Scrape away the old adhesive.
Use your putty knife to scrape away the dissolved adhesive goo.
Make sure your scraper doesn’t slip and damage surrounding tiles. If you encounter a stubborn spot, use the iron again to warm the adhesive, then scrape it out.
Apply adhesive to the new tile and to the floor.
Coat the empty patch of floor with adhesive.
Put the new tile in place.
You should have enough give to be sure get the tile positioned just right.
Roll the tile with the rolling pin.
Pressing hard with the rolling pin will get rid of any trapped air pockets that will cause the tile to lift up.
Clean up excess adhesive.
A rag dampened with mineral spirits will clean up any adhesive around the edges of the tile.
Grout the new tile.
Apply the grout thickly and be sure to get it securely into the gaps.
Clean up excess grout.
Use a damp sponge to wipe away the extra grout. If any grout has to be replaced, mix it to match the color of the rest of the grout.
Weigh down the tile with books.
Keep the books on for a day or two until you’re certain the bond can’t be broken.
