Six R's of Tile Repair

By Marylee MacDonald

Under my friend's pea soup-green vinyl floor, I discovered the original bathroom's white hex tile. Eureka! I thought. It's still there. But next to the W.C., a plumber had pulled up three rows of tile and filled the trough with a concrete patch--the beginning of the tile's untimely demise.

Many unsightly tilework patches begin with the rush to fix leaky pipes. In a typical old bathroom most of the tile will be intact except for damage below the sink, between the shower head and faucets (where the shower riser has been replaced), or below the tub spout. At their best, such patches use whatever tile generally matches the color of the adjacent tile. At their worst there's no attempt to make the whole ensemble mesh. If this sounds like your bathroom, cheer up. There are battle-tested ways--six steps the way I do it--to remove and replace those unsightly tiles or any similar spot damage in a field of tilework.

Getting Ready
Although tile installed on a traditional bed of 3/4 sand-lime-and-cement mortar will stand up for decades to the onslaught of showers, cracked grout can trap moisture inside the wall. Or perhaps no one has thought to Quik-Seal the rim of the tub in years. When the mortar base crumbles, tiles detach. As long as you have the original tile, however, you're in great shape. Remove the grout, lift out the loose tile, clean the back, then duct tape 4-mil plastic sheeting over the damp area until it's dry.

Matching grout is as tricky as matching tile. To remove old grout you might get away with a church key can opener for one or two tiles, but the serrated blade of a grout saw works better. For narrow joints, you'll have to resort to a metal nail file or hacksaw blade. If you're only regrouting the patch, matching the original color is crucial. Start with clean grout. Tilex cleaner works extremely well to remove mildew stains on walls. Use undiluted bleach on floors.

If you're going to regrout the bathroom--the best way to disguise the patch--invest in a tile and grout router (see Suppliers). Standard 1/16 router blades remove grout from most joints, but if the joints are tight, remove the grout by hand or you'll risk chipping the edges of the tile.

Remove Loose and Mismatched Tile

Step 1. Rake out the joints, freeing problem tile from adjoining tile.

Step 2. For tile that is not solidly attached, tap lightly with a 1/4 a carbide chisel or small pry bar. The goal is to create a loose square of mortar behind the tile (depending on how mushy the mortar has become and how much room you have to slide a tool into the grout joint). Then pry gently to lift out the first tile.

Step 3. For mismatched tile, do not pry. Instead, score the tile with diagonal lines using a glass cutter. Use a center punch or nail set to dimple the surface. Then drill through the center point with a 1/4 masonry bit.

Step 4. With a 1/4, carbide-tip, cold chisel, strike the diagonal lines, working outward. Check for any remaining grout before prying loose pieces along the edge.


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